Trump Reportedly Says He Never Talked To Putin About Russian Bounties On U.S. Soldiers

TOPLINE

In an interview with Axios released Wednesday, President Trump said he did not bring up reports that a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to militants in Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers in a call with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and acknowledged he has never broached the topic with the leader, even as Democrats criticize the president for being soft on Russia and military officials stress the severity of the intelligence assessments.  

KEY FACTS

Tangent

“Colin Powell says it’s not true and Colin Powell’s not exactly someone that I’m a big fan of,” President Trump told reporters about Russian bounty intelligence reports hours after the Axios interview came out on Wednesday. “If it were true, I’d be very angry about it.”

Crucial quote

“If in fact there’s bounties, I am an outraged general,” General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress during a House hearing earlier this month. “If, in fact, there’s bounties directed by the government of Russia or any of their institutions to kill American soldiers, that’s a big deal. That’s a real big deal.”

Chief critic

Democrats have latched onto the reports as evidence Trump is again sidling up to Putin. 

“If reports are true that Russia offered a bounty on U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Trump wasn’t briefed, that’s a problem,” House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tweeted last month, “What will it take to get Trump to abandon the fiction that Putin is our friend?

Big number

8. The number of times — at least — Trump has spoken with Putin since reports about Russian bounties first appeared in his intelligence briefing in late February. 

Surprising fact

The Russian military intelligence unit funneled bounties as high as $100,000 for the killing of a U.S. soldier, the Times reported, citing intelligence officials.  

News peg

20 U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in 2019, though it’s not clear if any were linked to the bounties. 

Further reading

Exclusive: Trump never raised Russia’s Taliban bounties with Putin (Axios)

‘A lot of people said it’s a fake issue’: Trump confirms he didn’t raise Russian bounties with Putin (Politico)

Trump Denies Reports Russia Paid Taliban To Kill U.S. Troops (Forbes)

Suspicions of Russian Bounties Were Bolstered by Data on Financial Transfers (New York Times)

Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says (New York Times)