Biden told a group of donors late Oct. 6 that the world faces the “prospect of Armageddon” due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s perceived threat of using nuclear weapons.
“No. No,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One on Friday, when asked whether new intelligence motivated Biden to make the comments.
“The President was speaking about concerns about Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons, just as he did at the U.N. General Assembly and we have done over the past few weeks,” Jean-Pierre added.
Jean-Pierre also said that the United States has still not seen a reason to adjust its nuclear posture, nor does it have indications that Russia “is preparing to imminently use nuclear weapons.”
“Russia’s nuclear rhetoric has been reckless and irresponsible. But if the Cuban Missile Crisis has taught us anything, it is the value of reducing nuclear risk and not brandishing it,” she added later.
Putin said recently that “we will certainly use all the means that we have to defend Russia and our people” if Russia’s “territorial integrity” is threatened.
Russia is currently battling for more territory in Ukraine, which it invaded in February. America has provided billions in arms and other aid to Ukraine and has said Russia should withdraw.
Biden said Thursday that the United States faces “for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis ... a direct threat to the use of nuclear weapons, if in fact things continue down the path they are going.”
He also said that he and other American officials are trying to discern an “off-ramp” for Putin.
“Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia,” Biden said.
Jean-Pierre said U.S. officials believe only one country is responsible for the war, and that country is Russia.
“They started this conflict, and Mr. Putin has the ability to stop this conflict today,” she said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, said separately on Oct. 6 that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should “make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons,” calling for “preventative strikes” as opposed to retaliatory ones.
“Such statements are nothing other than an appeal to start yet another world war with unpredictable, monstrous consequences,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said in response, RIA reported.
A spokesman for Zelenskyy later wrote on Facebook that the remarks were being misinterpreted.
“Colleagues, you have gone a little too far with your nuclear hysteria and now you hear nuclear strikes even where there are none,” he said. “The president spoke about the period before February 24. At that time, it was necessary to apply preventive measures to prevent Russia from starting a war. Let me remind you that the only measures that were discussed at that time were preemptive sanctions.”
