Speaking in an interview with NBC’s Today program, Obama said, “There has always been someone who clings to this twisted and corrupted grudge and ethnic nationalism. That side of Putin, I think, has always been there. What we saw in the invasion of Ukraine is what we predicted 8-10 years ago. It was reckless in a way you couldn’t imagine, but actually that danger was always there.”
DID NOT ANSWER
Obama was president when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. In retrospect, when asked what he could have done differently while in office, including when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Obama refused to answer directly.
Instead, he said it was important not to “underestimate our own democracy” and to “stand by and align with those who believe in freedom and independence”.