Newly declassified documents from the US National Security Archive reveal candid conversations between then US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, exposing concerns over nuclear proliferation with Pakistan and Iran at the centre of global concern. The documents, covering meetings and calls from 2001 to 2008, highlight ongoing cooperation between Pakistani elements and foreign nuclear programs.

The transcripts reveal Bush describing Pakistan as a junta with nuclear weapons, questioning why the West avoided criticism despite Islamabad’s democratic deficit and growing nuclear risk. The National Security Archive said the records provide previously unavailable evidence of the depth of concern shared privately by U.S. and Russian leaders about Pakistan. Pakistan developed its nuclear arsenal outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has long been under international scrutiny.