NEW YORK (Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden on Thursday night said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not joking about the possible use of nuclear weapons and it could lead to “Armageddon.”
Speaking at a fundraiser in New York City, Biden said the United States is trying to find an “off-ramp” for Putin and the war in Ukraine.
“We’re trying to figure out what is Putin’s off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out?” Biden said. “Where does he find himself in a position that he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia?”
“He is not joking when he talks about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological and chemical weapons, because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming,” Biden added. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily use tactical nuclear weapons and not end up with Armageddon.”
Biden’s remarks are the strongest yet against Putin and the growing fear of a possible nuclear attack by Russia. It comes nearly a week after Putin announced the annexation of Ukrainian territory as millions of men are attempting to flee Moscow as the Russian president tries to draft thousands to join the war.
“When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people,” Putin said on September 30. “This is not a bluff.”
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said last week the United States sees the threat from Russia to use nuclear weapons as a sting of options in their ongoing war with Ukraine.
“We do not presently see indications about the imminent use of nuclear weapons,” Sullivan said. “We are, of course, monitoring that carefully and staying in close consultation with allies and partners.”
Russian men are attempting to flee the country in order to not be drafted into Putin’s war.