Ukraine war: Biden says Putin considering using chemical, biological weapons
- Biden warns of a ‘severe’ Western response if Russia uses such weapons in Ukraine, which was invaded on February 24
- The number of Ukrainians fleeing abroad is more than 3.5 million, the UN’s refugee agency said Tuesday, with 6.5 million internally displaced
Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday residents should brace for more indiscriminate Russian shelling of critical infrastructure, as US President Joe Biden issued one of his strongest warnings yet that Moscow is considering using chemical weapons.
Russian troops have failed to capture any major Ukrainian city more than four weeks into their invasion, and are increasingly resorting to causing massive destruction to residential areas using air strikes, long-range missiles and artillery. The southern port of Mariupol has become a focal point of Russia’s assault and lies largely in ruins with bodies lying on the streets.
Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement Tuesday that Russian forces were expected to continue to attack critical infrastructure while President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated Ukraine would hold a referendum on the terms of any potential peace agreement and said his nation’s grain exports are being jeopardised because farmers cannot plant crops.
He also said he had spoken to the Pope and told him “about the difficult humanitarian situation and the blocking of rescue corridors”.
Without citing evidence, Biden said Russia’s false accusations that Kyiv had biological and chemical weapons illustrated that President Vladimir Putin was considering using them himself.