A senior Pentagon official on Sunday said it was both dangerous and unnecessary for Russian President Vladimir Putin to put his nuclear forces on high alert, which occurred in the wake of statements by Western leaders that Putin claimed were “aggressive” following his invasion of Ukraine.
In an interview with the conservative website CNSNews.com, the official, who was provided anonymity after giving a background briefing on the situation, said the report about Putin escalating his military’s readiness with regard to nuclear weapons was valid.
But, the Pentagon official added, it was needless because the west has not directly threatened Putin.
Putin’s escalation of the situation was “clearly potentially putting at play forces that could – that if there’s a miscalculation could – could make things much, much more dangerous,” CNSNews.com reported.
“I don’t think it should surprise you that we may not have all the answers right now,” the official said.
But the good news, such as it is, is that the Pentagon is “confident in our ability to defend ourselves and our allies and our partners – and that includes in the strategic deterrent realm,” the official told CNSNews.com.
The website noted that on Sunday Putin explained his decision in a video posted by the Kremlin.
Putin, during a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian general staff, said, “Western countries are not only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic area – I am referring to the illegitimate sanctions, which are very well-known to everybody. … the top officials of the leading NATO countries are making aggressive statements against our country as well.”
On Sunday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told ABC News that Putin’s ratcheting up the stakes with the decision about his nuclear arsenal showed the Russian leader was “manufacturing threats that don’t exist, in order to justify further aggression.”
“We’ve seen him do this time and time again,” she said. “At no point has Russia been under threat from NATO.”
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GoFundMe or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.