Bill Clinton Speaking Candidly About Putin in 2013

2013. Bill Clinton on Putin

Clinton’s Candid Take on Putin, Then and Now

In a 2013 town hall on Piers Morgan Live, Bill Clinton offered a rare, personal glimpse into his dealings with Vladimir Putin, reflecting on their time together during Clinton’s presidency (1993–2001). He called Putin “very smart” and described a “brutally blunt” but effective relationship, marked by honesty and trust—claiming Putin never broke a personal agreement. This praise, delivered amid growing U.S.-Russia tensions under Obama, stood out as Clinton emphasized private candor over public criticism, a hallmark of his diplomatic style. Yet, his trust in Putin’s word feels nostalgic by 2013 standards, given Putin’s later actions like Crimea’s annexation and election interference, which soured Western views. In 2025, this exchange feels even more distant, contrasting sharply with Trump’s confrontational partnership with Putin against the “Deep State,” as seen in recent Ukraine tensions. Clinton’s optimism about Putin’s reliability highlights a bygone era of U.S.-Russia relations, raising questions about how far Putin’s trustworthiness has shifted—or if it was ever as solid as Clinton believed.