WHAT MIGHT COME WITH THE
PROTESTS OVER THESE UPCOMING
TRISH: KEEP CHECKING IN.
BLAKE BURMAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT STRUCK ME, WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID AND HE SAID THIS
IS COUPLE TIMES NOW THAT PUTIN
IS NEITHER AN ENEMY NOR A
FRIEND.
HE IS A COMPETITOR.
>> WELL I THINK HE THINKS ABOUT
IT IN TERMS OF A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP AND THEREFORE I
DON'T THINK HE THINKS OF TOO
MANY PEOPLE BEING HIS ENEMY BUT
CLEARLY RUSSIA IS TRAMPLING ALL
OVER UNITED STATES' INTERESTS
AROUND THE WORLD AND THOSE OF
OUR ALLIES.
RUSSIA SEES THE UNITED STATES AS
A STRATEGIC OPPONENT, ADVERSARY
TO THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THEY RESENT THE GLOBAL HEGEMONY
THE UNITED STATES HAS FOR YEARS.
THEY WANT TO RETURN RUSSIA TO
THE GREATNESS IT HAD WHERE IT IS
A WORLD PLAYER.
WE'RE IN THE WAY OF THAT, SO
YES.
TRISH: CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT THAT,
AS WE LOOK BACK IN HISTORY,
LOAF OF BREAD?
WHEN YOU COULDN'T GET AN
APARTMENT OF A DECENT SIZE FOR
YOUR FAMILY TO LIVE IN, WHEN YOU
THAT IS WHEN THEY CONSIDERED
THEMSELVES A WORLD PLAYER?
>> THEY FELT THEMSELVES AS
SUPERPOWER.
THEY WERE BECAUSE OF THE
THOUSANDS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
THEY HAD, THE SHEER SIZE OF
THEIR MILITARY.
THE COMMUNISTS HAVE TAKEN OVER.
RUSSIA NOW OBVIOUSLY HAS A
STRUGGLING ECONOMY.
AND THEY ASK THEIR PEOPLE TO
THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE HAVE A LOT
LOT OF PRIDE.
THEY SUFFERED A LOT BEFORE.
THEY RESPECT PUTIN, NOT AS MUCH
AS ADVERTISED.
THEY LIKE THE FACT HE IS A
STRONG MAN.
THEY LIKE THE FACT THAT HE HAS
RUSSIA IN A POSITION PEOPLE AT
TRISH: WHAT IS HIS REAL
INTENTION?
>> WE'RE NOT, WHEN WE LOOK AT IT
FROM THE WEST, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK
AT IT FROM THE EAST THEY HAD A
FRENCH MAN IN 19th CENTURY
LIT MOSCOW ON FIRE.
THEY HAD A GERMAN THAT GOT
DEFEATED RUSSIA.
THEY HAVE LOOKED AT THE WEST,
THEY WANT EUROPEAN EASTERN
COUNTRIES AS STALIN HAD.
HE WANTS EASTERN EUROPE AND
CONTROL EASTERN EUROPE AS
STRATEGIC BUFFER.
THEY STILL LOOK AT WESTERN
EUROPE THE WAY WE DO.
THEY LOOK AT GERMANY AS
BEFORE.
THAT REALITY IS BORN OUT OF THE
FACT THEY SEE NATIONALISM COMING
BACK, WHITE SUPREMACISM COMING
BACK THE RETURN TO POLLUTION OF
NAZIISM, SO YES.
TRISH: ARE ANY OF THESE FEARS
WELL-FOUNDED?
DO THEY HAVE REASON TO ACTUALLY
FEAR EUROPE OR IS THIS JUST
POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT FOR
VLADMIR PUTIN?
>> I THINK THERE IS IT NO REASON
FOR THEM TO FEAR WESTERN EUROPE
BUT IT IS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE
THEY RESENT ALL THOSE BUFFER
COUNTRIES, TRISH, ARE NOW IN
ALLIANCE, INITIALLY TO WEAKEN
IT, AND THEN EVENTUALLY TO BREAK
IT.
SO WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS DOING
BY STRENGTHENING THE ALLIANCE,
MAKING CERTAIN THAT THIS
BURDEN-SHARING, MAKING CERTAIN
THAT THE SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL
INVESTMENT IS A BIG STEP.
