Washington: In the weeks after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged as one of U.S. President George W. Bush’s closest partners, newly released transcripts show.
The records trace a relationship that began with strong counterterrorism cooperation but later gave way to deep mistrust. The transcripts cover meetings and phone calls between the two leaders from 2001 to 2008 and were released by the National Security Archive after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
Bush and Putin first met on June 16, 2001, at Brdo Castle in Slovenia, months before the 9/11 attacks. At that meeting, the two discussed strategic stability, terrorism, NATO, and missile defence. Bush told Putin he believed Russia was “part of the West and not an enemy.”
After 9/11, the tone changed sharply. Putin aligned Russia with the U.S. war on terror. He compared Russia’s fight in Chechnya with America’s fight against Al-Qaeda. Putin told Bush that Chechen militants were “Bin Laden’s students” and had been trained by the terror leader.
Bush responded with unusual personal trust. “You’re the type of guy I like to have in the foxhole with me,” he told Putin.
The transcripts show detailed discussions on Afghanistan. The two leaders talked about intelligence sharing and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Putin said there “may be no other opportunity” like the one at Tora Bora to eliminate Bin Laden. Bush agreed that cooperation was essential.
For a time, counterterrorism dominated the relationship. Russia offered logistical and intelligence support. The two presidents spoke frequently and directly.
By September 16, 2005, when Putin met Bush in the Oval Office at the White House, the agenda had widened. Terrorism remained on the table, but so did Iran, North Korea, and nuclear proliferation. The conversations were still frank but less warm.
The transcripts from that meeting show moments of humour and candour. Putin spoke about his past belief in communism. Bush pressed for unity against nuclear threats from extremist regimes. The easy trust of 2001, however, had begun to fade.
The final in-person meeting took place on April 6, 2008, at Bocharov Ruchei in Sochi, shortly after the NATO summit in Bucharest. By then, the post-9/11 partnership was largely over.
That meeting was tense. Putin strongly opposed NATO expansion to Ukraine and Georgia. Bush defended U.S. policy. Missile defence and strategic stability dominated the talks. Counterterrorism was no longer the main focus.
Still, the transcripts show that both leaders remained concerned about global security risks. Bush warned about nuclear miscalculation. Putin warned about Western military systems near Russia’s borders.
Across the timeline, the documents show how a shared shock after 9/11 briefly brought Washington and Moscow together. That alignment was real but short-lived.
As U.S. attention shifted to Iraq and NATO expansion continued, trust eroded. The partnership turned into a rivalry.
The National Security Archive said the transcripts provide a rare chronological account of how the Bush–Putin relationship moved from post-9/11 solidarity to strategic estrangement within a single decade.
(IANS)
