‘We speak of our friendship’ Newly declassified transcripts show a chummy Putin and Bush Jr. at the height of U.S.–Russia cooperation

The National Security Archive at George Washington University has published eight newly declassified transcripts of conversations between Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush. These exchanges took place between 2001 and 2003 — a period when both presidents were actively searching for ways to cooperate. Despite persistent tensions in U.S.–Russian relations, including NATO expansion, Washington’s push to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, and the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, Putin and Bush managed to build close cooperation on counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation. Even when the discussions touched on sensitive issues, the tone of the conversations remained consistently warm. The transcripts make clear that during their first presidential terms, Bush and Putin succeeded in forging a genuinely close personal relationship. Meduza traces the evolution of the Putin-Bush “friendship.”

July 6, 2001

The first of the conversations took place on July 6, 2001 — three weeks after a summit between George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin in Slovenia. Putin called to congratulate Bush on his birthday, as well as on the recent U.S. Independence Day. Bush replied that he was “honored” to receive the call, noting that Putin was the first head of state to wish him a happy birthday that year, and suggested that the Russian president call him “George.”

Bush also offered his condolences over the crash of a Tu-154 aircraft near Irkutsk two days earlier, which killed 145 people.

During the call, Bush raised the issue of Iraq, lamenting the lack of progress and expressing hope that, if Moscow and Washington worked together, they could find “a smart sanctions plan that will benefit the people of Iraq” without harming Russia’s commercial interests. As the conversation drew to a close, Bush told Putin: “Your English is getting very good.”

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September 12, 2001

This conversation took place the day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The call lasted about five minutes. At the very beginning, Bush thanked Putin for being the first foreign leader to call him after the attacks. The two presidents addressed each other by their first names — Vladimir and George.

October 21, 2001

This conversation took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai. The main topic was U.S.–Russian cooperation in the global war on terrorism that Bush had declared shortly before the summit.

At the start of the conversation, Putin said that he understood Bush’s feelings better than anyone else, recalling the 1999 apartment bombings in Russia. He said he had instructed Russian intelligence services to share any information they had about the Taliban with the U.S. — and complained that Washington had not shown the same degree of openness in return. Bush promised to look into the issue.

Toward the end of the conversation, Putin said that representatives of the U.S. State Department had held meetings with Chechen militants. He compared Chechen fighters to “Arab terrorists.”

Putin described Chechnya as “a 400-year-old problem.” He noted that the region had always sought independence and that “we should respect this,” but argued that independence was no longer possible. After Russia withdrew its troops from the republic in 1995, it resulted in the spread of radical Islam, he claimed.

November 8, 2001

This conversation took place ahead of Putin’s visit to Bush’s ranch in Texas. The presidents touched on the main issues planned for discussion: the fight against terrorism, the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. The U.S. wanted to withdraw from the treaty, arguing that the 1972 agreement with the Soviet Union no longer reflected contemporary realities (Bush would ultimately do so a month later).

Bush offered Putin two options. Either the United States would proceed freely with missile defense tests in violation of the treaty — in which case, he promised, Washington would share information with Moscow — or, if Russia opposed that approach, the U.S. president’s “only option” would be to withdraw from the agreement altogether. Even then, Bush assured Putin, he would not put him “in an awkward position.”

Putin said he would think it over and expressed confidence that Moscow and Washington would find a solution “with regard to all issues.”

November 13, 2001

This conversation took place in the White House Cabinet Room, where U.S. government meetings are typically held. Around a dozen American officials and 16 Russian officials were present. Opening the meeting, George W. Bush remarked that this was “probably the first time an American president and Russian president are together in the Cabinet Room.”

At the outset, Bush said it would be in the interests of the United States and the world if Russia were given a “unique role” as a NATO partner. He also promised that Washington would not resume nuclear weapons testing.

Most of the discussion focused on Afghanistan, where the United States had launched a war a month earlier. Putin spoke about Russia’s readiness to help the U.S. rid the country of terrorists, while Bush described Putin’s dialogue with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the issue as “invaluable.” Both presidents used similar rhetoric.

“North, south, east, or west, we’ll get ‘em. ‘Dead or alive’ (and I have a preference),” Bush said.

April 2, 2002

This conversation took place a month and a half before the signing of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, under which the U.S. and Russia agreed to limit the number of deployed nuclear warheads. The treaty was scheduled to be signed in Moscow on May 24, after which Bush planned to travel on to Europe and then return to the United States.

During the call, Putin asked Bush to extend his stay in Europe by one day and stop in Rome to sign documents establishing the NATO–Russia Council.

The council was conceived as a forum for military and political coordination between Moscow and the alliance. At the time, it was assumed that such an equal partnership would put a definitive end to the Cold War. Bush promised to think it over (he ultimately did travel to Rome, and the documents were signed).

Putin stressed that it was important to create the NATO–Russia Council before the alliance’s November summit in Prague, where NATO planned to begin accession talks with several former Eastern Bloc states, including the Baltic countries. Putin did not criticize NATO expansion as such, instead framing it largely as a domestic political issue.

“And actually, it would be good for me if we resolved [the creation of the NATO–Russia Council] before the NATO summit in Prague,” he told Bush. “This would reduce the tension and pressure in my country.”

June 27, 2002

This conversation took place during the G8 summit in Canada and included then-U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and then-Russian Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo. One of the topics discussed was Georgia’s inability to deal with terrorists hiding in the country’s Pankisi Gorge.

The two presidents agreed that terrorists in the Caucasus with ties to al-Qaeda posed a threat to both Russia and the United States. “We have an obligation to help you fight them off,” Bush told Putin.

Bush also suggested trying “something else” if Georgia’s then-president, Eduard Shevardnadze, proved unable to handle the problem. “We will not go to their territory,” Putin responded.

The National Security Archive notes that at a press conference after the meeting, Bush praised Putin’s role in the fight against terrorism. “He understands the threat of terror, because he has lived through terror,” the U.S. president said.

March 18, 2003

The final transcript is a conversation that took place two days before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The National Security Archive describes it as the “culmination” of long-running talks in which Putin had sought to persuade Bush to abandon military action.

The Russian president sought to preserve close relations with Bush and prevent disagreements over Iraq from undermining their partnership. Bush, for his part, said he also hoped to maintain cooperation.

During the call — initiated by Bush — the U.S. president thanked Putin for not “enflaming anti-American sentiment” and urged him not to “endanger this relationship.” Putin emphasized that, despite disagreements over Iraq, the fundamental importance of U.S.–Russian relations remained undiminished.

Bush replied that the United Nations might be able to play a role in Iraq’s postwar settlement, but that for the moment, the role of the U.N. “is through.”

At the end of the conversation, Putin reminded Bush of his invitation to visit St. Petersburg, which was set to celebrate its 300th anniversary in May. “This would be an important meeting regardless of how the situation in Iraq unfolds,” Putin said.