We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine, says Joe Biden

On Friday, US President Joe Biden vowed that if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine, it would pay a “heavy price,” while simultaneously promising not to provoke Moscow into “World War III.”

Joe Biden reacted after Russia accused Ukraine and the US of developing biological and chemical weapons, which Western countries believe is a deception to set the stage for Moscow’s own use of such weapons in the fight.

US President Joe Biden said that Washington will not battle Moscow in Ukraine because a direct conflict between NATO and the Kremlin would ignite World War III.

“We’re going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message. We’ll defend every single inch of NATO territory with the full might of the United States and galvanize NATO. We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III. Something we must strive to prevent,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe. NATO's mission is to "ensure the independence and security of its members by political and military measures," according to its website.

Russia, according to Biden, will never be able to win in Ukraine. "He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) hoped to rule Ukraine without a fight, and he failed," Biden said, adding that Putin's purported attempt to splinter and weaken the transatlantic alliance also failed.

Biden said that the American people and the rest of the globe are unified on the issue of Ukraine. “We support the Ukrainian people. We will not allow autocrats and would-be emperors to dominate world policy. Democracies are rising to meet this challenge, uniting the world behind peace… “We’re demonstrating our strength, and we’re not going to back down,” he said.

Biden stated that he will ask Congress to remove Russia’s “most-favored-nation” status.

“As Putin continues this merciless assault, the United States and our allies and partners continue to work in lockstep to ramp up their economic pressure on Putin and to further isolate Russia on the global stage,” he added.

Three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities, Russian soldiers commenced armed actions in Ukraine on February 24.

The UN Security Council will convene in an emergency meeting on Friday at Russia’s request to discuss the alleged manufacturing of biological weapons in Ukraine.

Biden also announced on Friday that normal trade contacts with Russia would be terminated, increasing the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin in the aftermath of the brutal invasion of Ukraine.

US, like other Western nations, is delivering millions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, as well as intelligence.

Despite the urgent pleadings of many Ukrainians, Biden reiterated that US forces will not fight in Ukraine.

In 2018, Moscow accused the US of secretly conducting biological weapons tests in a laboratory in Georgia, a former Soviet country with aspirations to join NATO and the European Union like Ukraine.

Also Read: Sanctions might drive up global food prices, says Putin