President Joe Biden told reporters Tuesday that it would be a “very serious mistake” for Russia to carry out a nuclear attack against Ukraine.
His comments came during a ceremony at the White House in which he received an updated COVID-19 vaccine. The president himself said that he spent much of the morning discussing the topic with his national security team.
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“Let me just say: Russia would be making an incredible, serious mistake if it were to use a tactical nuclear weapon. I’m not guaranteeing that it’s a false flag operation yet,” Biden continued. “Don’t know, but it would be a serious mistake, a very serious mistake.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu first raised the idea of Ukraine using a dirty bomb, which combines traditional explosives with nuclear warheads, against Russia during a call over the weekend with Western military leaders.
That call in turn prompted renewed contact between the Biden administration and Moscow for the first time since the spring.
The Russian military ramped up nuclear containment activities on Monday, but White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that he does not believe the Kremlin has made a decision to launch a nuclear attack.
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You can watch Biden’s comments in full below.
