Former President Obama disagreed with then-Vice President Biden that Russia should "pay in blood and money" after it invaded Crimea in 2014, according to a new book.
An excerpt from "The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump" by Politico's Alexander Ward revealed a disagreement that took place behind closed doors between Obama and Biden when Russian forces invaded Crimea and later annexed the peninsula, making it a part of Russia.
"The Obama administration did little in response except to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, sanction the Kremlin, and kick Russia out of the Group of Eight, turning the G8 into the G7," writes Ward. "The United States might have done more had Barack Obama's vice president, Joe Biden, been in charge. Russia should 'pay in blood and money' for its actions, Biden told his boss as the 2014 invasion began. Obama disagreed, but he made Biden his effective ambassador to Ukraine during the crisis."
BIDEN PRIVATELY DEFIANT THAT HE DIDN'T BOTCH AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: BOOK
Later, Obama told Biden not to "overpromise anything" to Ukraine, the book states. But the chasm between the two continued to widen as Biden continued to foster his alliance by further pledging his support for the Eastern European nation.
As vice president, he traveled to Ukraine six times, with five visits occurring after the 2014 Maidan protests, the book notes. In Kyiv, alongside then-President Petro Poroshenko, Biden backed Ukraine's quest for independence from Russia just three days before Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017.
"Ukraine, like every country in Europe, has a right to determine its own path. Yet Russia seeks to deny that choice. And the international community must continue to stand as one against Russian aggression and coercion," Biden said. "It’s no secret that Russia does not want you to succeed. It’s not just about Ukraine. It’s about the future we have long sought of a Europe whole, free, and at peace — whole, free, and at peace — something that is in the vital national interest of both the United States and all Europeans."
BIDEN PRIVATELY DEFIANT THAT HE DIDN'T BOTCH AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: BOOK
In a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, Obama said he saw no benefit in the U.S. getting involved in the unfolding events in Europe related to Russia and Ukraine.
"The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-NATO country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do," Obama said. "This is an example of where we have to be very clear about what our core interests are and what we are willing to go to war for."
Between 2014 and Dec. 27, 2023, the U.S. sent more than $47 billion in security aid to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression and improve NATO ties. The Biden administration has contributed about $44.2 billion since February 2022, according to a recent congressional report.
Biden has been urging Congress to pass a supplemental funding package to continue assisting Ukraine since last October.
Last week, the Senate passed a $95 billion national security supplemental package to assist Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific after a tedious procedural process. The package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and nearly $5 billion for the Indo-Pacific.
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"I applaud the bipartisan coalition of Senators who came together to advance this agreement, and I urge the House to move on this with urgency. We cannot afford to wait any longer," Biden said in a statement about the bill. "The costs of inaction are rising every day, especially in Ukraine. Already, we are seeing reports of Ukrainian troops running out of ammunition on the front lines as Russian forces continue to attack and Putin continues to dream of subjugating the Ukrainian people."
"There are those who say American leadership and our alliances and partnerships with countries around the world do not matter. They do. If we do not stand against tyrants who seek to conquer or carve up their neighbors' territory, the consequences for America's national security will be significant."
