President Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin to avoid the use of nuclear weapons as his troops in Ukraine are either beaten back or faced “consequences.”
In a preview of this Sunday’s 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley asked the president what words he would have for his Russian counterpart if he considered using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Biden replied, “Don’t. do not. do not. You will change the face of war like nothing since World War II.’
When Pelley urged the president for a response from America if Putin crossed the border, Biden declined to comment on a specific plan, saying only the US would act if nuclear weapons came into play.
“It will have consequences,” Biden said. ‘[Russia] will become more pariahs in the world than they have ever been.
“And depending on the magnitude of what they do, it determines what reaction will take place.”
President Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that Russia would face ‘consequences’ if they decided to use nuclear or chemical weapons in Ukraine
The warning came as Russia suffered another defeat at the hands of Ukrainian forces, backed by Western military aid. Pictured: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a surprise visit to the newly recaptured city of Izium on Wednesday
Ukrainian forces, backed by military aid from the West, successfully beat back Russia in key cities as Kremlin frontline retreats east
Biden’s response comes a day after his administration pledged to send an additional $600 million in military aid to Ukraine, which successfully took back another major city from Russian troops on Wednesday.
The White House said it was the 21st time the Department of Defense took weapons and other equipment off its shelves to supply Ukraine.
The pack will contain more of the same ammunition and equipment that helped Ukrainian forces repulse Russian forces in parts of the east and south.
Most recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky helped raise his country’s flag over the newly recaptured Russian stronghold of Izyum when he staged a stunning counter-attack that defeated Putin’s forces in the north of the country.
“Ukraine is taking back its own country,” a military spokesman said, as growing hopes of an overall victory over Putin’s forces begin to spread across the country in the wake of Russia’s latest battlefield humiliation.
Zelensky (pictured in Izyum) had used a nighttime speech to praise the advance of his troops, amid a growing realization that it is possible to push Russian troops out of the country
While Russian news outlets tried to downplay Ukraine’s success, Zelensky (right) was back in Kiev on Friday to present the Hero Savior of the Year awards to bolster the nation’s unity.
The victory came just a week after Ukraine liberated the city of Balakliya, as soldiers cheered with local residents liberated from Russia’s control.
The towns of Izyum, Kuyansk and Vovchansk, which served as staging points for the Kremlin’s attacks in the region and which contained important railway lines to get ammunition and other supplies to its soldiers, are now under Ukrainian control.
Moscow’s recent defeat in northeastern Ukraine was the biggest military defeat since the withdrawal of Russian troops from areas near Kiev more than five months ago.
In a statement about America’s commitment to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “With admirable courage and determination, the people of Ukraine defend their homeland and fight for their future.
“The capabilities we deliver have been carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s hand at the negotiating table when the time is right.”
Pictured: Debris in the town of Izyum, which was destroyed by departing Russian troops as Ukrainian soldiers freed the people
The conflict in Ukraine remains bloody as government officials took charge of 440 separate graves for the conflict in Izyum on Friday.
The US pledged another $600 million in military aid to help Ukraine, with a total US contribution of $15.9 billion
The decision to move quickly to new aid — following an infusion of nearly $2.9 billion in aid and financial assistance announced last week and more than $3 billion announced at the end of August — underscores the intention of the US to ensure Ukraine can sustain its stunning counterattack. was launched early this month.
That most recent funding included $2.2 billion in long-term military funding that Blinken announced last week during a visit to Ukraine, and a $675 million weapons package announced in Europe that same day by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The $2.2 billion Blinken announced in Kiev is for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners, who may be at risk from future Russian aggression, the US said.
The latest weapon systems package brings the total amount of US aid to Ukraine to nearly $15.9 billion since Biden took office.
US officials watching the counteroffensive took care not to announce a premature victory, noting that Russia still has significant troops and resources.
And they are wary of what Putin might do to turn the tide.
But US leaders have also made it clear that the precision weapons and missile systems supplied by the US and allies — including the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, or HARM — are key. until the dramatic shift in momentum.