White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “resorting” to potentially using chemical weapons in Ukraine because he is frustrated that Moscow’s forces are not advancing.
Sullivan told moderator Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Russian forces are not advancing in Ukraine because of the “bravery and skill of the Ukrainian people,” and as a result of the support Kyiv has received from the U.S. and its allies.
“Part of the reason why Putin is resorting to the possibility of extreme tactics like the use of chemical weapons is because he’s frustrated because his forces aren’t advancing,” Sullivan said.
“And one of the reasons they’re not advancing, the central reason is the bravery and skill of the Ukrainian people, but they are being supported by substantial amounts of military assistance from the United States and our allies,” he added.
Asked if U.S. military involvement in Ukraine remains off the table even if Russia uses chemical weapons in the country, Sullivan pointed to President Biden’s comments from Friday, when he said Russia would “pay a severe price” if it were to launch such an offensive.
“We are consulting with our allies and collectively we are communicating directly to the Russians,” Sullivan said. “Sitting here before you today. I’m not going to go further than what President Biden said on Friday, which is that the Russians would pay a severe price if they were to move forward with chemical weapons.”
Pressed on if a chemical weapons attack would change Biden’s calculus in not sending military forces to Ukraine, Sullivan said the use of weapons of mass destruction by Russia would be “a shocking additional line that Putin is crossing in terms of his assault on international law and international norms, his assault on the human rights and human dignity of the people of Ukraine”
The comments come amid heightened concerns that Russia may be planning to escalate its offensive in Ukraine through the use of chemical weapons.