Biden: "The Biggest 'Armageddon' Crisis Since the Cuban Missile Crisis... Putin Is Not Joking" (Comprehensive)

Strong Warning of Nuclear War Outbreak
"Efforts to Find Putin's Way Out"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin might order the use of nuclear weapons, stating that the world is facing the greatest nuclear threat since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. While concerns about the possible use of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons have been raised within and outside U.S. authorities, no concrete signs had been found until now. However, Biden directly warned of a clear threat.

On the 6th (local time), at a fundraising event for the Democratic Senate campaign committee held in New York, Biden mentioned President Putin, saying, "The person I know quite well is talking about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biochemical weapons, and this is no joke," adding, "Since the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have never faced such a possibility of Armageddon."

Biden continued, "There is no capability to easily use tactical nuclear weapons and end without Armageddon," and said, "We are trying to figure out what Putin's off-ramp is." The U.S. political media outlet The Hill reported, "This is the first time a senior U.S. official has publicly suggested the possibility of a direct nuclear war."

Biden's remarks are interpreted as reiterating the view within and outside U.S. authorities that the Russian military, which is being pushed back on the Ukraine front, is highly likely to use tactical nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons refer to low-yield nuclear weapons used to destroy small villages, enemy military bases, or units.

However, until now, key figures in the Biden administration have expressed concern about the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons but stated that no direct signs have been identified yet. Earlier, Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, said, "We are not currently seeing signs that nuclear weapon use is imminent," adding, "Of course, we are monitoring this closely and maintaining close consultations with our allies."

According to estimates by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia possesses more than approximately 1,900 tactical nuclear warheads. President Putin also hinted at the possibility of nuclear use during a ceremony on the 4th officially declaring the annexation of occupied territories in Ukraine, stating, "The U.S. set a precedent by using nuclear weapons twice on Japan," and "We can use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory."

Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis mentioned by President Biden refers to the nuclear standoff between the U.S. and Russia that lasted about two weeks from October 22 to November 2, 1962. At that time, as tensions escalated between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the Soviet regime under Khrushchev, the Soviet Union attempted to build a medium-range ballistic missile base in Cuba, only 230 km away from the tip of the Florida Peninsula. The U.S. decided on a naval blockade of Cuba, raising fears of full-scale war between the two sides, but the crisis was resolved without armed conflict through negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.