US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke Wednesday with Nikolay Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, warning him of the consequences “of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.”
The White House statement following the call between the two officials – the first publicly disclosed high-level contact between the two countries since the invasion of Ukraine – did not specify what those consequences would be.
Washington and its allies have accused Russia of spreading an unproven claim that Ukraine had a biological weapons program as a possible prelude to launching its own biological or chemical attacks.
Sullivan told Patrushev that if Russia is serious about diplomacy, it should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns, the White House said in a statement.
Western countries have moved quickly to isolate Russia from world trade and the global financial system following its invasion of Ukraine, which began in late February.
Sullivan, who is among the US authorities included Tuesday in a “exclusion list” that prevents them from entering Russia, also mentioned the United States’ commitment to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank, the White House added.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US lawmakers to do more to protect his country from Russian invasion in a speech to the US Congress.
Source: Gestion
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