Putin scares with hint of nuclear weapons - Biden's spokeswoman recognizes dangerous "pattern"

Created: 2022-02-28Updated: 2022-02-28, 12:11 p.m

By: Florian Naumann, Richard Strobl

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

(Archive) © Alexei Nikolsky/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa

The next level of escalation has apparently been reached in the Ukraine conflict.

Russia has put its nuclear forces on alert.

Moscow – In the Ukraine conflict*, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has initiated the next level of escalation.

He put the country's nuclear forces on alert.

This was announced by Putin on Russian television on Sunday (February 27).

Ukraine conflict before the next escalation: Putin probably puts nuclear forces on alert

 "I am instructing the defense minister and the chief of staff to put the Russian army's deterrent forces on special combat readiness," Putin said during a televised meeting with senior military officials.

Putin spoke of deterrent weapons and did not explicitly mention nuclear weapons.

But these may fall below.

The reason given by the President of Russia* was the "aggressive behavior" of NATO and the economic sanctions imposed.

Putin hints at nuclear weapons - US warns of "pattern"

The White House recognized in the announcement a "pattern" by Putin to "fabricate threats".

US President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, told ABC TV on Sunday that he wanted to justify his further warlike actions.

"He's always done it that way," she explained.

"Russia has never been threatened by NATO or threatened by Ukraine," Psaki said.

"We have the skills to defend ourselves," Psaki emphasized.

The spokeswoman also stated that the United States was prepared to impose further sanctions on Russia if the conflict escalated.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was concerned about Putin's decision in an initial reaction.

"It shows how serious the situation is and why we really need to stand together," he said in a BBC interview.

The US ambassador to the UN condemned Putin's move "in the strongest terms".

Diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CBS on Sunday: "This means that Putin is further escalating this war in a way that is completely unacceptable." Putin must end the war against Ukraine, she demanded.

The interview was the US government's first reaction to the Russian announcement.

Stoltenberg initially gave no information on a possible reaction by NATO to Putin's announcement.

According to information from the alliance, there are no automatisms for such a case.

NATO decisions must be made by consensus among all 30 member states.

The NATO nuclear powers USA, France and Great Britain could already react.

Meanwhile, soothing words came from Germany.

Ukraine conflict: Putin has previously warned

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had previously warned of Russia's nuclear arsenal that Putin could resort to the "most repulsive means" if he saw his rule coming to an end.

Putin himself had also previously warned against the activation of the Russian nuclear arsenal*.

At the same time, reports are pouring in: According to the Kremlin and Ukraine, both countries have agreed on peace negotiations on the border between Belarus and Ukraine.

The meeting on the Pripyat river near Chernobyl is said to have come about through the mediation of Belarus ruler Lukashenko.

We have summarized the background to the Ukraine conflict* for you here.

You can find all the latest news on the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.