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CIA Director: ‘Very hard to say’ whether Putin is bluffing about nuclear talk
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- It’s “very hard to say” whether Putin is bluffing about using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, according to CIA Director William Burns.
- Though there’s no evidence of an imminent threat, Burns noted that it should be taken very seriously.
- During Friday’s speech, Putin said that Russia would use “all means available” to defend its territory.
CIA Director William Burns said that “it’s very hard to say” whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is bluffing over his threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
In an interview with CBS News, Burns said that the US should take any nuclear talk “very seriously, given everything that’s at stake.”
“We don’t see any practical evidence today in the US intelligence community that he’s moving closer to actual use, that there’s an imminent threat of using tactical nuclear weapons,” he added.
Burns’ interview with “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell,” which was recorded before September 27 and aired in full on Sunday, comes as Kremlin intensified its rhetoric over the use of nuclear weapons.
On Friday, Putin announced Russia was annexing four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies called the move illegal. Putin again threatened Moscow would use “all the means at our disposal” if the country’s “territorial integrity” were threatened.
“This is not a bluff,” Putin added.
Putin’s address has caused alarm in the global community, with both the EU and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy casting doubt on the idea that it is a bluff.
Burns said Sunday that Russia’s rhetoric is “reckless and deeply irresponsible.”
“We don’t see any practical evidence today in the US intelligence community that [Putin] is moving closer to actual use, that there’s an imminent threat of using tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns added.
The United States should be prepared for any signs Russia will use nuclear weapons, while lawmakers should be urgently communicating the “severe consequences” of their use.
Last week, US State Department spokesperson Jake Sullivan said that the US has warned Moscow that it will face “catastrophic consequences” if it uses any nuclear weapons.
NATO also issued a warning to Russia of “severe consequences” if it uses them.
Source: Business Insider
Sean Rickman
October 4, 2022 at 6:49 pm
Whether putin is bluffing or not is not the issue,if Trump was our President I really doubt if there would have been a Ukraine thing or a Taiwan thing.Sloppy joey and his bunch of misfit democRATS have screwed AMERICA up so bad,I really wonder if we can ever repair the liberal,socialist,marxist democRATS damage that they have done.
CharlieSeattle
October 9, 2022 at 4:58 pm
Russia invaded Crimea, Ukraine and the Donbass region in Eastern Ukraine early in 2014.
Obama did nothing to make them withdraw.
Trump did nothing to make them withdraw.
D.D.
October 4, 2022 at 8:34 pm
We’ll this whole situation was created by POOTIN and a lie…
I don’t see any reason to believe what comes out if his mouth now…
Richard Izzo
October 4, 2022 at 9:02 pm
Our government is to worried about mid terms then the oligarchs using nuclear weapons to thin out the world population the SOBs.
Chastran
October 4, 2022 at 9:46 pm
Nukes would be a fatal mistake for Pooptin…
John M.
October 4, 2022 at 9:59 pm
Yes Chastran. The prevailing wind patterns are west to east. If Putin was to use nuclear weapons in the Eucaine, which is west of Russia, the radioactive cloud and fallout would be over Russia. He would have to have a death wish to seriously consider that.
Sandra
October 5, 2022 at 4:23 am
Putin is not the problem. What is going on in America is the problem.
David Stettler
October 6, 2022 at 4:15 pm
If Putin uses tactical nukes and gets away with it with anything short of annihilation of Russia, you can be sure all the other nuclear
States will see that as a permission slip to follow suit.