Psaki confirmed that the US was supplying equipment to Ukraine in advance of any possible chemical or biological attack by Russian forces.
The US and international partners, she said, “have, of course, repeatedly warned about the potential for Russia to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine and that Moscow was possibly planning a false flag operation.
“The US government is providing the government of Ukraine with life-saving equipment and supplies that could be deployed in the event of Russian use of a chemical and biological weapon against Ukraine. It does not compromise our domestic preparedness in any way, shape or form.”
Asked about Biden’s stance on video of an apparent Ukraine helicopter attack on a fuel depot in Russia, Psaki noted that the incident had not been confirmed.
But, she said: “We do know is that this is not going how President Putin had planned, that his intention of winning a quick war, defeating the Ukrainians quickly, is not how it has played out.
“We have seen troops be demoralized. We have seen troops run out of equipment that they need on the Russian side, and that is clearly not what he had planned. There is one aggressor here and that is President Putin and the Russian military at his direction.”
The White House press secretary Jen Psaki has just wrapped up a wide-ranging briefing, at which the toughest questions were about her own future.
As well as covering events in the Russia-Ukraine war, the ending of the Title 42 immigration policy, gas prices and Covid-19, Psaki was pressed about reports she would soon be leaving the Biden administration to join MSNBC as a host.
Psaki, back in the briefing room after a 12-day absence for testing positive for Covid, appeared awkward as reporters asked if it was ethical for her to be negotiating terms with a media company while still representing the White House from the podium.
“Anyone who is having conversations about future employment does so through consultation with the White House counsel’s office and ensuring they abide by any ethics and legal requirements,” she said.
“Those are conversations that I have taken very seriously and abided by every component of. I’ve complied with all ethics requirements and gone beyond and taken steps to recuse myself from decisions as appropriate.”
