WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Biden left the White House on Friday facing questions about a strong warning he issued amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
During an off-camera Democratic fundraiser Thursday, Biden said: “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis. I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily use a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”
His remarks come as Moscow faces a series of military setbacks as United States officials warn Moscow could use weapons of mass destruction
“The president’s comments are indicative of how serious we take this issue,” said Vedant Patel, the state department’s deputy spokesperson.
But the White House made clear that the commander-in-chief’s statements are not based on new intel and that the Biden administration has seen no indications Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor do we have indications they are preparing to use them, but Putin can de-escalate this,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary.