Vladimir Putin is cold-blooded, reveals George W Bush in tell-all

LONDON - North Korea’s Kim Jongil is a food-hurling tantrum thrower, Jacques Chirac of France likes to lecture, Tony Blair is a stalwart friend, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is “cold-blooded”-these are some of the revelations former US President George W Bush has made in his new book.

Bush’s ‘Decision Points,’ has packed his eight years in the White House into about 500 pages full of anecdotes and assessments of world leaders, some kind, others brutal, and a few perhaps designed to settle old scores, reports the Telegraph.

On Hu Jintao, China’s President:

“Had an unexcitable demeanour and a keen analytical mind” and told Bush that what kept him up at night was the need to create 25 million new jobs each year to keep up with population growth.

“It was a signal that he was a practical leader focused inward, not an ideologue likely to stir up trouble abroad,” he wrote.

Tony Blair, former British prime minister:

“My closest partner and best friend on the world stage,” wrote Bush, who underlines: “Some of our allies wavered. Tony Blair never did.”

The Bushes and Blairs bonded at their first meeting in February 2001 by watching the madcap comedy ‘Meet The Parents,’ said the former president.

Vladimir Putin, former Russian president and current prime minister:

“Sometimes cocky, sometimes charming, always tough,” wrote Bush. He said Russia’s August 2008 war with Georgia the “low point” in their relationship, and relates an exchange in which Putin declared himself “hot-blooded” - to which Bush replies: “No, Vladimir, you’re cold-blooded.”

Kim Jong-il, North Korean supreme leader:

Dealing with Kim “reminded me of raising children,” he said, adding that his twin daughters Jenna and Barbara used to throw food when they were little and wanted attention.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac, current and former French presidents:

Sarkozy is described as a “dynamic” leader “who had run on a pro-American platform.” Sarkozy’s predecessor Chirac is described as prone to giving other world leaders lectures on morality and policy - though Mr Bush emphasises how Washington and Paris co-operated to curb Syrian influence in Lebanon.

“Jacques Chirac and I didn’t agree on much,” said Bush, who cited Chirac calling Arafat “a man of courage” and telling other Group of Eight leaders that Mr Putin was doing a fine job running Russia and needed no advice from the West.

Silvio Berlusconi, Italian prime minister:

Told Bush that a day after the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes, he had “cried like a little boy and could not stop.”

Gerhard Schroeder, former German chancellor

Allegedly told Bush ahead of the invasion of Iraq “I will be with you” if military forces is needed, then ran for re-election loudly attacking the prospect of war.

Bush wrote that he felt his trust “violated.” (ANI)