President Trump states that it is easier to deal with Russian President Putin than with Ukrainian President Zelensky, possibly because Mr. Trump seems unwilling to listen to anything negative about Putin.

It seems as if Mr. Trump is unfamiliar with Putin’s early years as a KGB secret police agent.

Comparatively little is known about details of Putin’s activities during his years as KGB officer in East Germany, maybe because people who collaborated with him are afraid of retribution, so almost nothing has come from Russian sources.

However, Putin was also a member of the notorious STASI, the East German secret police and Mr. Trump may find that Putin is a lot harder to deal with. Details have come from ex-Stasi sources. The MDR German TV station has learned that Putin was by no means a minor agent, but instead he operated a network of spies and counterintelligence agents. Even more important, he recruited and trained students at East German universities, later sending them over the globe as undercover agents, some of whom are probably still active.

Mr. President, please be very careful in dealing with this highly dangerous individual!

Robert Anderson

Bristol