Biden says Putin considering using chemical, biological weapons in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden warned that Russia is considering using chemical weapons in its war in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden said Monday that it’s "clear" Russia is considering the use of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine and warned of a "severe" Western response if it chose to do so.

"His back is against the wall," said Biden of Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that Russia has recently accused the United States of holding chemical and biological weapons in Europe.

"They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine. That's a clear sign he's considering using both of those," he said.

"Now that Russia has made these false claims... we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them," tweeted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Putin "knows there'll be severe consequences because of the united NATO front," he said, without specifying what actions the alliance would take.

"We had a long conversation about if he uses it, what will be the consequence," said Biden, referring to a summit with the Russian leader last year in Geneva.

"If you have not already done so, I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately," he said, citing "evolving intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks" including in response to Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

His statement added that the US government would "continue to use every tool to deter, disrupt, and if necessary, respond to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure."

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