Former assistant to the President for national security John Bolton in the book “the Room where it happened: a Memoir of the White house” told the details of the famous meeting, trump and Putin in Helsinki two years ago.
In July 2018 Bolton was preparing a series of talks trump in Europe, including with Putin in Helsinki.
Before leaving Washington trump, says Bolton, called the coming meeting with the Russian President “very simple” compared with other tense negotiations, NATO and the UK.
to prepare For the summit, Bolton met in Moscow. “When I told Trump, he said, “You need to go to Russia? Can’t you do it by phone?”
trump wanted Putin came to Washington, that Russian was not going to do, and we argued about Helsinki and Vienna as a possible venue. Russia promoted the vein, and we are – Helsinki, but it turned out that trump does not approve of Helsinki. “Perhaps Finland is not a satellite of Russia?”, he asked.
Later that morning, trump asked Kelly (John Kelly at that time the head of the White house – “MK”), isn’t Finland part of Russia”.
After all, converged on Helsinki, Bolton went to Moscow and met with Russian President..
“Putin has taken a very tough stance towards Ukraine, discussed the political and military aspects of the conflict. Turning to a more hard tone, he said, the US military supplies to Ukraine illegal, such podatki is not the best way to solve the problem. He refused even to discuss the Crimea.
Then he said Obama had made clear to him in 2014, if Russia will be limited to the annexation of the Crimea, the confrontation with Ukraine can be resolved. But for some reason Obama changed his mind and we ended up in the current impasse.”
But what the politician actually writes about the summit Putin-trump in Finland. Ahead of the meeting with Putin, Bolton discussed with trump’s “interference” of Russia in American elections. Trump has refused to permit such interference – this would undermine the legitimacy of his election.
Back in the Finnish hotel, the Americans learned that the Russian President’s aircraft delayed his departure from Moscow. “I was hoping that trump would be annoyed by this, will be tougher against Putin,” writes Bolton.
“We really considered the possibility of full cancellation of the meeting if Putin would be late. And decided that in any case, we will force Putin to wait a while at the presidential Palace of Finland (where was held the summit in 1990), as soon as he would come.”
“We were sweating in our stunningly long, nearly two-hour meeting of the presidents tet-a-tet – continues John Bolton. – Most of the conversation was about Syria, with a particular focus on humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation (RossIya wanted it funded we and the West in General) and leaving Iran.”
according to the Bolton, the American translator later reported that Putin said 90% of the time (not counting translation); she said trump told her not to make any records.
“the Key point – Bolton sums up the results of the meeting of the two leaders in Helsinki, was not entered into any agreements not made any concessions. No real significant changes in foreign policy. I was very impressed. And felt relieved. No luck, but it didnt bother me at all, so long as I considered all this summit as just a massive exercise in the anti-crisis measures”.
