Leon Panetta says former US president is ‘naive’ to how Russian chief is manipulating him

Joe Barnes in Washington,

10 October 2024

Vladimir Putin cultivated Donald Trump as a “source” to manipulate the United States, a former head of the CIA has said.

Leon Panetta, who also served as defence secretary under Barack Obama, added that there were “real questions” over Trump’s loyalty to the United States because of his relationship with the Russian president.

Trump recently said they had “a very good relationship”, while a new book claimed the former president had secretly sent Covid-19 tests, which were in limited supply, to Russia for Putin’s personal use in 2020.

Speaking on the One Decision podcast, Mr Panetta said: “To have a president basically engaging with an adversary, who knows what deals are made… the mere fact a former president of the United States is having regular conversations with our primary adversary raises real questions about where is his basic loyalty. Is it really to the United States of America or is it to Donald Trump?”

The book claimed Trump and Putin have spoken by phone at least seven times since the former left the White House in 2021.

‘A tyrant and our enemy’

“Why would you possibly — someone who wants to be president of the United States — have a continuing relationship with someone who is a tyrant and is basically our enemy.”

Mr Panetta described Putin, a former KGB spy, as a “bad guy”, adding that the Russian president is “not to be trusted”.

“That’s what worries me,” the former CIA boss added. “I think Donald Trump in many ways is naive about who Putin really is.

“He [Putin] knows how to work a source and he’s got a source that is very near the top in this country, he, himself is going to engage that source.

“And that really is what the bottom line is, is that Trump has turned into a source for Putin, and somebody who can help him manipulate what he wants to get done.”

Mr Panetta went on to accuse Trump of trusting Russian intelligence more than US intelligence.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, denied that the former president had maintained a regular speaking relationship with Putin.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, also denied it, saying: “As for the calls, that’s not true, it didn’t happen.”

The accusations come after Bob Woodward, the veteran American reporter who broke the Watergate scandal, said a former Trump aide had told him about the shipment of Covid tests to Moscow.

The claims prompted fierce denials from Trump’s campaign team, which said: “None of these made up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Exchange of ‘rare items’

However, on Thursday the Kremlin claimed the reports that Trump had shipped Covid tests to Moscow were true.

Mr Peskov said: “The first tests worked badly and at first there was not enough equipment… all countries tried to somehow exchange between themselves. We sent a supply of ventilator units to the US, they sent these tests to us.”

He said the shipment was made at the beginning of the pandemic, adding: “At the time, these were rare items.”

Mr Woodward’s account of the story said that Putin had told Trump not to reveal details of the alleged shipments because it would harm the then-US president politically.

His new book, War, contains a number of revelations about Trump’s relationship with the Russian despot.

The book claims that the two men held a phone call in early 2024, as Joe Biden prepared to send more weapons to Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine by brokering a deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

He has also said Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he had won the 2020 presidential election.

…………

European governments fear being forced into ‘menage a trois’ with Putin and Trump

Leaders worried the former president could force Ukraine to cede land to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire if he wins the election

Joe Barnesin Washington11 October 2024 11:20pm BST

European governments are drawing up plans in case they are forced into a “menage a trois” with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Revelations about Trump’s alleged close-knit relationship with the Russian president have sparked new fears for the continent over intelligence sharing and Ukraine’s future.

A new book by Bob Woodward, the reporter who broke the story of the Watergate Scandal said Trump and Putin had spoken at least seven times since the American left office in 2021.

Woodward also claimed that the former president had secretly sent Covid-19 tests, which were in limited supply, to Russia for Putin’s personal use in 2020.

‘Uncomfortable thinking’

“It’s very uncomfortable thinking the West will be in a menage a trois with Putin should Trump become president,” a European diplomatic source said.

“Popcorn sales will be going through the roof in Moscow and Beijing if he returns.

“All they have to do is sit by idly and watch the West tear itself apart in internal divisions.”

Plans for “Trump 2.0” remain vague but focus on potential ways to support Ukraine if the American withdraws backing for the West’s war-torn ally.

One question facing European leaders is whether they would be able to “backfill” the weapons provided to Kyiv by Washington if Trump decides to stop supplies, The Telegraph understands.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine by brokering a deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

He has also said Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he had won the 2020 presidential election.

This has sparked fears amongst European governments that he could force Ukraine to cede land to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire.

Concern Western intelligence could get in Kremlin’s hands

There are also concerns that Western intelligence could slip into the Kremlin’s hands via Trump, who Leon Panetta, a former head of the CIA, recently warned had become a “source” for Putin.

Plans for a Trump presidency are, however, more advanced than before his first election victory in 2016, when Hillary Clinton was a safe bet to enter the White House.

At the time, Trump was considered a complete outsider with little chance of winning.

The European Union has published a report, by Mario Draghi, the former Italian prime minister, who warned that the bloc can no longer rely on the US for its security.

It came as Nato allies warned that Russia was arming at an alarming rate and said Europe had as little as three years to prepare for an invasion.

Fears over Europe’s security have been further exacerbated after Trump issued threats to let Russia attack European Nato allies not hitting spending targets.

The Trump campaign and the Kremlin have denied the former president and Putin maintained regular communications in recent years.

But the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, did insist the claims about Covid tests were true, saying the shipment was made at the beginning of the pandemic when “these were rare items”.

……………

Comment from :

Kasper Christiansen

Remember Obama’s hot microphone in 2012 with Medvedev related to skipping European missile defence? 

Remember Obama’s withdrawal of two combat brigades of 7,000 troops from Europe proclaimed in 2012?

Remember Obama’s red lines crossed in 2013 by Assad & Putin killing nearly 1,500 civilians, including more than 400 children. No serious reaction, but a stream of refugees to Europe. 

Remember Putin’s invasion of Crimea in 2014? 

European leaders have plenty of experience with a “menage a 3” between the US president and Putin – that is if they are capable of gaining experience.

A. Kremtroll writes :

Tommy Gavin

“This has sparked fears amongst European governments that he could force Ukraine to cede land to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire.”

Yes, good. It has become patently obvious this is a war of attrition and Ukraine will not win it. The people saying “give Ukraine the weapons to finish the job” look quite stupid now years on. They have been given hundred a of billions of dollars worth of weapons. 

They’re never getting Crimea back and the sooner that crook Zelensky is made to see that fact, the sooner this war can end.

……..

Bad Looking Rooster

Honestly, isn’t this all getting a little bit embarrassing for the European “leaders”? Time to put on their big boy/girl pants and support Ukraine, with or without Biden or Trump. Whomever is in the POTUS role post early November, what does that matter. Time to grow up.

Paul Kortz

A Trump presidency will be a disaster for Europe. He will hand Ukraine to Putin.

Trevor Smallwood

The possibility of ongoing contact between Trump and Vlad worries me. 

Trump has been singing the Russian excuse song, ‘regional conflict, Crimea is Russian etc etc’ in various forms. 

Now I wonder where did that come from?

Add in the months the US weapons were held up in Congress and Donald whether anyone thinks he’s an idiot or not, and I certainly do, has been very useful to Vlad.

So the choice is, do we ignore these reports as exotic electioneering or do we have a hard look at Trump again.

Occam’s razor says look again.