The White House sought to ease concerns about the Russia-Ukraine war escalating into a nuclear conflict after President Joe Biden raised the prospect of Armageddon during a private fundraiser.
"We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture, nor do we have indication that Russia is preparing to imminently use nuclear weapons," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday.Jean-Pierre underscored Russia's responsibility in starting the war with its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, repeating Russian President Vladimir Putin also has the ability to"stop" it.
Biden's comments, made to donors during a New York finance event hosted by James Murdoch, were"very consistent" regarding how"seriously" the administration was treating Putin's nuclear warning, according to Jean-Pierre. "If the Cuban missile crisis has taught us anything, it is the value of reducing nuclear risk," she said."Russia's talk of using nuclear weapons is irresponsible. And there's no way to use them without unintended consequences. It cannot happen. We won't be intimidated by Putin's rhetoric."
During the fundraiser, Biden similarly referred to the Cuban missile crisis, saying the Russia-Ukraine war was the first time since then that"we have a direct threat of the use of the nuclear weapon if, in fact, things continue down the path they are going.” “We’ve got a guy I know fairly well,” he said of Putin. “He’s not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming.” “I don't think there's any such thing as the ability to easily a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon," the president added.
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