President Joe Biden's candid assessments of some of the most consequential events shaping the world over the past years have been revealed in "War," the upcoming book by legendary journalist Bob Woodward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin plays a significant role in the book, being featured prominently in portions discussing the invasion of Ukraine and private conversations with former President Donald Trump, which included the delivery of Covid tests for his personal use during the height of the pandemic.
The book also goes back further, to Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, as Woodward reported that Biden criticized former President Barack Obama's handling of the situation. "Barack never took Putin seriously," Biden said of the events that led to Moscow's annexation of the peninsula, according to the book, which was obtained by CNN.
The event took place after Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovich was removed from office after a series of pro-European protests in the country. During the period of turmoil, Putin had already been silently sending thousands of troops to the country's base in Crimea, along with additional "volunteers."
On February 28, Russia set up a series of checkpoints at the main roads between continental Ukraine and Crimea, claiming they needed to protect residents from the "extremists" who had taken over Kiev.
Pro-Russia leaders held a referendum shortly after, asking residents if they wanted to join the country, although Ukraine and its allies deemed the measure illegal. The process did not have international observers and concluded that more than 95% of voters favored joining Russia. Moscow officially annexed the territory days later
Ukraine has been seeking to recover Crimea ever since, even going on the offense after Russia's invasion in 2022.
Other mentions to Putin in the book include Biden calling him "the epitome of evil" after the invasion of Ukraine, as well as the belief by him and his national security team at one point that there was a 50% chance that Putin would use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
Biden also confronted Putin in December 2021 after the U.S. got a hold of the country's plans to invade Ukraine before it took place. It featured a "hot 50-minute call" that escalated to the point that Putin "raised the risk of nuclear war in a threatening way," the book details. Biden reportedly reminded Putin that a nuclear war is "impossible to win."
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