JUDY WOODRUFF: In an interview released today, President Trump said that he had not challenged
President Vladimir Putin over Russian efforts to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in
Afghanistan.
The two leaders spoke just last week, for the seventh time in recent months.
As Nick Schifrin reports, this comes as the administration also cemented plans to withdraw
and redeploy American forces in Europe.
NICK SCHIFRIN: President Trump often questions and criticizes the u.s intelligence community
and praises Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And when he spoke to Putin on July 23, he did not raise the intelligence community's
investigations into Russian payments to the Taliban to attack U.S. troops, as he told
Axios on HBO's Jonathan Swan.
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: We did not discuss that, no.
JONATHAN SWAN, Axios: And you have never discussed it with him?
DONALD TRUMP: I have never discussed it with him, no. I would. I'd have no problem with
it. But, you know...
(CROSSTALK)
JONATHAN SWAN: But you don't believe the intelligence. It's because you don't believe the intelligence?
That's why?
DONALD TRUMP: Everything -- you know, it's interesting. Nobody ever brings up China.
They always bring Russia, Russia, Russia.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Former intelligence officials tell "PBS NewsHour" the Taliban received Russian
military intelligence money to target U.S. service members.
Officials debated the intelligence, and commanders say the bounties did not likely result in
deaths. But it was an increase in Russian support to the Taliban, as already detailed
in 2018 by then top commander General John Nicholson.
GEN. JOHN NICHOLSON, Former Commander U.S. Forces, Afghanistan: I mean, we have had weapons
brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders and said, this was given
by the Russians to the Taliban.
JONATHAN SWAN: John Nicholson, former head of forces in Afghanistan, said -- and this
is when he was working for you -- that Russia is supplying weapons to the Taliban.
Isn't that enough to challenge Putin over the killings of U.S. soldiers?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, we supplied weapons when they were fighting Russia too.
When we were -- when they were fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan...
JONATHAN SWAN: That's a different era.
DONALD TRUMP: Well, it's a different -- I'm just saying.
NICK SCHIFRIN: In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to prop up an unpopular communist
government. The United States supported and armed Afghan fighters known as mujahideen,
who targeted Soviet troops.
In 2001, the United States was attacked and waged war in Afghanistan because that's where
9/11's planners plotted. President Trump's moral equivalence is inaccurate, says Doug
Lute.
LT. GEN. DOUGLAS LUTE (RET.), Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO: The equivalence here is
inappropriate, because the situation is exactly reversed from what it was 30 or 40 years ago.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Lute is a retired lieutenant general appointed by President Bush to coordinate
the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and by President Obama to be NATO ambassador.
He said both his former bosses would have demanded more information about the bounty
program and responded, even if the intelligence was uncertain.
LT. GEN. DOUGLAS LUTE: It's unimaginable to me that the president has -- that this has
been public for weeks, and probably available to the president for many weeks before that,
and yet he's done nothing, to include not even raising it in multiple calls with President
Putin.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, President Trump added he would be -- quote -- "very angry" if the
bounties story were true. His administration has sanctioned Russian officials for election
interference and chemical weapons attacks. But he has also reverted to moral equivalence
on Russia before.
BILL O'REILLY, Former FOX News Anchor: Putin is a killer.
DONALD TRUMP: There's a lot of killers. We have got a lot of killers. What, you think
our country is so innocent?
NICK SCHIFRIN: Another presidential instinct and priority, reducing U.S. troops overseas.
Today, the administration announced it would withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany
and bring half home.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said thousands of service members would move toward Russia's
borders and enhance deterrence.
MARK ESPER, U.S. Defense Secretary: We're following in many ways the boundary east,
where our -- where our newest allies are, so, into the Black Sea region. We talked about
additional forces into Poland. And I think there are opportunities to put forces into
the Baltics.
That's why it's the strategic laydown that enhances deterrence, strengthens the allies.
NICK SCHIFRIN: But, just minutes before, President Trump said the decision was punishment for
Germany's failing to fulfill its promise to spend 2 percent GDP on defense.
DONALD TRUMP: So, we're reducing the force because they're not paying their bill. It's
very simple. They're delinquent.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, a senior ally to German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the reduction
would weaken NATO. And the unit that will return to the U.S. is the most capable ground
force in Europe.
LT. GEN. DOUGLAS LUTE: It is, in itself, the most flexible deterrent package that is in
place today. So, to remove it from Germany and move it to the United States, it does
not provide the same reassurance as having American soldiers live in Europe, be there
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
NICK SCHIFRIN: But reassuring Western European allies and overcoming bipartisan concerns
about troop drawdowns and his relationship with Vladimir Putin have never been President
Trump's priorities.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Nick Schifrin.