On Friday, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), the ranking Republican of the House Armed Services Committee, joined Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking Republican of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in a letter urging President Joe Biden to offer insight on what the response would be if Russia were to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
The letter stated that the "vague statements" from Biden were not enough to deter Russia as Russia had threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
"Recent media reports and public statements of Russian officials suggest that Russia views the use of nuclear weapons as an acceptable option to achieve their malign and illegal objectives in Europe," the letter said. "In fact, Russian leaders have explicitly threatened a nuclear strike against the United States and our European allies. Such threats are unprecedented and are reminiscent of the rhetoric of Russian leaders at the height of the Cold War. They are chilling and must be taken seriously."
The letter cited numerous examples of Russian officials making provocative statements regarding the use of nuclear weapons and urged the Biden administration to be more proactive in deterring aggressive Russian rhetoric.
"In addition, the U.S. cannot be a passive spectator as Russia uses nuclear intimidation," the letter stated. "If Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the U.S. must act. This must be clear to Russia to deter their use of nuclear weapons in this unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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