According to administration officials, President Joe Biden's dire warning that a nuclear "Armageddon" is imminent was intended to send a clear message that no one should downplay the danger posed by Russia's use of tactical nuclear weapons in its conflict with Ukraine.
As reported first by AP, the president delivered this warning during a Democratic fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 6, and it seemed to go beyond what is currently believed by American intelligence agencies.
However, US security officials have said there is no proof that Russian President Vladimir Putin is about to launch a nuclear attack.
Possibility of "Armageddon"
At the conclusion of his fundraising speech, Biden delved into the situation in Ukraine, claiming that Putin was not joking when he mentioned the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons.
He added that the world had not faced the possibility of "Armageddon" since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He claimed that the threat from Putin is real "because his military is - you might say - significantly underperforming."
Since Russia has suffered a number of tactical defeats on the battlefield, Biden's national security staff has been warning that Russia may use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.
The president's statement on Thursday represented the U.S. government's strongest nuclear stakes warnings to date, according to A.P.
Biden wanted to caution against underestimating the threat posed by tactical nuclear weapons, according to a U.S. official who spoke to the A.P.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity and said there are some concerns in the administration that Russia has decided it can use its nuclear arsenal in a "full-blown" nuclear attack on Ukraine.
They added it would only face a limited response from the U.S. and Western allies committed to preventing the Ukraine conflict from becoming a larger war.
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"Catastrophic Effects"
Putin has frequently hinted at utilizing his nation's large nuclear weapons, most recently when he announced plans to enlist Russian forces to fight in Ukraine last month.
A.P. further noted that this is not the first time Biden appears to defy the margins of U.S. policy. In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" last month, Biden stated that in the case of a Chinese invasion, the U.S. military would defend Taiwan.
The U.S. policy toward Taiwan hasn't changed, the White House declared following the interview. This policy states that Washington seeks a peaceful resolution of Taiwan's status but leaves open the possibility of sending the U.S. military in the event of a Chinese invasion.
Top U.S. officials have also acknowledged that the country has privately warned Russia of "catastrophic" repercussions if it deploys nuclear weapons in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine last month.
"Any use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic effects for, of course, the country using them, but for many others as well," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement with B.S. News program '60 Minutes' in New York.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
