A little less than a month before the US presidential election. This is the moment chosen by Bob Woodward, journalist, author in particular of President’s Men (1974) and Rage (2020), to release his new book War. The author makes some shocking revelations.
► One chance in two of triggering a nuclear war
“The scariest moment of the entire war” in Ukraine. In Bob Woodward’s book, Colin Kahl, a senior Pentagon official, describes in these terms a call between Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.
It is October 2022. A month earlier, a “deeply disconcerting assessment” of Putin carried out by the American intelligence services demonstrates that the latter, desperate by the losses suffered, risks using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The probabilities? A one in two chance.
“On all channels, get in line with the Russians,” orders Joe Biden to his teams. A first tense telephone exchange takes place between the American and Russian defense ministers. “I don’t like being threatened”warned Sergei Shoigu. “Mister Ministerreplies Lloyd Austin, I am the leader of the most powerful army in the history of the world. I’m not making threats. »
► “Bibi, you have no strategy”
Netanyahu, “ a liar » ? If Joe Biden defends Israel in public, his relationship behind the scenes with Benjamin Netanyahu has been more than tense, since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Bob Woodward reports an exchange dating from April between the Israeli prime minister and the American president : “What is your strategy? “, asks Joe Biden. “We have to go to Rafah”declares Benjamin Netanyahu. “Bibi, you have no strategy”concludes Biden.
Despite numerous warnings from the American president, Israel continues its intensive attacks in the Middle East. This is too much for Joe Biden: “That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, is a bad guy. He’s a f***ing bad guy ! » (sic), he reportedly declared privately to one of his advisors in April 2024.
► A plan to invade Ukraine known from 2021
And “surprising burst of brilliance”. This is how Bob Woodward describes the discovery of the American intelligence services: as early as October 2021, they would have concluded that Putin intended to invade Ukraine with 175,000 soldiers.
Thanks to “a human source within the Kremlin”notably, ” it’s as if (American intelligence) had secretly entered the enemy commander’s tent and were poring over maps, examining the number and movement of brigades and the entire planned sequence of the multi-frontal invasion.explains the journalist.
According to Bob Woodward, Joe Biden confronted Vladimir Putin twice in December 2021, including during a call during which the Russian president “evokes the risk of nuclear war in a threatening manner.”
Kamala Harris warns Volodymyr Zelensky in February 2022, reports the journalist, offering him “start thinking about putting in place a succession plan to lead the country”in case « capture »or if the Ukrainian president was “killed or incapacitated to govern”.
► Putin, Trump and Covid tests
“More than a million people died but guess what? (…) Donald Trump called his friend Putin, this is not a joke, and made sure he had tests,” quipped Joe Biden after Bob Woodward’s revelations on the links between the Russian president and the former American head of state.
The journalist confides that in 2020, Donald Trump sends “secretly gave Putin a number of Covid-19 tests for his personal use. »
“Please don’t tell anyone you sent me this”declared Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump after receiving the kits, describes Bob Woodward. “I don’t care”replies the Republican candidate. “No, no,” adds Putin. “I don’t want you to tell anyone because people will get mad at you, not me.” They don’t care about me. »
The author of War brings that there was “maybe up to seven” calls between Trump and Putin since the former US president’s term ended in 2021. In response, Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Chung, released a statement describing Bob Woodward as “demented”, “slow”, “incompetent”, “lethargic”.
► Behind the scenes of Joe Biden’s withdrawal
In June 2024, Joe Biden participates in a televised debate against Donald Trump. On several occasions he appears overwhelmed, stumbling over words… The Democratic camp is trembling while numerous criticisms are being raised within it.
“Do you see yourself doing this for four more years? “, Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked Joe Bien during a private lunch on July 4. “I don’t want your legacy to be jeopardized”insists the head of diplomacy. “If this decision allows you to remain in office and be re-elected, great. If it allows you to stay and not be re-elected, that’s the sentence. »
On July 21, Joe Biden announced that he would not run in the 2024 American presidential election, preferring to hand over the reins by lining up behind the candidacy of his vice-president Kamala Harris.
