Bolton Book Claims Trump Asked If Finland Was A Part Of Russia

John Bolton‘s new book on President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, The Room Where it Happened, alleges Trump asked one of his former advisors in a private conversation if Finland was a part of Russia.

Journalists obtained a copy of Bolton’s book prior to it being published on June 23, saying the memoir comes off as an unflattering depiction of Trump’s foreign policy approach.

One of Bolton’s personal recollections from the memoir claims that Trump once asked if Finland was a part of Russia. The alleged comment is significant, given the historical context. Finland was occupied by the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917 and fought the 1939 Winter War with the Soviet Union over a border dispute. Trump has also met Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on multiple occasions.

The book also claims that Trump asked if the U.K. was nuclear power.

Bolton recalls that during the intelligence briefings “much of the time was spent listening to Trump, rather than Trump listening to the briefers.”

The book is set to go on sale on June 23, while the Justice Department filed a lawsuit attempting to block publication of the book, arguing it was “rife with classified information.”

Bolton, however, already published an excerpt in the Wall Street Journal.

Trump also fired back on Twitter, calling the book a “compilation of lies.”