The former head of Kazakhstan’s intelligence service, Alnur Mussayev, recently claimed in a Facebook post that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987, during his first visit to Moscow as a 40-year-old real estate mogul.
If true, the allegation would be extraordinary. However, Mussayev provides no documentary proof—nor, he argues, could he, as he claims Trump’s file is in Vladimir Putin’s possession.
Mussayev is not the first former KGB officer to make such a claim. Years ago, Yuri Shvets, a former KGB major now living in Washington, D.C., was a key source for Craig Unger’s book American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. Shortly after Mussayev’s recent statement, another ex-KGB officer, Sergei Zhyrnov, who now resides in France, endorsed the claim in an interview with a Ukrainian journalist.
According to Zhyrnov, Trump would have been closely monitored in Moscow, surrounded by KGB operatives—including his driver, hotel maid, and possibly even the women he encountered. He claimed that Trump’s every move would have been documented and that he may have been compromised through a “honey trap” or caught engaging in questionable financial dealings while pursuing a hotel project in the Soviet capital.
These claims, while dramatic, lack verifiable evidence and fit into a broader pattern of unproven or discredited allegations about Trump’s ties to Russia.
Trump’s First Visit to Moscow in 1987: A Soviet Effort?

Trump’s 1987 trip to the Soviet Union took place at a time when the KGB was actively seeking to recruit high-profile Western figures, particularly business leaders and politicians. According to declassified documents, the KGB was struggling to recruit Americans in the 1980s and was instructed to be more aggressive in cultivating prominent Westerners who could “actively influence” their country’s foreign policy.
The Soviet Union appeared to take a keen interest in Trump. His visit was arranged by the top levels of the Soviet diplomatic service with the assistance of the KGB-controlled state tourism agency, Intourist. Trump later claimed the trip was inspired by a chance meeting with Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubinin, who flattered him by praising Trump Tower. But according to Dubinin’s daughter, the Soviet government actively sought out Trump, believing his personality made him a prime target for influence.
Trump’s trip was lavish, with Soviet officials showing him multiple potential sites for a Trump-branded hotel. He was housed in the Lenin Suite at Moscow’s National Hotel—an accommodation known to be under KGB surveillance. If standard KGB practices were followed, Trump’s activities would have been monitored, recorded, and analyzed for any compromising behavior that could be used for leverage in the future.
The Russia Allegations That Didn’t Hold Up

While Trump’s interactions with Russia have long fueled speculation, past high-profile allegations about his ties to Moscow have collapsed under scrutiny.
One of the most infamous was the Steele dossier, a collection of unverified opposition research compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The dossier claimed that Russia had been cultivating Trump for years and possessed kompromat, including an alleged tape of Trump engaging in salacious behavior during a 2013 trip to Moscow. However, key aspects of the dossier were later discredited. The Justice Department’s Inspector General found that the FBI relied on Steele’s claims despite knowing his sources were dubious, and some of the most explosive allegations appeared to be part of a Russian disinformation effort.
Similarly, the much-publicized claim that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with the Kremlin to influence the election ultimately fell apart. The Mueller investigation, after two years and extensive resources, found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump and Russia. The final report stated that while Russian actors sought to interfere in the election, there was no proof that Trump or his campaign coordinated with them.
Despite these past failures, speculation about Trump’s ties to Russia persists. The new allegations from Mussayev, Shvets, and Zhyrnov fit within this broader pattern—compelling on the surface, but lacking verifiable evidence.
Could There Be Some Truth to the Allegations?
While skepticism is warranted, some argue that the absence of proof does not necessarily mean the claims are false. Trump’s foreign policy—his skepticism of NATO, his admiration for Putin, and his often dismissive attitude toward European allies—has long fueled speculation that he is compromised.
Occam’s razor suggests that the simplest explanation should be preferred. Could kompromat explain Trump’s behavior better than theories about his personality or shifting American political dynamics? Or is it more likely that Trump’s Russia-friendly positions stem from his personal worldview, business interests, or domestic political considerations?
At the same time, the possibility that these ex-KGB officers are embellishing or fabricating their claims cannot be ignored. Some skeptics will wonder if they are being encouraged by Western intelligence services, though given Trump’s influence over the FBI and CIA, that seems unlikely. Others might suspect a faction within Russia’s security services opposed to both Trump and Putin. It is also possible that the ex-KGB agents are simply looking for attention, though it remains unclear why a Kazakh and a French resident would have personal motives to do so.
The Unanswered Questions

The KGB actively sought to cultivate Western figures who could be useful to Soviet interests, and Trump’s 1987 trip appears to have been part of this effort. But was he simply a target of flattery and influence, or was there a deeper connection? If the KGB did collect compromising material on Trump, has it ever been used?
Ultimately, we may never know the full truth. Given the track record of previous Trump-Russia allegations, skepticism is justified. But even without definitive proof, these latest claims will undoubtedly fuel further controversy—especially among those who still believe there is more to Trump’s Russia story than has been proven so far.