US President Joe Biden has expressed a dismissive view regarding concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might deploy nuclear weapons amidst his efforts to regain control following the failed mutiny of the Wagner private military group.
During a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, on Thursday, Biden stated, “I don’t think there’s any real prospect — you never know — of Putin using nuclear weapons. Not only has the West, but China and the rest of the world has said, ‘Don’t go there. Don’t go there.'”
It is important to note that Russia possesses the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, with 4,477 deployed and reserve nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons, as reported by the Federation of American Scientists.
While US officials have expressed concerns about Putin’s rhetoric concerning nuclear weapons, they have repeatedly downplayed the actual risk of Russia using them. In March, a spokesperson from the US State Department stated that there were no indications suggesting Russia was preparing to use a nuclear weapon.
Biden also commented on the future of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner private military group, following the failed coup. Prigozhin’s current whereabouts are unknown, although the Kremlin announced that he had a meeting with Putin shortly after the coup.
Regarding Prigozhin’s future, Biden responded, “God only knows. We’re not even sure where he is, and what relationship he has. If I were he, I’d be careful what I eat, keep my eye on my menu. But all kidding aside, who knows? I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know for certain what the future of Prigozhin is in Russia.”
