Friday 23 September 2022 02:23 PM White House has been secretly warning Putin of the 'grave consequences' of ... trends now
The Biden Administration has been sending private messages to Moscow about the 'grave consequences' of using nuclear weapons – even as Russia has made repeated nuclear threats amid battlefield losses in Ukraine.
The State Department has been communicating the U.S. posture to Moscow 'consistently' over a period of months, the Washington Post reported.
It was not clear whether any new warnings had gone out since Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech to the nation announcing a nationwide mobilization of 300,000 people to join its war in Ukraine, which the Kremlin still labels a 'special military operation.'
U.S. analysts have said many of those forces, drawn from former Russian military and other sources, have said many of those troops will end up being cannon fodder on the front lines.
The U.S. policy is to generally avoid brandishing the nuclear threat, something Putin and Russia have done repeatedly. Both nations have thousands of nuclear warheads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to his nation Wednesday about a military mobilization. He said Russia would use 'all weapons systems available' to protect its 'territorial integrity.' U.S. officials have been warning Russia bout the grave consequences of using nuclear weapons over a period of months
Putin in his speech said Russia would use 'all weapons systems available' to protect its 'territorial integrity' and its people, as well as its 'territorial integrity' and 'independence and freedom.'
What has analysts particularly concerned are sham referendums Russia is rushing in four provinces in Ukraine's east. Once those measures pass, Russia is likely to declare the territory part of Russia – meaning it could claim justification for using nuclear weapons if Ukraine attacks to regain its territory.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian prime minister who serves as deputy chairman of its Security Council, wrote on Telegram Thursday that this territory will be 'accepted into Russia. He said Russia 'any Russian weapon, including strategic nuclear ones and those using new principles,' to defend territory it annexes from Ukraine.
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