Trump's former National Security Adviser: “Trump did not lose, but Putin clearly won”

Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump.
Photo: AFP

John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, said today it was clear who walked away victorious in today’s meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders gave short statements after their high-stakes meeting today in Alaska, CNN writes.

“Trump did not lose, but Putin clearly won,” Bolton said, adding that “Trump didn’t come away with anything, except more meetings.”

Putin, meanwhile, “has gone a long way to reestablishing the relationship, which I always believed was his key goal,” Bolton said.

“He escaped sanctions. He’s not facing a ceasefire. The next meeting is not set. Zelensky was not told any of this before this press conference. It’s far from over, but I’d say Putin achieved most of what he wanted. Trump achieved very little,” Bolton said.

President Donald Trump listens as Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

The war in Ukraine would not have happened had Donald Trump been the US president in 2022, Russian leader Vladimir Putin told the press conference in Alaska.

Trump has long claimed that he would have averted the full-scale conflict that broke out during Joe Biden’s administration when Russia invaded Ukraine. On Friday, Putin said that Trump’s claim was correct – a position he has stated before.

Putin said that in 2022 he had tried to convince Biden to avoid allowing the situation to progress to a point in which “serious consequences in the form of military actions could occur.”

“President Trump and I established a very good, businesslike and trusting contact. And I have every reason to believe that by moving along this path, we can reach – and the sooner, the better – the end of the conflict in Ukraine,” he said.

During the press conference in Anchorage, Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Ukrainian and European leaders not to interfere.

“We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles, will not make attempts to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations and behind-the-scenes intrigues,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the primary causes of the war must be eliminated for the war in Ukraine to end.

“The situation in Ukraine has to do with the fundamental threats to our security,” he said during a press conference today in Anchorage, Alaska.

While Russia is interested in putting an end to what’s happening in Ukraine, Putin said “we’re convinced that in order to to make the settlement lasting and long term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, primary causes of that conflict.”

“To consider all legitimate concerns of Russia and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe and in the world on the whole. And I agree with President Trump, as he has (said) today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well,” he continued.

“Naturally, we are prepared to work on that. I would like to hope that the agreement that we’ve reached together will help us bring closer to that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is floating a different location for his next meeting with President Donald Trump: Moscow.

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