President Biden claims to be confident Putin will not resort to using tactical nuclear weapons.
This is despite Putin’s promise to defend his country’s territorial integrity if threatened, using “all the means” at Russia’s disposal to protect Russia and its people.
Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I think it’s irresponsible for him to talk about it, the idea that a world leader of one of the largest nuclear powers in the world says he may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine … once you use a nuclear weapon, the mistakes that can be made, the miscalculations, who knows what would happen.”
CIA Director William Burns told CBS News last week that the Intelligence Community takes Putin’s comments “very seriously,” but they saw no “practical evidence” that Moscow was “moving closer to the actual use” of nuclear weapons.
When pressed about an American “red line,” Biden insisted it would be irresponsible for the United States to disclose how it would respond to a Russian nuclear strike.
While Biden stated he believes Putin is a rational actor, he thinks the Russian president has “significantly” miscalculated its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
President Biden suggested that Putin “thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was the home of Mother Russia in Kyiv, and that where he was going to be welcomed, and I think he just totally miscalculated.”
Last weekend a large explosion that Russia claimed was masterminded by Ukrainian military intelligence damaged the critical Crimea Bridge, also known as the Kerch Strait Bridge.
The crossing is strategically important as it’s the only drivable connection between the Russian mainland and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
In response, Russia unleashed one of the most severe bombing campaigns since the start of the war earlier this year. Hundreds were injured and at least 19 killed amid the wave of strikes in Kyiv and across the country.
Next month, leaders from the United States and Russia have an opportunity to meet face-to-face at the G20 meeting in Indonesia.
But, Biden said, “I just did a G-7 meeting this morning … I’m not about to, nor is anyone else prepared to negotiate with Russia about them staying in Ukraine, keeping any part of Ukraine.”
“I don’t see any rationale to meet with him now,” the president continued.