Trump Era EU Ambassador Sonnenland Reveals in Interview
"Trump's Praise of Putin Was a Strategic Act" Claim
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, was revealed to have expressed severe distrust by using harsh insults toward North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, with whom he exchanged dozens of 'love letters.'
On the 25th, Dong-A Ilbo and Yonhap News reported, "On the 24th (local time), former EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who served during the Trump administration, disclosed this conversation he had with former President Trump in an interview with the U.S. foreign affairs magazine 'Foreign Policy.'" At the time, Ambassador Sondland was riding in the same car as former President Trump and asked, "Sir, please be honest. What do you think about Kim Jong-un?" In response, former President Trump stated, "That X(f*****) would stab me in the back if given the chance."
On June 30, 2019, Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and President Donald Trump held a meeting at Panmunjom. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
Regarding this statement, Foreign Policy explained that the key point of Ambassador Sondland’s remarks was that former President Trump publicly showers praise on dictators such as Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but in reality, he reads the situation better than anyone and approaches national security from a cold, pragmatic political perspective.
Ambassador Sondland emphasized, "Trump does not like Putin at all. Not at all." He continued, "He publicly praises Putin but employs a completely opposite strategy, which is why he does so." Ambassador Sondland argued that former President Trump’s behavior would also be beneficial to Ukraine, which is under Russian invasion. Trump’s abandonment of NATO allies who spend less on defense and his public praise of President Putin are deliberately staged contrary actions to achieve his original objectives.
Ambassador Sondland explained that Putin could be thrown into confusion due to former President Trump’s unpredictability, describing this as the "Madman theory wrapped in velvet gloves (handled very delicately)." The Madman theory is a strategy in international politics where one leads the opponent to perceive oneself as an irrational actor, ultimately steering negotiations in one’s favor. Recently, former President Trump claimed in a post on his social media that "Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia, will be released before the election," adding, "Putin will do it for me."
During his tenure, former President Trump maintained a precarious relationship with Kim Jong-un, marked by extreme opposites. Early in his presidency, he confronted Kim Jong-un with harsh remarks such as "fire and fury." In 2017, Trump referred to Kim as "little rocket man" and "sick puppy," while Kim responded by calling Trump an "old man" and a "scared dog." However, they held two summits and exchanged 27 letters, known as "love letters," seemingly maintaining a friendly relationship on the surface. Former President Trump even praised Kim Jong-un as a "tough and smart negotiator" immediately after the summit.
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