Previous American national security advisor asserts that Putin exerted a mesmerizing influence over Trump.
The query persists: How autonomous is Trump's Russia policy? His ex-national security advisor discloses in a book how Putin artfully charmed the ex-American president. It seems he appreciated the charm.
As per the former US national security adviser, General Herbert Raymond McMaster, Putin skillfully manipulated then-US President Donald Trump. This is detailed in McMaster's upcoming book "At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House," as reported by the "Guardian."
"Putin, a ruthless ex-KGB agent, exploited Trump's ego and insecurities with flattery," McMaster supposedly states. "Putin described Trump as 'a truly exceptional person, undoubtedly talented,' and Trump displayed his vulnerability to this strategy, his affinity for powerful men and his belief that he alone could construct a solid relationship with Putin." McMaster cautioned Trump at the time: "Mr. President, he is the best liar on earth." Putin had outsmarted Trump's predecessors, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, prior to this.
Putin's flattery was a strategic move by the Kremlin leader to win over Trump and create a rift between him and his Washington advisors, who were advocating for a harder stance against the Kremlin.
Putin's Strategic Plot
McMaster allegedly informed the US president that Putin believed he could "play" with Trump and obtain a softening of sanctions, as well as a low-cost withdrawal of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan. "I said what I had to say. If he wanted to contest, I hoped he would contest the Russian despot and not me," McMaster added.
However, Trump reportedly grew frustrated with this "negative demeanor." McMaster recalls being reprimanded by Trump - at the G-20 summit in Hamburg in July 2017. At the time, Trump and Putin were engrossed in hours of conversation, with the "Guardian" reporting on an "emerging bromance."
Trump did not tolerate criticism of Putin from his own subordinates, which eventually led to McMaster's dismissal as national security advisor after more than a year in office. Among other things, the general allegedly angered Trump with his comment at the Munich Security Conference in 2018 that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
He Runs His Country, At Least He's a Leader
Even during the 2016 campaign, Trump demonstrated empathy for Moscow. Not only did he hint at acknowledging the Crimea annexed by Russia, but he also lauded Putin in a way that one man might praise another: "He runs his country, at least he's a leader, unlike what we have here in our country."
With this leader, Trump suggests, he could swiftly negotiate a peace agreement. At least, the Republican persistently asserts that he could halt the ongoing conflict against Ukraine in the shortest time possible. And, in general, he claims that there would have been no Russian assault on the neighboring country if he were president.
The strategic move by Putin to win over Trump and create a rift between him and his advisors was executed from within the Kremlin's walls at The Kremlin. McMaster's concerns about Putin's intentions towards Trump's policies, including a softening of sanctions and withdrawal of troops, were also discussed within The Kremlin's confines.
