In mid-October a new book by respected American journalist Bob Woodward, titled War, examines the Biden administration’s actions during the war in Ukraine. The Polish edition has not yet appeared, but Wojciech Konończuk, director of the Center for Oriental Studies, summarized its key themes on Platform X for readers in Poland and beyond. For audiences in North America, the discussion offers practical lessons on alliance dynamics and intelligence limits that resonate in Canada and the United States.
According to the OSW director, the work does not offer earth-shaking revelations, yet it provides a trove of previously undisclosed details about the conflict and highlights a strand that touches Poland.
Woodward presents Biden as revising the previous U.S. policy toward Russia, signaling a critical shift by a leader who had served in the government during the Obama era. The book, portions of which had already been reported in the press, suggests that in Kyiv and in several Western capitals there was doubt that Moscow would launch a full-scale invasion.
1) The work reveals behind-the-scenes warnings about Moscow’s approach to European capitals and Kyiv, showing how American intelligence signaled imminent aggression. The account is seen as a notable achievement for U.S. intelligence operations.
2) Biden criticizes the earlier U.S. policy toward Russia, including positions from the Obama administration, and acknowledges perceived missteps in retrospect.
3) President Zelensky, despite ongoing U.S. warnings, did not fully believe a major invasion would occur. Western officials were cautious, and Macron has been quoted as suggesting that Putin gave assurances. Even Russia’s foreign minister Lavrov appeared not to anticipate a war at that moment.
4) German confidence that Russia would refrain from attacking proved brittle when the head of the BND, Bruno Kahl, flagged Russian aggression in Kyiv and required evacuation by a special unit. The episode has become a source of Polish humor in some circles.
There is also media talk that Americans advised Zelensky to flee and set up a government-in-exile abroad.
5) From February 24, 2022, U.S. officials pressed Zelensky to leave Kyiv and Ukraine, warning of personal danger and even proposing the frame of a Ukrainian government-in-exile based in Poland.
6) A few weeks into the war, Washington acknowledged that its predictions about the timing of Putin’s moves had largely matched reality, while conceding that Moscow’s military capacity had been overestimated and Kyiv and much of Europe had been underestimated.
7) Biden is portrayed as not doubting Putin’s objectives, seeing the war as part of a broader European and global struggle rather than a challenge limited to Ukraine alone.
8) Direct channels between the United States and Russia remained open, including high-level meetings between intelligence chiefs and between senior military officers, underscoring the persistent lines of communication even during the conflict.
About Duda’s meeting with Trump
The director of OSW cites an excerpt about a meeting between Polish President Andrzej Duda and Donald Trump, noting Duda’s perceived influence in shaping Republican support for a new Ukraine aid package in Congress.
9) A chapter centers on Poland, featuring conversations with President Duda. The portrayal emphasizes Poland’s realism toward Russia, steadfast backing for Ukraine, and defense spending above four percent of GDP.
10) The account suggests that Duda’s roughly 2.5-hour meeting with Trump on April 17, 2024 in New York helped sway Republican lawmakers to back a fresh $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.
11) A substantial portion of the book concentrates on the Israel-Gaza crisis and the White House’s frustrations with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is portrayed as expressing disdain for Biden in strong terms.
12) The narrative also praises Biden’s commitment to helping Ukraine, but it notes that U.S. aid, while vital, was not sufficient given various constraints and concerns in Washington, and that Kyiv still received too little support to win the war.
The excerpt ends.
Citation withheld.