There is a “clear sign” Vladimir Putin could use chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine because his “back is against the wall”, Joe Biden said last night.
The US President issued the strongest warning yet that Russia ’s leader is considering using both types of weapon in the increasingly bloody war in Ukraine.
A UK government minister today warned any use of chemical or biological weapons by Russian forces in Ukraine would "undoubtedly" be a war crime.
Speaking to Sky News, business minister Paul Scully added: "This is Vladimir Putin's war, the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. It is not the Russian people's. We have to make sure that we can appeal to the Russian people to bring an end to this."
President Biden’s warning came after days of increasingly nervous briefings that Putin could use chemical weapons from both sides of the Atlantic.
He told a business event Putin’s “back was against the wall.”
He added: “Now he's talking about new false flags he's setting up including, asserting that we in America have biological as well as chemical weapons in Europe, simply not true.
“They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine. That's a clear sign he's considering using both of those."
Biden also told businesses to be alert for cyber attacks by Russia. "It's part of Russia's playbook," he said in a statement.
Russia summoned the US Ambassador to Moscow yesterday to complain about Biden saying of Putin: “I think he is a war criminal”.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest comments by the US President.
It comes as some bury neighbours in roadside graves in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
Russian artillery continues to blast the eastern cities of Kharkhiv, Sumy and Chernihiv - while in the capital Kyiv, shells hit a shopping centre on Sunday evening, killing at least eight people.
Nearly 6.5 million people have been uprooted from homes, the United Nations says. Just over 8,000 people were evacuated on Monday.
Russian troops have failed to capture any major Ukrainian city more than four weeks into their invasion.
They are increasingly are resorting to massive destruction of residential areas with air strikes, long-range missiles and artillery.
Russian forces were expected to continue to attack critical infrastructure with "high-precision weapons and indiscriminate munitions'', Ukraine's armed forces said in a statement.
Boris Johnson declared on March 10 that he “fears” Russia may use chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister was the most senior figure yet to sound the alarm after concerns about chemical weapons were voiced over the last 24 hours by Western officials, the US, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
He told Sky News’ new show Beth Rigby Interviews: “I’ll make you one other prediction by the way, which is the stuff you’re hearing about chemical weapons is straight out of their playbook.
“They start saying that there are chemical weapons that have been stored by their opponents or the Americans.
“And so when they themselves deploy chemical weapons, as I fear they may, they have a sort of… fake story ready to go.
“You’ve seen it in Syria, you saw it even in the UK.”
Asked if that is what he expects next, the Prime Minister replied: “I just note that that is what they’re already doing - it’s a cynical, barbaric government I’m afraid”.
