Donald Trump's former National Security advisor John Bolton has told GB News he will stand to be US president - to stop his former boss getting back into the White House.
The 74-year-old Republican said it was "very important" Trump did not secure the nomination as he warned of the danger of a comeback.
Speaking exclusively to Camilla Tominey, Mr Bolton said it was a "very difficult decision" to put his name forward but that he will do it because Trump is unfit for office.
He said: "I think it's very important that Donald Trump not be the nominee of the Republican Party in 2024.
"I think he can be defeated. I'd certainly like to help out in making that happen.
"And if if I think being a candidate myself does show a path to getting the nomination, to winning in November of next year, then, yes, I'll get it."
The pair had been close before Trump fired Bolton citing 'huge differences' in 2019, although the latter claimed he resigned. Bolton then wrote a devastating book in which he claimed Trump struggled to understand the basics of international diplomacy.
Donald Trump and John Bolton were close until their infamous bust-up in 2019
REUTERS
Bolton, also a former US Ambassador to the United Nations, made his pledge to stand for office as he demanded far tougher action on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He attacked both US President Joe Biden and NATO for being too weak against the Russian regime, which he said was dragging out the conflict in Ukraine.
He said: "I think we have to see it against the background of the utterly pathetic American and European response to the first Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, which could have convinced any leader in the Kremlin that they could get away with it again.
"And I think added to that was the catastrophic US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, which unfortunately got a lot of attention, not just in Moscow but Beijing as well.
"There were there were numbers of things that could have been done, including imposing sanctions on Russia, when we saw the troop buildup along its borders.
"Many people at the time said, well, if we sanction the Russians, they'll they'll just invade. Well, they they did anyway."
He added: "We could have put more arms shipments quickly into Ukraine, put more US and NATO forces there to train and assist the Ukrainians.
"If more weapons had been shipped in it, the the Ukrainian forces would have been better prepared early on. There was a lot more we could have done."
He added: "NATO has spent entirely too much time patting itself on the back. I still think there are weaknesses in the US position and and among several European countries.
"NATO should have provided fighter jets to Ukraine on February the 25th of 2022.
"Let let's be clear where the aggression is here. It started with Russia's invasion. So what are we holding back for?
"Do we want to extend the war? We think one year is not enough?
"They failed to deter the Russians. They are now deterring us. They committed the aggression. They committed the escalation as Ukraine to have its hands tied behind its back for fear of escalation.
"And by the way, where's the Russian escalation going to come from? Where's the hidden army of Russians waiting to pounce on a NATO country?
"If they've got that army, why isn't it in Ukraine trying to do better there?
"This is Putin and and yet we have allowed the bluff. To impede our delivery of assistance that in turn has impeded the Ukrainian resistance and prolong the war, prolonged the human cost in Ukraine and and and increased the financial cost to all the rest of us."
Donald Trump has already confirmed he will run for re-election as president next year
JONATHAN DRAKE
Bolton also warned that China was being dragged into the war and could soon provide military assistance to the Russians.
He added: "Taiwan is definitely under threat from China. But the country most threatened by China today is Ukraine."
He went on: "It's important to defend against unprovoked aggression, it's important to prevail against such aggression to deter the aggressor and deter others later.
"Why are we waiting so long to be effective? Shall we have a 10 years war? Shall we have a five years war?
"No - how about a 13 month war? How about if we start to move and and try and press this to a conclusion?"
