“He saw my terrier and asked ‘Is this a dog’?”: George W. Bush recalled the story in which Putin joked with his dog, and says the Russian leader is “always trying to show his strength.”
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The former president of the United States (USA), George W. Bush, left several criticisms of his once Russian counterpart. In statements at a Ukrainian summit, via videoconference, cited by Ukrainska Pravda, the former head of state recalled that Vladimir Putin ridiculed his dog. “He saw my terrier and asked, ‘Is this a dog’? Then, in Moscow, he wanted me to see his dog. I agreed and he pointed to a large dog, saying he could easily take on mine. I was surprised and said that [o comentário] He had offended me. Putin simply asks me: ‘Why’?
This story, for George W. Bush, is indicative that Vladimir Putin “is always trying to show his strength.” And he brings this personality trait to the leadership of the country. “He saw that Russia was a weak state, so he got angry with everyone,” explains the former US president.
George W. Bush’s dog
Regarding old comments made in 2001, George W. Bush said that he had examined the “soul” of the Russian leader and had the impression that he was “trustworthy”, the former Head of State stressed that this was only in “the beginning of his mandate.” “If I had looked into your eyes at the end of my presidency, I would have seen something different. “He was infected with power and thirsty for money,” he stated.
By contrast, George W. Bush praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “He’s a tough guy, he’s a Texan,” he said, arguing that the United States must continue to support Ukraine to prevent Vladimir Putin from building an empire.
Regarding the future, the former North American president admitted that support for Ukraine could decrease after the 2024 elections. “There are isolationist tendencies in both parties [Republicano e Democrata]. Therefore, someone must explain to Americans why Ukraine is so important. If Ukraine falls, what will be the fate of its neighbors, in particular Poland or Romania?”
The former US president also stated that, in future peace negotiations, Washington does not have the “right” to impose a solution. “The United States can advise, but it should not impose its idea of peace,” he said. At the summit, George W. Bush also called on Ukraine “to remain strong.”
Source: Observadora
