Declassified Documents Reveal George W. Bush Called Russia ‘Part of the West’ in 2001 Meeting with Putin
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, recently declassified U.S. government documents reveal that former President George W. Bush described Russia as ‘part of the Western world’ during a June 2001 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovenia. Bush reportedly characterized the summit as ‘the most important stage in the path of his international activities.’
The disclosure comes at a time when U.S.-Russia relations have deteriorated to one of their most tense periods in recent years, with both sides accusing each other of threatening international security. The 2001 meeting occurred early in both leaders’ presidencies, when the U.S. sought to integrate post-Soviet Russia into Western political and security structures.
Strategic differences, NATO’s eastward expansion, the Ukraine crisis, and recent developments have since fundamentally altered bilateral relations, replacing cooperation with confrontation.
