US President Joe Biden issued a stern warning about the dangers behind Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats as Moscow continues to face military setbacks in Ukraine.
“For the first time since the Cuban missile crisis, we have a direct threat of the use of a nuclear weapon if, in fact, things continue the way they are,” Biden warned during remarks at a Democratic fundraiser in New York.
“I’m trying to figure out what Putin’s off-ramp is”, Biden said during the event: “Where will he find an exit? Where will he find himself in a position where he not only loses face but he loses significant power within Russia?”
His comments come as the US assesses how to respond to a variety of potential scenarios, including fears that the Russians could use tactical nuclear weapons. Officials warned Thursday that the United States has detected no preparations for a nuclear attack. Yet experts see them as potential options the US must prepare for as Russia’s invasion falters and Moscow annexes more Ukrainian territory.
Last Friday, at a ceremony announcing the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Putin said Russia would use “all available means” to defend the areas, adding that the United States had “created a precedent” for nuclear strikes in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.