Today the White House’s national security advisor clarified that the United States and NATO have no intention of using chemical weapons against Russian soldiers in Ukraine, despite Joe Biden seemingly indicating this would be his official policy in a statement made yesterday.
Yesterday multiple media outlets reported that Biden warned Russia that the United States and NATO will respond “in kind” if Moscow uses chemical weapons during its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“It would trigger a response in kind,” said Biden, before adding that it would be “catastrophic for [Putin] if he were to do that.”
“We would respond if he uses it,” Biden also said. “The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use.”
After a day of speculation about the United States potentially unleashing chemical weapons on Russians via NATO, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan clarified that Biden had “no intention” of using chemical weapons on Russians.
Apparently, according to Sullivan, Biden actually meant that the administration and NATO will “respond accordingly” and Russia would pay a “severe price.”
Once again, the administration remained vague.
“I don’t want to go beyond that,” said Sullivan, “other than to say the United States has no intention of using chemical weapons, period.”
Media and government officials continue to speculate that Russian President Vladimir Putin may launch a chemical attack as allegedly seen in Syria, a biological attack using materials recovered in Ukrainian labs, or a nuclear attack using its substantial nuclear stockpile.
Last month Russia invaded Ukraine after a years long standoff over the disputed Donbass region of Ukraine. Russia claims it launched a “special military operation” to protect ethnic Russians from Ukrainian state violence, while Ukraine and much of the international community claim that Russia’s concerns were meritless and call its “special military operation” an unprovoked invasion.
