President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine or there would be a "consequential” response from the United States.
The big picture: The Kremlin last week said that Russia would continue to wage its war in Ukraine until all its military goals have been achieved despite facing a rapidly advancing Ukrainian counter-offensive.
- In March, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia would only use nuclear weapons if there's a "threat for existence" to the country and not due to the war with Ukraine.
- Last month, the UN warned that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."
Why it matters: Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine increased tensions between the U.S. and its former Cold War foe — both of which have nuclear weapons, Axios' Julia Shapero reports.
- Putin ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on alert soon after invading Ukraine, citing "aggressive statements" from NATO countries.
What they're saying: “It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II," Biden said in an interview with CBS that will air Sunday.
- "They’ll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur," he added.
