Obama calls war in Ukraine 'tragedy of historic proportions'
Former President Barack Obama weighed in on the Ukraine-Russia conflict Wednesday during his appearance at the Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference and called the war a "tragedy of historic proportions.”
“It is a bracing reminder for democracies that have gotten flabby, and confused and feckless around the stakes of things that we tended to take for granted: rule of law, freedom of press and conscience … that you have to fight for that information,” he said.
Obama said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "always ruthless."
“For him to bet the farm in this way, I would have not necessarily predicted by him five years ago," he said.
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Obama added he sees some hope given the response of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the country's residents.
"He has the potential of preventing a maximalist victory for Putin and over the long term may allow for an independent Ukraine," Obama said.
-ABC News' Brittany Shepherd