President Biden delivered a chilling message to a group of liberal New York Democrats gathered in an Upper East Side townhouse owned by businessman James Murdoch. The message, derived from highly classified intercepted communications, revealed a disturbing development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The intercepted communications suggested that President Vladimir V. Putin was considering the use of a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, marking the first direct threat of nuclear warfare since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The gravity of the situation was not lost on President Biden, who warned that the threat of a nuclear weapon being used in the next few weeks was a real possibility.
The intercepted communications indicated that the Russian military was actively discussing the logistics of deploying a nuclear weapon on the battlefield. While there was no evidence of weapons being moved at the time, the CIA warned that the likelihood of nuclear use could rise significantly under certain scenarios.
The White House and Pentagon were deeply concerned about the potential use of nuclear weapons and began extensive preparations for a U.S. response. Task forces were convened to map out a nonnuclear countermove in the event of a nuclear attack by Russia. The fear of emboldening authoritarian leaders with nuclear arsenals further underscored the need for a strong and decisive response.
Efforts were made to engage with Russian counterparts to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III reaching out to their Russian counterparts. President Biden also sought to set up an urgent meeting with Russian emissaries to address the escalating crisis.
As tensions continued to rise, President Putin made new nuclear threats during a speech in Moscow, further heightening concerns about the potential use of nuclear weapons in the conflict. The situation remained precarious, with the possibility of a nuclear demonstration by Russia looming large.
The events of October 2022 served as a stark reminder of the terrifying new era in which nuclear weapons were once again at the center of superpower competition. The White House and its allies remained on high alert, prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any nuclear provocation by Russia.
