UNITED STATES: As Vladimir Putin’s forces are routed in Ukraine, President Joe Biden cautioned him not to use nuclear weapons or suffer “consequences.” In an interview, Biden stated that, “such a move would change the face of war unlike anything since World War Two.”
He remained mum regarding the US’s response to the use of such weapons.
After it invaded Ukraine in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin put the nation’s nuclear forces on a “special” alert.
He explained to the defence commanders that the West’s “aggressive words” were to blame. Since nuclear weapons have been around for almost 80 years, many nations still view them as a deterrent that maintains their sense of security.
The Federation of American Scientists estimates that Russia has 5,977 nuclear weapons. It is still improbable that it will employ such weapons, though.
Tactical nuclear weapons can be used over relatively short distances, as opposed to “strategic” nuclear bombs that may be launched over considerably larger distances and threaten all-out nuclear war.
President Biden was asked what he would say to President Putin if the latter were considering launching a weapon of mass destruction in Ukraine during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley at the White House. President Biden answered, “don’t, don’t, don’t.”
Then Biden was questioned about what would happen to Putin if such a line was breached. “You expect that if I knew exactly what it would be, I would tell you? Naturally, I won’t tell you. It will have an impact,” said Biden. Biden further added that, “They’ll become even more of an outcast than they already are. And what would happen would depend on how far they go with their actions.”
The Kremlin had hoped that the war in Ukraine would proceed more smoothly than it has. Ukraine claims that it has just reclaimed more than 8,000 sq km (3,088 sq miles) of land in the region of Kharkiv to the northeast.
Despite the seeming setback, President Putin has emphasized that Ukraine’s effective counteroffensive will not thwart Russia’s ambitions to continue its activities in the country’s east.
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