The U.S. Government sees no indication that Russia is preparing to deploy nuclear weapons in the short term, according to White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
"We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor do we have indications they are prepared to use them," Ms. Jean-Pierre told journalists on board the presidential jet, Air Force One, on Friday, one day after US President Joe Biden warned that the nuclear threat had increased to Cold War levels.
Biden made his unusually strong statement at a Democratic fundraising event at the home of James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
For the "first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have a direct threat of the use [of a] nuclear weapon if in fact things continue down the path they are going,” Biden had said, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not kidding" if he threatens to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily [use] a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon,” he added.
Asked during a Q&A session on board Air Force One whether the president's remarks had anything to do with new intelligence obtained by the United States, the spokesperson gave a short answer: "No."
