Under Putin’s Spell: Bush, Trump, & the West’s Love of Putin

The former US President George W. Bush had quite a complex relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bush initially praised Putin as a trustworthy partner, but their relationship became strained due to disagreements over human rights violations, lack of press freedom, and conflicts like the 2008 “Five Day War” in Georgia. Of course, more recently Bush also expressed concern about Russia’s actions in Syria and Ukraine.