Biden cites Cuban Missile Disaster in describing Putin’s nuclear menace By Reuters

By Nandita Bose

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden stated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s menace to make use of nuclear weapons threatens to carry concerning the largest such threat for the reason that Cuban Missile Disaster, including Washington was “making an attempt to determine” Putin’s off-ramp.

The White Home has stated repeatedly that it has seen no indication that Russia is getting ready to make use of nuclear weapons in regardless of what it calls Putin’s “nuclear saber-rattling.”

However Biden on Thursday made clear he was conserving a cautious eye on Putin and the way he may react as Ukraine’s army makes good points in opposition to Russian invaders.

“For the primary time for the reason that Cuban Missile Disaster, we have now a direct menace to the usage of nuclear weapons, if the truth is issues proceed down the trail they’d been going,” Biden informed Democratic donors in New York.

He additionally stated, “we have now not confronted the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile disaster.”

Within the 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster, america below President John Kennedy and Soviet Union below its chief, Nikita Khrushchev, got here near the usage of nuclear weapons over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Putin, stated Biden, is “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or organic or chemical weapons, as a result of his army is, you may say, is considerably underperforming.”

“I do not suppose there’s any such factor as the power to simply (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and never find yourself with Armageddon,” Biden stated.

Biden stated he and U.S. officers are trying to find a diplomatic off-ramp.

“We’re making an attempt to determine what’s Putin’s off-ramp…The place does he discover a manner out? The place does he discover himself able he doesn’t, not solely lose face however lose vital energy in Russia,” Biden stated.

Biden spoke on the New York house of businessman James Murdoch, turning to the son of conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch to attempt to enhance his social gathering’s possibilities in Nov. 8 congressional elections.

The occasion at Murdoch’s house was to learn the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee, which is offering assist for Democratic candidates for the Senate.