Russia chemical attack on Ukraine would trigger 'response in kind', Joe Biden warns
25.03.2022 - 11:11
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
President Joe Biden and western allies have pledged new sanctions and humanitarian aid following the invasion of Ukraine - and warned of a 'response in kind' if Russia used chemical weapons.
Mr Biden also announced the US would welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees — though he said many probably prefer to stay closer to home — and provide an additional 1 billion dollars in food, medicine, water and other supplies. This came after the western leaders spent Thursday planning the next steps to counter Russia's month-old invasion - and huddling over how they might respond should Mr Putin deploy chemical, biological or even a nuclear weapon.
They met in a trio of emergency summits that had them shuttling across Brussels for back-to-back-to-back meetings of Nato, G7 and the 27-member European Council. Mr Biden, in an early evening news conference after the meetings, warned that a chemical attack by Russia 'would trigger a response in kind'.
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"You’re asking whether Nato would cross. We’d make that decision at the time," Mr Biden said. Boris Johnson also warned Russia around the use of chemical weapons - saying that, if the Russian president used chemical weapons, the consequences would be "catastrophic for him".
However, a White House official said later that Mr Biden's comments did not imply any shift in the US position against direct military action in Ukraine. Mr Biden and Nato allies, including the UK, have stressed that the US and Nato would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky, while thankful for the newly promised help, made clear to the western allies he