Donald Trump is being manipulated by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Trump’s former a former ally to the President has claimed.
John Bolton, who worked as Trump’s adviser in his first term, believes Putin is attempting to influence the US President amid negotiations for peace in Ukraine.
The 76-year-old, who served as Trump's National Security Adviser from 2018 to 2019, warned that the Russian leader would be using deceitful tactics to “get what he wants” from the US President.
Speaking to The Sun, Bolton said: "Trump thinks he and Putin are friends. That's not what Putin thinks."
John Bolton, who worked as Trump’s advisor in his first term, believes Putin is attempting to influence the US President
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Bolton added that he believes Trump admires leaders like Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un for their power and "rule without contradiction".
He said: "They're kind of big guys - and Trump would like to be a big guy too."
Bolton's comments come as the US President paused military aid to Ukraine after a tense White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He then shockingly remarked that he found it easier to deal with Russia than Ukraine, claiming that Putin “wants to end the war … and I think he’s going to be more generous than he has to be”.
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Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday night, the US President said: “I think we’re doing very well with Russia and right now they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine.”
He added: “I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine and they don’t have the cards … I find that in terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards.”
Trump promised to end the war in 100 days, and has been attempting to reach a deal with Ukraine that would give them a stake in the country's minerals, as well as open the door to talks with Russia.
However, Kyiv is calling for more security guarantees, leading European countries to offer their help.
Bolton claimed that Putin had been manipulating Trump for a long time, and recalled a phone call he listened to between the pair in 2019 after Zelensky took power.
The former security adviser said the Russian leader tried to sway Trump’s view on Zelensky, and believes his words may have contributed to Trump’s attacks on the Ukrainian leader.
Last week, Trump branded Zelensky a “dictatator” and a “modestly successful comedian”.
Trump has also said he trusts Putin, claiming the leader wants peace after three years of war
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"You don't call your friends dictators," Bolton told The Sun.
Trump has also said he trusts Putin, claiming the leader wants peace after three years of war.
Bolton said: "Putin would love nothing better than to sign the [Ukraine peace] deal with Trump, because he thinks he can get what he wants from Trump.”
"He's already gotten a large part of it. Trump has retreated from a full restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. No Ukraine membership in Nato. So that's fine with the Kremlin."
