Donald Trump lacks the skills to be a successful President, ex-MI6 chief fears A former head of MI6 has raised anxieties over Donald Trump’s ability to handle the complex diplomatic challenges facing the […]

A former head of MI6 has raised anxieties over Donald Trump’s ability to handle the complex diplomatic challenges facing the world.

Sir John Sawers also warned that the situation in North Korea, which is pouring huge resources into its nuclear programme, is more threatening to international peace that the Syrian civil war.

“He is not someone who fills me with confidence. He doesn’t have the background and the experience and the instincts of being an effective US president.” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Sir John Sawers

He backed last week’s US strike on the Syrian airbase, but expressed serious concerns about the President’s ability to manage tensions around the world.

Asked if he was scared of Mr Trump, the former diplomat and spymaster said: “He is not someone who fills me with confidence.

“He doesn’t have the background and the experience and the instincts of being an effective US president.

“But it is in our interests that we have a US administration which upholds the international system, that supports its allies and supports international norms.”

Presidency’s ‘chaotic’ start

Sir John told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he was “no fan” of Mr Trump and described the the first three months of his presidency as “chaotic”.

But he said the response to the chemical weapons attack in Idlib province had been “effective”.

He argued: “While the tensions this morning and this week around the world are higher, the enforcement of international norms actually is in the long-term interests of the West and the world generally, to rule out the use of chemical weapons in any circumstances.”

And he speculated that the events of last week had shown “sensible grown-ups within the administration taking charge and the rather ideological figures around Trump himself being marginalised”.

Sir John, also a former UK permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “What we saw last week [in Syria] was some of the heavyweights, the serious minds in the US administration, the national security advisor, Jim Mattis, the Defence Secretary, and now [Rex] Tillerson this week going to Moscow.”

North Korea ‘bigger concern’ than Syria

He said: “If you are looking for a world crisis which could bring about the dangers of a clash between great powers then North Korea is a bigger concern than Syria.

“The move by the Americans to strengthen their forces in the Korean Peninsula, the deployment of this carrier battle group, the demonstration to [Chinese] President Xi in Florida that the US was willing to use force against another state to uphold international order, uphold international norms, this is all part of a move, part of a calculation that North Korea has to be treated very seriously, a very high priority and ultimately it needs a joint US Chinese approach to deal with this unless we are to avoid a further conflict on that peninsula.”

He added: “I think what the Chinese are beginning to understand is that if this can’t be solved peaceably through negotiations, through pressure, then there is serious risk that the US will have only one option left, which is the military option.”