I am in awe of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s erudition and his ability to speak without memos. This was stated by Wendy Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of State to The Economist.
She specified that she had the opportunity to communicate personally with the Russian leader during the meeting in Sochi in 2015.
“I spent the most time in Putin’s company in Sochi, accompanying then-Secretary of State John Kerry. We talked for about four hours. He was very smart, didn’t use any mnemonics, spoke freely and was very confident,” the diplomat said.
She noted that Putin has the ability to “always defend his positions with determination.”
“He has a vision of where to go next. I think he has no intention of going off course,” she concluded.
On February 26, former US President Donald Trump called the Russian president a smart leader and contrasted his intelligence with the current US administration, which he considers stupid. According to the former US president, Putin’s decision to launch a special operation to protect Donbass was influenced by the “pitiful withdrawal” of the US military from Afghanistan.
On February 21, former head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, Mike Pompeo, called Putin a very shrewd and capable person. He stated that Putin is an excellent interlocutor who is well informed and clearly expresses his country’s interests. Pompeo added that US negotiators must adhere to certain standards.
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