'Just a junta with nuclear weapons': When Bush and Putin discussed Pakistan in 2005; what declassified NSA documents show

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation programme triggered deep concern at the highest levels of the United States and Russia, with both countries expressing that Islamabad’s nuclear activities made them “nervous”, according to newly declassified documents released by the US National Security Archive.

The documents, made public this week following a Freedom of Information lawsuit, include verbatim transcripts of meetings and phone calls between former US president George W Bush and Russian president Vladimir Putin between 2001 and 2008. They reveal repeated discussions on Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, links to Iran’s nuclear programme, and the role of the AQ Khan proliferation network.


In a key Oval Office meeting in 2005, Putin raised concerns over evidence suggesting Pakistani-origin uranium had been found in Iranian centrifuges, questioning Western tolerance of Islamabad despite its proliferation record.

“But it's not clear what the labs (Iran) have, where they are. Cooperation with Pakistan still exists,” Putin said during the meeting.

Bush responded by referring to his discussions with then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, saying, “I talked to Musharraf about that. I told him we're worried about transfers to Iran and North Korea. They put AQ Khan in jail, and some of his buddies under house arrest. We want to know what they said. I keep reminding Musharraf of that. Either he's getting nothing, or he's not being forthcoming.”

Putin reiterated his concerns, stating, “As far as I understand, they found uranium of Pakistani origin in the centrifuges.”

Bush acknowledged the issue, saying, “Yes, the stuff the Iranians forgot to tell the IAEA about. That's a violation.”

“It was of Pakistani origin. That makes me nervous,” Putin said, to which Bush replied, “It makes us nervous, too.”

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The documents also highlight Putin’s blunt assessment of Pakistan during an earlier meeting with Bush in Slovenia in 2001. “I am concerned about Pakistan. It is just a junta with nuclear weapons. It is no democracy, yet the West makes no criticism of it. Should talk about it,” Putin said.

According to the transcripts, both leaders expressed anxiety about Pakistan’s internal political instability, its military-led governance under Musharraf, and the risk that sensitive nuclear technology could fall into the wrong hands. The discussions repeatedly returned to the AQ Khan network, which was later confirmed to have supplied nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya.

The declassified records underscore longstanding international concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear command and control systems and the broader implications of its proliferation activities.

The revelations come amid renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s nuclear conduct. Last month, India criticised Islamabad following remarks by US President Donald Trump alleging that Pakistan had been secretly testing nuclear weapons.

Reacting to Trump’s comments, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such actions were consistent with Pakistan’s history. “Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan's history, which is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, AQ Khan network and further proliferation,” he said.

“India has always drawn the attention of the international community to these aspects of Pakistan's record,” Jaiswal added.