The journalist who exposed the Watergate scandal publishes a book behind the scenes at the White House. He evokes these tensions which almost led to nuclear war in Ukraine.
Bob Woodward’s new book “War” is an intimate behind-the-scenes account of power at the highest levels of government in one of the most troubled times in recent history. And the American journalist, winner of several Pulitzer Prizes, makes explosive revelations.
The book will not be released until October 15, but extracts have been revealed in recent hours by CNN and the Washington Post, the newspaper in which the famous journalist revealed the Watergate scandal. Scandal over the financing of the Republican Party which cost Richard Nixon his post as President of the United States.
Putin “desperate”
According to CNN, one of the most dramatic scenes in the book reveals how close the world came to nuclear war, as Joe Biden and his national security team were briefed on the more than likely prospect of seeing Vladimir Putin , countered on the ground in Ukraine, use nuclear weapons.
Thus, in September 2022, US intelligence reports revealed a “deeply troubling assessment” by Putin that the latter was “so desperate over battlefield losses that he might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine “.
“50% chance he will use nuclear weapons”
Other reports would follow and they were just as alarming since the White House at one time estimated a “50% chance that Russia would use a tactical nuclear weapon.”
The reaction was immediate and underground diplomacy took over. “On all channels, contact the Russians,” ordered the American president and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. “Tell them what we’re going to do in response,” he added, according to Bob Woodward’s book.
And the journalist recounts a tense telephone call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, in October 2022.
“If you do this, all the restrictions that we have imposed in Ukraine will be called into question,” Austin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, referring to the restraint that NATO had imposed until then. “It would isolate Russia on the international stage to a degree that you Russians cannot fully appreciate.”
“I am the leader of the most powerful army in the history of the world”
“I don’t like being threatened,” Choigu replied. “Mr. Minister, I am the leader of the most powerful army in the history of the world. I do not make threats,” his American counterpart reportedly replied.
Two days later, Russia tried to exert new pressure by raising the possibility that Ukraine would use “a dirty bomb”. A false pretext that the Kremlin would have used as a pretext to deploy a nuclear weapon as already mentioned at the time.
“We don’t see any signs of that, and the world will notice,” Austin reportedly responded, adding, “Don’t do that.”
According to Bob Woodward, Choïgu indicated that he “understood” the message.
“It was probably the scariest moment of the entire war,” Colin Kahl, a senior Pentagon official, later said of the often-discussed but never-as-documented episode as in journalist Bob Woodward’s book.
