Joe Biden, during his speech following Russia’s formalization of annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Sept. 30, 2022. SUSAN WALSH/AP
Joe Biden pointed his finger at the camera filming him and warned Vladimir Putin on the evening of September 30. “America and its allies are fully prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory,” said the President of the United States, hours after a violent speech by his Russian counterpart against – Western – and especially anti-American – at the time of the Formalization of the annexation of four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. “Mr. Putin, understand what I’m saying: every inch,” insisted Mr. Biden.
In response to threats from the Russian President and other Russian officials to use nuclear weapons to defend newly incorporated Ukrainian territories, the US President insisted: “America and its allies will not be intimidated. Mr Putin “won’t scare us,” he added, calling Friday’s ceremony a “fake act” designed to demonstrate the Kremlin leader’s strength, but which he said on the contrary showed “that he was in trouble “.
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The risk of the Russian president using nuclear weapons is there, but it doesn’t appear “imminent,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Friday. “Given the frivolity and belligerent attitude with which Putin is speaking about this, there is a risk that he will consider it, and likewise we were very clear about what the consequences would be,” he told the press. We currently see no evidence of an imminent use of nuclear weapons. »
Upcoming shipment of new US weapons
Referring to the $12 billion in new aid to Ukraine approved by the US Congress, Mr Biden vowed to “continue to provide the country with military equipment” “so that it can defend itself”. The United States will announce “immediate” shipments of new weapons to Ukraine next week, Sullivan said.
The United States also warned that, in agreement with the G7 countries (Germany, Canada, United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom), it would sanction “any country, person or entity” that would support Russian attempts “illegal” to seize territory in Ukraine.
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At the same time, the G7 states reiterated in a press release on Friday that they “do not recognize[aient] never these so-called annexations”. European Union leaders made the same pledge in a joint statement, in which they accused Moscow of “compromising global security.”
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, condemned an “illegal and illegitimate” annexation. “Ukraine has the right to retake these now occupied territories by force and we will support them to further liberate these territories,” he told a news conference in Brussels, adding: “The Allies will never consider these territories as part of Russia.” acknowledge . (…) We are closely watching what Russia is doing (…) and we have made it very clear to Russia that there would be serious consequences if nuclear weapons were used against Ukraine. »