Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday called United States President Joe Biden's remarks "reckless" when the Democratic leader warned about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pompeo said that Biden's comments last week were reckless, saying that they were a terrible risk to the people of the United States. The president's statements came following weeks of Putin hinting at the use of nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine, saying that Russia would employ "all available means" to protect its territory.
Pompeo on Biden's Remarks
On Thursday, Biden said that the American nation has not faced the prospect of "Armageddon" since former President John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Democrat referenced that October 1962 crisis that placed the country and the Soviet Union on the verge of nuclear war for almost two weeks.
On the other hand, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that President Biden was reflecting on the very high stakes that are in play at the moment. The official added that neither the U.S. nor its allies will be intimidated by Putin's threats, promising continued support and security assistance to Ukraine as necessary, as per Politico.
Pompeo noted that the Biden administration would have been better off simply using "quiet diplomacy" in trying to get Putin to understand the consequences of using nuclear weapons. In reference to the blast on Saturday on the Kerch Bridge that connected Russia with Crimea, he claimed that the Ukrainians had something to do with it.
The official said that it did not matter who damaged the bridge and said that the attack represented a symbolic defeat for Putin. On Sunday, Pompeo said that the incident on the bridge was another sign of how disastrously bad the Russian war against Ukraine had gotten.
According to USA Today, Pompeo said that Biden talking about Russia's potential use of nuclear weapons during a fundraiser was not appropriate. The official, who served under former President Donald Trump, added that he had hoped the Biden administration was working quietly on the matter.
Russia's Nuclear Capabilities
Biden's remarks claimed that Putin was not joining around when he made the veiled threats of nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons. The president noted that this is because the Russian military was significantly underperforming in its invasion of Ukraine.
However, Retired Adm. Mike Mullen also expressed his concerns that Biden's remarks at the fundraiser were not appropriate. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in reference to Biden's remarks, said that officials should be trying everything to resolve the issue at hand, Axios reported.
The situation comes as Kirby said that the United States government has not seen anything that would give it a breather to reconsider its own strategic nuclear posture. Last week, the White House was repeatedly pressed over whether Biden's warning marked some shift in the administration's assessment of Putin's behavior.
Kirby noted that the government was monitoring the situation as best it could, including Russia's nuclear capabilities. He said that this has been an ongoing effort since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine, as per ABC News.
Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Biden Warns Putin Nuclear Threats 'Are No Joke', Could Lead to 'Armageddon'
