Former President George W. Bush warned Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to turn the Eurasian country back into the socialist Soviet Union.
“When I looked into his eyes and saw his soul, Russia was broke. I mean, short-term broke. And ah, the price of oil goes up and Putin changed,” Bush told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo about his previous interactions with Putin.
“Look, he’s a very smart tactician. The problem is, his whole attitude on most issues is ‘I’m going to win and U.S. is going to lose,'” Bush added. “He is a very aggressive person who wants to reinstate Soviet influence even though the Soviet no longer exists and therefore, I always felt it was always very important for the United States to be very forceful in dealing with Putin. Not belligerent, but forceful.”
[Also read: US to Putin: American nukes will ‘remain unmatched’]
Russia was the biggest country in the Soviet Union from 1917-1991.
Bush also warned that Americans should “remember the lessons of 9/11” — that the “human condition elsewhere matters to our national security.” He added it’s in America’s interest to for civil society to take hold and people to have a say in their governments so a pathway to peace can be laid.
Former President George W. Bush on Putin: “When I looked in his eyes and saw his soul, Russia was broke… He’s a very smart tactician.” pic.twitter.com/1bfnzUdDJ0
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) April 18, 2018
