Speaking at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Committee, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “a guy I know pretty well” and that the Russian leader “wasn’t kidding when he talks about using tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons. “ Biden added: “We haven’t faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” He suggested that the threat from Putin is real “because his military – one might say – is significantly underperforming.” US officials have for months warned of the prospect that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine as it has faced a series of strategic setbacks on the battlefield, although Biden’s remarks marked the strongest warnings the US administration has issued. about the nuclear stakes.
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A ground-breaking political series, hosted by George Stephanopoulos, that takes viewers inside the top stories of the election campaign each week from an unparalleled, ground-breaking angle. It was not immediately clear whether Biden was referring to any new assessment of Russian intentions. But just this week, U.S. officials said they saw no change in Russia’s nuclear capabilities that would require a change in the U.S. nuclear alert posture. “We have seen no reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture, nor do we have any indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons immediately,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. The 13-day standoff in 1962 that followed the US discovery of the Soviet Union’s secret nuclear weapons development in Cuba is considered by experts to be the closest the world has ever come to nuclear annihilation. The crisis during the administration of President John F. Kennedy sparked a new focus on arms control on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Biden also questioned Russian nuclear doctrine, warning that the use of a lower-yield tactical weapon could quickly spiral out of control into global catastrophe. “I don’t think there is such a thing as the ability to easily use a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon,” Biden said. He added that he was still “trying to understand” Putin’s “off-ramp” in Ukraine. “Where does he find a way out? Biden asked. “Where is he in a position to not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?” Putin has repeatedly referred to the use of his country’s vast nuclear arsenal, including last month when he announced plans to conscript Russian men to serve in Ukraine. “I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction … and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, in order to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal,” Putin said. September 21, adding with a lingering look at the camera, “It’s not a bluff.” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last week that the US had been “clear” with Russia about the “consequences” of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. “This is something that we are attuned to, take very seriously, and communicate directly with Russia, including the kind of decisive responses that the United States would have if they were to go down this dark path,” Sullivan said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier Thursday that Putin understood that “the world will never forgive” a Russian nuclear attack. “He understands that after the use of nuclear weapons he will no longer be able to maintain, let’s say, his life, and I’m sure of that,” Zelensky said. Biden’s comments came during a private fundraiser for the Democratic Senate candidates at the Manhattan home of James and Catherine Murdoch. He tends to be more unguarded — often speaking with only sketchy notes — in such settings, which are open only to a few reporters without cameras or recorders. Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
