Cheney: Use of chemical weapons by Russia should be considered ‘red line’

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Sunday said that the use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine should be considered a “red line” by the U.S. and NATO.

Cheney, during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” told host Chuck Todd that “we, in the West, United States and NATO, need to stop telling the Russians what we won’t do.”

“We need to be very clear that we are considering all options and use of chemical weapons is certainly something that would alter our calculation,” she said.

She added Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions so far have demonstrated that the Russian military is nowhere near as capable as the world perhaps thought it was and “probably not as capable as Putin thought it was.”

“And they need to understand that if the brutality here increases, the United States will contemplate and consider every possible range of actions along with our NATO allies,” she added.

The Wyoming Republican added that it’s important that Russia knows that “we will contemplate changing the calculation in terms of humanitarian challenges and the humanitarian devastation the Ukrainian people are facing.”

Cheney’s statements come as the U.S. has grown increasing more concerned that Russia may use chemical weapons in Ukraine. Russia accused the U.S. of housing biological weapons in Ukrainian territory earlier this month — a statement the White House has rejected.

The U.S. has warned that Russia may be making such claims to lay false pretexts for a potential attack by Moscow.