Bolton said canceling a summit meeting is 'not damaging Russian interests.' Bolton on Putin: 'Cause him pain'

It’s time to cause Vladimir Putin some pain, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said Wednesday night.

Russia’s recent actions surrounding NSA leaker Edward Snowden are doing “real damage,” Bolton said, so it’s time to return the favor.


“I think in order to focus Putin’s thinking, we need to do things that cause him pain as well,” Bolton said to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. “And while I know that not having a chance to have a bilateral meeting with his buddy Barack Obama will cause Putin to lose sleep, it’s not damaging Russian interests.”

Bolton said canceling the meeting between Putin and Obama during the G-20 summit is not a real move.

“Canceling this meeting has all the impact on Putin of Obama fluttering his eyelids. It’s purely symbolic,” he said.

( PHOTOS: Obama and Putin's relationship)

The Russians have “outmaneuvered” and embarrassed the president, Bolton added.

“They have consistently outmaneuvered us over the last 4½ years. They’re embarrassed the president on his reset button,” he said.

And Russia’s not the only one who should be punished, Bolton said. China should feel some pain too for its part.

“And I don’t think we should forget we should make China feel pain here for giving Snowden asylum for a couple of days and then allowing him to escape to Moscow. I think the lesson Putin learned watching what we did not do to China is Putin could get away with it, too. So far, they are both right,” Bolton said.