At the memorial service for Nixon Bubba gave a eulogy . He said

For the past year, even in the final weeks of his life, he gave me his wise counsel, especially with regard to Russia. One thing in particular left a profound impression on me........

But the enduring lesson of Richard Nixon is that he never gave up being part of the action and passion of his times. He said many times that unless a person has a goal, a new mountain to climb, his spirit will die. Well, based on our last phone conversation and the letter he wrote me just a month ago, I can say that his spirit was very much alive to the very end.

Remarks at the Funeral Service for President Richard Nixon in Yorba Linda, California | The American Presidency Project (ucsb.edu)

That letter was classified . But it was recently released . A large part of the letter dealt with US relations with Russia and Ukraine.

nixonletter.pdf (wsj.com)

There was no Putin on the radar . Yeltsin was Russia's boss and everyone thought he was the answer. Nixon told Bubba that it was important for the US to start nurturing Yeltsin's replacement because his democratic experiment was at an end and his days as Russia's leader were close to over.

“As one of Yeltsin’s first supporters in this country and as one who continues to admire him for his leadership in the past, I have reluctantly concluded that his situation has rapidly deteriorated since the elections in December, and that the days of his unquestioned leadership of Russia are numbered,” “His drinking bouts are longer and his periods of depression are more frequent. Most troublesome, he can no longer deliver on his commitments to you and other Western leaders in an increasingly anti-American environment in the Duma and in the country.”

"There is still no one who is in Yeltsin’s class as a potential leader in Russia".

“The Russians are serious people. One of the reasons Khrushchev was put on the shelf back in 1964 is that the proud Russians became ashamed of his crude antics at the U.N. and in other international forums.”

“Bush made a mistake in sticking too long to Gorbachev because of his close personal relationship. You must avoid making that same mistake in your very good personal relationship with Yeltsin.”


He said Russia's relations with Ukraine were tense and could explode.

He warned Bubba to not rely on the so called foreign service experts ( like Victoria Nuland and Alexander Vindman perhaps ? )

“I learned during my years in the White House that the best decisions I made, such as the one to go to China in 1972, were made over the objections of or without the approval of most foreign service officers,”
“Remember that foreign service officers get to the top by not getting into trouble. They are therefore more interested in covering their asses than in protecting yours.” I would go even further . They often think they are infallible and will undermine US policies if they do not agree with them .The only proof you need of this is disgruntled Mark Felt ;upset about not getting a promotion he thought he deserved ;brought down the Nixon presidency. Or the whole deep state swamp reaction to Trump's phone call to Zelensky.

How far we have fallen. Nixon had Kissinger . Quid Pro Joe has Blinken.
Nixon had Haig . Quid choses a woman Admiral to lead the Navy so she would be the first woman to be on the Joint Chiefs of Staff ;over the recommendation of Def Sec Lloyd Austin.

Biden picks female admiral to lead Navy. She'd be first woman on Joint Chiefs of Staff | AP News