Biden: Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday claimed there is a “real threat” that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine, days after Moscow revealed that the Pentagon financed a biological weapons research program in the former Soviet republic.

“I think it’s a real threat,” Biden said when asked about the US claim of Russia’s possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, ratcheting up its propaganda offensive against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

The US president offered the comment as he left the White House for Europe, where he will meet with allies to discuss imposing new sanctions on Russia.

When asked what he will say to European leaders, the US president said he will say it face-to-face when he arrives.

“All I have to say, I’m going to say it when I get there,” Biden said, adding that he will be “happy to talk to you guys when I get back,” referring to reporters.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden and American allies would announce the new sanctions on Russia when the president travels to Brussels on Thursday. Biden is set to land in Brussels later on Wednesday.

“He will join our partners in imposing further sanctions on Russia and tightening the existing sanctions to crack down on evasion and to ensure robust enforcement,” Sullivan told reporters during a press briefing.

Sullivan said he would not provide details regarding specific sanctions ahead of the announcement that would be made in conjunction with American allies.

But he did say that the sanctions would involve enforcing current sanctions by “ensuring that there is joint effort to crack down on evasion, sanctions-busting, on any attempt by any country to help Russia basically undermine, weaken, or get around the sanctions.”

A White House spokesperson said on Wednesday that “no final decisions have been made about who we will sanction and how many we will sanction.”

“We will have additional sanctions measures to announce that will be rolled out in conjunction with our allies on Thursday when the president has the opportunity to speak with them,” the official said.

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According to a report, the Biden administration will sanction hundreds of Russian lawmakers in an extension of current sanctions on the Kremlin.
The US administration has prepared sanctions to be announced Thursday by President Biden on his upcoming trip to Europe, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Commenting to Press TV, an American political observer said, “It’s funny. When gas prices are fully expressed in the United States – along with wheat prices – in the already stressed supply chains, they may well end up getting regime-change, but not in Russia.”

“Biden is already hanging on by a thread, with negative numbers in excess of Nixon’s on the day of his resignation. Those wishing for regime change should remember: Beware what you ask for, you may get it,” he added.

Stunning US admission

The United States earlier this month made a stunning admission, saying that Ukraine hosts US-funded “biological research facilities.”

US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland expressed concern during a Senate hearing on Ukraine after Russia published documents showing that Kyiv was ordered to urgently eliminate traces of what was deemed as a biological weapons program, financed by the Pentagon.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had found evidence of US-funded Biolabs in Ukraine.

The ministry said it had been closely monitoring the bioweapons programs that were developed by the Pentagon in post-Soviet countries, adding that according to new findings, a “network” of more than 30 biological laboratories was formed in Ukraine in particular.