WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The United States still has no evidence of Russian preparations for a nuclear weapons deployment in Ukraine. “We see no evidence, nothing to suggest that (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin has decided to use nuclear or weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine,” White House communications director John Kirby said in Washington on Tuesday. There are also no signs that the responsible authorities are preparing for such a decision, he said.
Russia recently annexed four occupied Ukrainian territories in violation of international law, and Putin, among others, announced that they would defend them with all available means. In doing so, the Kremlin chief fueled concerns that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons with limited ranges on the battlefield. The United States has already warned the Russian leadership in direct contacts that the use of such weapons will have serious consequences. At the same time, the White House did not want to comment publicly on what these consequences might look like.
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