WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Months into , the United States had intelligence pointing to 鈥渉ighly sensitive, credible conversations inside the Kremlin鈥� that President Vladimir Putin was seriously considering using nuclear weapons to avoid major battlefield losses, journalist Bob Woodward reported in
The U.S. intelligence pointed to a 50% chance that Putin would use tactical nukes if Ukrainian forces surrounded 30,000 Russian troops in the southern city of Kherson, the book says. Just months before, in the far northeast, Ukrainian troops had stunned the Russians by recapturing , Ukraine's second-largest city, and were pivoting to , strategically located on the Dnieper River not far from the Black Sea.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan stared 鈥渨ith dread鈥� at the intelligence assessment 鈥� described as coming from the best sources and methods 鈥� in late September 2022, seven months after Russia's invasion, the book says. It caused alarm across the Biden administration, moving the chance of Russia using nukes up from 5% to 10% to now 50%.
According to Woodward's account, President Joe Biden told Sullivan to "get on the line with the Russians. Tell them what we will do in response.鈥�
He said to use language that was threatening but not too strong, the book says. Biden also reached out to Putin directly in a message, warning of the 鈥渃atastrophic consequences鈥� if Russia used nuclear weapons.
The famed Watergate reporter鈥檚 latest book also details Donald Trump's conversations with Putin since leaving office, Biden鈥檚 frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister and more. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of Woodward's book, which is due out next week.
The book provides intriguing inside details about the U.S. assessment of the possibility of Putin deploying nukes, but the Biden administration鈥檚 concerns that Russia might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine were not secret. From the president on down, numerous officials warned Putin against it.
Putin and other Kremlin voices also have frequently with Russia's nuclear arsenal. In a strong, late last month, Putin said any nation鈥檚 conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
The threat was aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Russia鈥檚 nuclear arsenal. to hit military targets deeper inside Russia with U.S.-provided missiles over fears of escalating the war, even as pleads for permission.
In another heated conversation laid out in Woodward鈥檚 book, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confronted his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, in October 2022.
鈥淲e know you are contemplating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine,鈥� Austin said, according to Woodward. 鈥淎ny use of nuclear weapons on any scale against anybody would be seen by the United States and the world as a world-changing event. There is no scale of nuclear weapons that we could overlook or that the world could overlook.鈥�
As Shoigu listened, Austin pressed on, noting that the U.S. had not given Ukraine certain weapons and had restricted the use of some of those it had provided. He warned that those constraints would be reconsidered. He also noted that China, India, Turkey and Israel would isolate Russia if it used nuclear weapons.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 take kindly to being threatened,鈥� Shoigu responded, the book says.
鈥淢r. Minister,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淚 am the leader of the most powerful military in the history of the world. I don鈥檛 make threats.鈥�
The Pentagon noted a call between Austin and Shoigu on Oct. 21, 2022. During the call, Austin 鈥渆mphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,鈥� according to a readout provided at the time.
U.S. intelligence officials saw China as having the most influence over Russia, and Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping about the need for deterrence, Woodward wrote.
Xi agreed to warn Putin, according to the book. in November 2022 that 鈥渁 nuclear war should never be fought鈥� and noted their opposition to the use or threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a White House statement said at the time.
In terms of the war starting at all, the book details Biden鈥檚 criticism late last year of President Barack Obama鈥檚 handling of Russia seizing Crimea and a section of the Donbas in 2014, at a time when Biden was serving as the Democrat鈥檚 vice president.
鈥淭hey f----- up in 2014,鈥� Woodward wrote that Biden said to a close friend in December, blaming the lack of action for Putin鈥檚 aggression in Ukraine. 鈥淏arack never took Putin seriously.鈥�
Biden was angry while speaking to the friend and said they 鈥渘ever should have let Putin just walk in there鈥� in 2014 and that the U.S. 鈥渄id nothing.鈥�
White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons told reporters that 鈥渢here are plenty of books that are being written about this administration and others" and that "we鈥檙e not going to comment on each anecdote that may come out of different reporting.鈥�
The Associated Press
