John Bolton accuses Donald Trump of not prioritising safety of US troops

John Bolton, former White House National Security Adviser (NSA), has said that US President Donald Trump's denial of reports that he wasn't briefed about the alleged conspiracy between Russian intelligence and the Taliban over the killing of US troops in Afghanistan shows that he did not prioritize the safety and security of US Army personnel. Bolton in a separate interview also said that it is very remarkable that Trump is denying that he was not briefed about the alleged conspiracy between Russian spies and Taliban fighters. Donald Trump on June 28 denied about being briefed over the alleged conspiracy, saying that neither he nor the Vice President or Chief of Staff was briefed about the reported intelligence, calling it inaccurate and fake news.

Read: Trump's Reaction To Reports Of Russian Bounties To Taliban 'remarkable': Former NSA Bolton

White House's response

The White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has said that neither the President nor the Vice-President was briefed about the alleged intelligence that the Russian military was offering bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US troops stationed in Afghanistan. The New York Times on June 27 had reported that the Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US and NATO forces in Afghanistan and some fighters allegedly received the money. The Times further reported that US President Donald Trump was briefed about the intelligence in late March but he failed to retaliate. 

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Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry has called the reports 'nonsense' saying that it illustrates the low intellectual level of the propagandists of American intelligence. The Times report also quoted a Taliban spokesman who denied having any such deal with the Russian intelligence agency. The report comes months ahead of the US Presidential election where Donald Trump will run against the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Donald Trump's last presidential victory was marked by allegations that Russia meddled in the US elections to help the current president win. Donald Trump since resuming the presidency has been accused of taking a soft approach towards Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. 

Read: Trump Denies Briefing On Reported Bounties Against US Troops

Read: Joe Biden Criticises Trump For Inaction Over Reports Of Russian Bounties