Former national security advisor John Bolton has launched a scathing critique of President Donald Trump’s Ukraine policy, calling it chaotic and contradictory, following the FBI’s recent raid on his home and office. Bolton’s comments came days after the search warrants were executed, which are reportedly linked to a probe into classified document mishandling. In an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner, Bolton argued that Trump’s approach to Ukraine negotiations has been ‘collapsing in confusion, haste, and the absence of any discernible meeting of the minds’ among Ukraine, Russia, several European countries, and America. He said the negotiations may be in their ‘last throes,’ along with Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize campaign.
Bolton criticized the rapid pace of the Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 as ‘almost surely unprecedented in modern history.’ He also highlighted the abrupt reversal of Trump’s policy after the summit, including backing off new sanctions on Moscow and scrapping demands for a ceasefire in favor of a ‘final agreement.’ This, according to Bolton, underscores the chaotic nature of Trump’s diplomacy. The former U.N. ambassador also pointed out contradictions within the administration, such as Trump instructing Ukraine to strike inside Russia while the Pentagon had been blocking such actions. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon had quietly prevented long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMs) from reaching Ukraine, raising questions about the feasibility of Trump’s orders.
In addition to the internal contradictions, Bolton criticized the U.S.’s approach to trade, noting that allies like India were ‘hanging out to dry’ under new 50% U.S. tariffs, while Russia and China remained unaffected. He also drew a comparison between Trump’s gesture of pointing his finger at Putin in a photo and Richard Nixon’s infamous finger-pointing during the 1959 kitchen debate with Nikita Khrushchev, questioning why Trump wanted to be linked to Nixon’s legacy of resignation in disgrace. Bolton’s comments follow his removal from the Trump administration in 2019 due to falling out with the president. The FBI raid is reportedly part of an investigation into the mishandling of classified documents, potentially implicating Bolton in the probe.
The former advisor concluded his op-ed by warning that Trump’s recent efforts over the past two-plus weeks may have pushed the U.S. further from achieving a stable peace and a just settlement for Ukraine. Bolton’s criticisms reflect a broader dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of both foreign policy and domestic economic issues, highlighting the political tensions that have arisen as a result of Trump’s leadership style and decisions.