US cautions Russia of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if it uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine
The United States has cautioned Russia of “catastrophic consequences” if it uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
The warning comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin a disguised nuclear threat last week during a televised speech declaring partial mobilisation in the country.
According to US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan while speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press news programme, “If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia. The United States will respond decisively,”
However, he did not clarify what the US reaction would be. Sullivan added that Washington has privately “spelled out in greater detail exactly what that would mean” to Moscow.
He also said that the US was in continual, direct contact with Russia to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
“Putin remains intent … on wiping out the Ukraine people that he does not believe have a right to exist. So he’s going to keep coming, and we have to keep coming with weapons, ammunition, intelligence and all the support we can provide,” Sullivan said.
Earlier the week, US President Joe Biden too had strongly denounced Putin’s nuclear threat saying “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
“Russia’s shun of the nonproliferation ideals embraced by every other nation at the Tenth NPT Review Conference, and again today as I said, they’re making irresponsible threats to use nuclear weapons,” Biden had said during his speech at the UN.
Also, Sullivan condemned Russia’s ongoing referendum at four eastern Ukrainian regions to annex the territory that Russian forces occupied during their invasion of Ukraine.
