Despite Moscow placing its nuclear forces on high alert in response to tough US sanctions, President Joe Biden said Monday that Americans need not be concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine turning into a worldwide nuclear war.
Because of aggressive declarations by NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his military to increase its readiness to deploy nuclear weapons on Sunday. Putin ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to place their nuclear forces under a special combat duty regime.
Biden Admin Seeks To Ease Tension
"We believe aggressive rhetoric like this involving nuclear weapons is irresponsible, contributes to the risk of mistake, should be avoided, and [we] will not indulge in it," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, NY Post reported.
However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, stated on Sunday that US sanctions on Russia may lead to a third world war, although the US has so far avoided targeting important Russian industries like oil and gas exports.
After imposing limited restrictions last week, the White House slapped more sanctions over the weekend, targeting Putin's immense personal fortune and shutting Russian banks out of the SWIFT international payment system.
The Biden administration is seeking to ease the tension produced by Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged nuclear threats, according to Psaki. Over the weekend, Putin put Russia's nuclear weapons on high alert, and he earlier threatened Western nations with dire repercussions if they intervene militarily in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Psaki dismissed as "provocative rhetoric."
Putin's threats, she stated, are hazardous, contribute to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and US will not engage in it. Psaki went on to say that the White House is "assessing President Putin's directive, and at this moment, we see no cause to modify our own alert levels."
Later in the briefing, Psaki told reporters that the No. 1 way the US is actively working to "reduce the possibility of nuclear war" is by "not escalating our own rhetoric," as per Washington Examiner. Earlier in the day, when asked if nuclear war with Russia is a realistic possibility, President Joe Biden simply replied, "No."
President Joe Biden's Approval Rating Plummets Amid Ukraine Invasion
President Joe Biden's approval is plummeting in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to recent polling from The Washington Post and ABC News, only 37% of Americans approve of Biden's job performance, a new low for the president just over a year into office. A majority of adults in the United States, 55 percent, disapprove of Biden's job performance.
Those findings were echoed in a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll poll, which indicated Biden's approval rating had dropped to an all-time low of 38%, as originally reported by The Hill. Biden appeared to enjoy a rare moment of bipartisan support, as senators across the political spectrum decried Vladimir Putin's aggression on Ukraine and backed US sanctions against Russia.
However, numerous congressional leaders chastised the president last week for not moving far enough on sanctions as Moscow began a full-scale invasion of its eastern European neighbor.
Many Republicans also questioned the administration's decision to join European partners in penalizing Putin personally as too late, citing the timing of sanctions on Russia's financial institutions and rich elites. Others criticize Biden for failing to target Russia's oil and gas supply.
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