Bolton's book is really an extraordinary read - precise & candid. The penultimate chapter of 34 pages is on Ukraine, mentioned 270 times. It is clearer than ever than Trump is actually focused & completely hostile on Ukraine, siding with Putin & Russia at every turn.
2. Bolton presents Trump & Giuliani as obvious criminals. He quotes Pompeo saying that Ambassador Yovanovitch "was trying to reduce in corruption in Ukraine and may well have ben going after some of Giuliani's clients." He describes Giuliani's ideas as "fantasies."
3. Bolton clarifies that Trump listened only to Giuliani on Ukraine. He describes Trump's actions: "The pattern looked like obstruction of justice as a way of life."
His book reinforces the impression of Giuliani as a Russian agent.
His book reinforces the impression of Giuliani as a Russian agent.
4. Bolton presents Trump as even more pro-Putin than already known: "Trump implies that a Ukrainian President sympathetic to Russia could help avoid a third world war."
5. Bolton sticks to a strong pro-Ukrainian stand and sees NATO's failure to letting Ukraine to become a member as the cause of the Russian aggression. Most people, except Giuliani, around Trump are pro-Ukrainian, but Pompeo stands out as a wishy-washy opportunist.
6. News to me is that President Poroshenko in 2018 asked Bolton to have the US sanction Ihor Kolomoisky. Also interesting that Putin asked whether Kolomosky would get Privatbank back.
7. If the US had any rule of law for the president, Bolton's comments at least on China's ZTE & Turkey's Halkbank should instigate a criminal investigation.