TRISH: THAT'S AN INTERESTING
CAULKERRIZATION IN TERMS OF HOW
YOU PUT IT.
IN OTHER WORDS, STRENGTHENING
THE ALLIANCE.
I THINK MANY WHO CRITICIZE THIS
PRESIDENT AND HIS POLICIES WOULD
SAY, HE IS TRYING TO WEAKEN IT,
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE
COMING FROM, IN THAT IF YOU SAY,
HEY, ALL YOU, EUROPEANS,
ACTUALLY DO WHAT YOU COMMITTED
TO.
PAY THE 2% OR MAYBE PUT EVEN A
LITTLE MORE IN.
THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE IT
BIGGER AND STRONGER, WHICH BY
RIGHT?
>> ACTUALLY, THE TRUMP,
PRESIDENT TRUMP USES LANGUAGE
EUROPE.
WE'VE ALWAYS CODDLED THESE
EUROPEAN LEADERS TO A FAULT IN
MY JUDGMENT.
TRISH: WHY?
WHY HAVE WE DONE THAT?
>> I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE A
CLUE REALLY.
IT HAS BEEN A FASCINATION OF
AMERICAN PRESIDENTS FOR YEARS.
THIS PRESIDENT LOOKED AT IT VERY
ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO DO MORE IN NATO.
HE CRITICIZES THEM FOR IT.
EVERYBODY JUST FOCUSES ON THE
CRITICISM, NOT RECOGNIZING, WHAT
IS THE OUTPUT HERE?
THE OUTPUT IS STRENGTHENED NATO.
SOMETHING COULD BE ADEQUATE
DETERRENT TO RUSSIA.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT A SUFFICIENT
DETERRENT TO RUSSIA.
IF HE WANTED TO MOVE INTO
EASTERN EUROPE HE COULD DO IT
WITH EASE.
WE'VE GOT TO IMPOSE MORE COSTS
ON HIM THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
LOOK WHAT HE BROUGHT UP WITH
ANGELA MERKEL ABOUT WHAT SHE'S
DOING?
I MEAN --
TRISH: WHY ARE YOU GIVING THEM
MORE BUSINESS?
>> EXACTLY.
SHE HAS THE LARGEST ECONOMY IN
EUROPE AND SHE IS MAKING THE
LEAST AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO
THE DEFENSE.
THEN SHE HAS GOT THIS SWEETHEART
YOU KNOW WHERE ALL THE MONEY
GOES?
PREPARED DES -- PREPAREDNESS.
TRISH: I HEAR YOU.
WHAT SHOULD THE PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE BE TO VLADMIR?
>> HE HAS TO CALL OUT VLADMIR
PUTIN.
HE NEEDS A PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE MOVEMENT ON
NORTH KOREA IF WE DIDN'T HAVE
THAT.
>> I THINK PUTIN IS MASTER AT
I THINK HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF OUR
TWO PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS TO A
CERTAIN DEGREE OF THE LAST ONE
FOR SURE.
HE READ INTO HIM HE WAS AVOIDING
CONFRONTATION.
HE PROBABLY SIZED UP THE
PRESIDENT PRETTY WELL.
THEY HAVE A DECENT RELATIONSHIP.
BUT THE PRESIDENT HAS GOT TO LAY
IT, I AM CONVINCED HE WILL, HE
WILL BE WELL-BRIEFED.
PUT DOWN MAJOR ISSUES, THE
DEBACLE IN SYRIA.
OCCUPATION OF CRIMEA AND EASTERN
BALTIC STATES AND EASTERN
EUROPE.
IF YOU WANT A STABLE WORLD, WHY
ARE YOU DOING ALL THESE THINGS?
THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER ON.
WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON
COUNTERING RADICAL ISLAM.
RUSSIA.
ONE OF THE REASONS HE IS
AND SOME CONTROL OVER OIL.
NOT THAT HE NEEDS IT.
BECAUSE IT SUSTAINS THE WORLD
ECONOMY.
WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT NUCLEAR
WEAPONS REDUCTION.
SO THERE ARE ISSUES THERE, WE
HAVE COMMON INTERESTS.
PUTIN IN THE NOSE.