Almost exactly seven years ago, on Monday 19 March 2018, Donald Trump decided he wanted to telephone Vladimir Putin to congratulate the Russian president on his re-election. The call was set up for the following day, though Trump’s then national security advisor H R McMaster ordered his team to give the President helpful note cards. The first said, in capitals: ‘DO NOT CONGRATULATE ON ELECTION WIN.’
Of course, Trump completely ignored the instruction and applauded Vladimir on his triumph. Trump also neglected to mention the Novichok poison attack on Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, which had taken place earlier that month – and which British intelligence officers had characterised as a Kremlin-ordered assassination attempt. Instead, much to the disgust of national security types on both side of the Atlantic, he invited Putin to Washington. Two days later, McMaster had been fired and John Bolton hired as his replacement. Bolton was later fired, too.
Fast forward seven years to today, and Trump and Putin are about to speak by telephone about ending the war in Ukraine.
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