the threat of Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is real

US President Joe Biden called it a “real” threat that Russian President Vladimir Putin will order the use of tactical nuclear weapons during the war in Ukraine.

Biden’s words, said on Monday at a meeting with the sponsors of his election campaign in the state of California, are quoted by the Reuters agency.

“When I said two years ago that I was worried that the Colorado River might dry up, everyone looked at me like I was crazy. They also looked at me when I said that I was worried that Putin might use tactical nuclear weapons. But this for real,” said Biden.

In the last hour, the processes associated with the drying up of the Colorado River – the main source of drinking water for the southwestern United States – have intensified sharply. This is due to climate change. Several US states this year took unprecedented measures to reduce water consumption.

On Saturday, Biden sharply criticized Russia’s placement of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, calling this step “absolutely irresponsible.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia stated that nuclear weapons will be placed in Belarus “indefinitely”.

Biden did not specify on the basis of which data he draws a conclusion about the possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons and where they could be used. Previously, the American military and representatives of the administration have repeatedly stated that they do not yet see signs of Russia’s preparation for a nuclear strike and, accordingly, do not intend to change the level of combat readiness of the US nuclear forces.

A number of analysts in the West fear that Russia may use tactical weapons against Ukraine in case of failure on the front. Last week, an article by the prominent pro-Kremlin political scientist Sergey Karaganov, who actually called for nuclear strikes on Poland or another NATO country located in Central or Eastern Europe, caused a great stir.

Vladimir Putin, speaking at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, said that Russia can use nuclear weapons in accordance with its doctrine – that is, when “the existence of the state is threatened.” Earlier he said that it is theoretically possible to change the doctrine to include the possibility of a pre-emptive strike.

Biden spoke precisely about tactical nuclear weapons – that is, about a charge of relatively low power – and not about strategic ones that can be used for intercontinental strikes. However, even the so-called tactical nuclear weapon has great destructive power. According to Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian nuclear warheads placed in Belarus are three times more powerful than the bomb dropped by the USA on Hiroshima in 1945.