John Bolton Clashes With Russian Television Anchor Over Ukraine Invasion: 'Russia is Losing This War

[ificandream]

When you've lost John Bolton ...

Mediaite/Ken Meyer

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton went head-to-head with a Russian journalist, colliding in a lengthy interview over the invasion of Ukraine, his hawkish foreign policy record, and everything in between.

Bolton spoke to Oksana Boyko of RT, which has seen major downsizing and international scrutiny for pushing pro-Russian narratives throughout the Ukraine invasion. After Bolton squarely blamed Russia for their “unprovoked aggression” in Ukraine, Boyko pressed him on the U.S.’ involvement in foreign wars, and whether Ukraine is truly an existential security interest to America.

“Didn’t the Kremlin use all the diplomatic means at its disposal to limit the unwelcome and some would say malicious U.S. presence close to Russia’s borders?” Boyko asked.

“There’s simply no truth to what you’re saying,” Bolton responded. “NATO didn’t move towards Russia’s borders — just for the benefit of people in Russia who might not hear this — It was the nations of Eastern and Central Europe, once the Warsaw Pact broke up, after decades of repression by the Soviet Union that came to NATO and requested membership so they could create their own free governments and societies.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/john-bolton-clashes-with-russian-television-anchor-over-ukraine-invasion-russia-is-losing-this-war/

[ck4829]

1. The Kremlin clearly didn't use diplomatic means to "denazify" Ukraine

No complaints were lodged, nothing was said about that until tanks were rolling in.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. For truth, if you look, you will find complaints lodged and much was said

However, the thrust of your point is very valid. They couldn't win in the diplomatic realm, because they are bogus, so they rolled the tanks.

It is a naked war of aggression and expansion, not to protect any Ukrainian citizens of any ancestry or language.

[ck4829]

5. Yep

War was clearly not the last resort for the Kremlin

[genxlib]

2. When you find yourself on the wrong side of John Bolton

It might be time to rethink your life decisions.

[PatSeg]

8. Seriously

The world has gotten so extreme in recent years, I've found myself agreeing with John Bolton several times. It is absolutely bizarre.

[CrackityJones75]

4. Meh, I am not sure he was ever a Russian sympathizer.

In fact perhaps that was one reason he and Trumpy didn’t get along too well.

[ck4829]

6. Indeed

I don’t think there’s anyone here who wants Bolton deciding foreign policy and running world affairs… but I think we can all agree that feeling is multiplied by at least ten for the Kremlin

[CrackityJones75]

7. Yep.

[ificandream]

9. Yup.

[jcgoldie]

10. Welp one good thing about Bolton

He hates everyone equally including the Russians unlike the Trump GOP.

[lagomorph777]

11. The real headline: "John Bolton goes on Russian TV"

...probably took a bunch of Roubles for it, too.

[colorado_ufo]

12. Well, they might give him a choice to be paid in rubles or maybe

just take a Snickers bar.

[Justice matters.]

13. Why not justify it with "we're applying the PNAC's bush preemptive war" rationale...

Because it sure looks like it.

Would PNAC's Bolton get it???

[BradBo]

14. Bolton was a jerk when he was in the Bush Cabinet... but he does hate commies!

[TomWilm]

15. The expansion by NATO can and should be told with less propaganda than this ...

... since NATO did move towards Russia’s borders, much more than it was the nations of Eastern and Central Europe, that came to NATO.

Yes, Ukraine applied for a NATO Membership Action Plan in 2008. But this was very much against the will of the people of Ukraine, since they at that time were more than twice as likely to see NATO as a threat than as protection. The NATO webpage was anyway translated to Ukranian, though there were very little support to join.

Since then the numbers has radically changed to be positive for NATO, but that does not make the early expansion plan just a wish by Ukraine. It was much more and very openly so a plan by (unrealistic) forces in NATO, and it is plain BS to describe it different.