Barack Obama Tells NBC’s ‘Today’: ‘Putin Has Always Been Ruthless… The Danger Was Always There’

Barack Obama Tells NBC’s ‘Today’: ‘Putin Has Always Been Ruthless… The Danger Was Always There’

Former President Barack Obama in an interview with NBC's Al Roker In an exclusive interview with NBC's Al Roker, former President Barack Obama describes Russian President Vladimir Putin as "reckless" and a leader who "has always been ruthless against his own people, as well as others." In the interview, which is set to air Wednesday morning on NBC's Today, Obama says "(Putin) has always been somebody who's wrapped up in this twisted, distorted sense of grievance and ethnic nationalism. That part of Putin, I think has always been there. what we have seen with the invasion of Ukraine is him being reckless in a way that you might not have anticipated eight, ten years ago, but you know, the danger was always there." NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 28: (AFP OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and U. S. President ... [+] Barack Obama shake hands for the cameras before the start of a bilateral meeting at the United Nations headquarters September 28, 2015 in New York City. Putin and Obama are in New York City to attend the 70th anniversary general assembly meetings. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Asked if Obama could have "done something differently" when Putin's Russia