On his way to Europe on Wednesday, President Joe Biden considered the threat of a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine "credible" after a month of Russian offensive in the country.
On Monday, the American head of state had already said that he believed it was "clear" that Russian President Vladimir Putin was planning to use chemical and biological weapons, describing a Russian leader with his "back against the wall", a "criminal of war" adopting ever more "brutal" and deadly tactics for civilians.
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President Joe Biden is not the only one to have raised fears of a chemical weapons attack, after Russian statements accusing Ukraine of developing these weapons itself - a technique called the "false flag" or the “false flag”, according to some analysts, aiming to accuse the enemy of an operation that one is going to commit oneself in order to clear oneself of it.
NATO and Germany also worried
"Russian claims that Ukraine is developing bacteriological and chemical weapons or that the United States wants to use such weapons in Ukraine, both of which are false, strike me as an implicit threat that Putin himself is considering even to use such weapons,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an interview with the weekly Die Zelt.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Boris Johnson fears that Moscow will use chemical weapons
For its part, NATO has announced the deployment of four new battle groups in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to strengthen its defenses against Russia.
“NATO allies have stepped up their support for Ukraine, including providing advanced air defense systems, anti-tank systems, different types of weapons and ammunition, and I expect allies to consider how they can step up their efforts and provide more equipment for protection and defense against chemical weapons,” announced its secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Biden in diplomatic marathon
Joe Biden begins a diplomatic marathon in Europe on Wednesday, where he will strive to strengthen the unity of Westerners and to increase the sanctions against Russia, which is trying, by invading Ukraine, to upset the balance of power in the EU. post-Cold War.
Anxious to show his firmness against Russian President Vladimir Putin, the American president must also keep his promise to restore the United States' alliances to their luster tarnished by four years of Trump's presidency.
“In recent months, the West has been united.
The president is going to Europe to make sure we stay united" and to "send a strong message that we are prepared and committed for as long as it takes," Jake Sullivan, the president's national security adviser, said on Tuesday. American.
New US aid to Ukraine
On Thursday, in a single day, the latter will take part in three international summits in Brussels: NATO, the G7 and the European Union.
Nothing less is needed to symbolically lead beyond Ukraine the great fight of the democratic forces against authoritarianism.
Because "this war will not end easily or quickly," warned Jake Sullivan.
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The American president will also "work with the allies on long-term adjustments" concerning NATO's presence in Eastern Europe, continued the national security adviser.
He will also announce "a joint action to strengthen Europe's energy security" and unveil "additional American contributions" for humanitarian actions in Ukraine and for the reception of millions of Ukrainians who have fled the war, indicated his to advise.
Friday and Saturday, Joe Biden will travel to Poland, an allied country within NATO, and also the first destination for the majority of the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war.
On his program: a meeting with American soldiers, the details of which are not yet known, a commitment in connection with the reception of refugees and a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda.