- Sputnik International, 1920, 25.02.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev's forces.

US Has Reportedly Readied Contingency Plans in Event Top Weaponry is Used in Ukraine Crisis

© REUTERS / EVELYN HOCKSTEINU.S. President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland
U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland  - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.03.2022
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Earlier, the US president, Joe Biden, came to Europe to hold a series of meetings in Brussels and Warsaw with NATO allies and partners in arranging additional aid to Kiev and additional sanctions on Russia over the special military operation in Ukraine.
The Biden administration has put together a team of national security officials to draw scenarios for how the US will respond in the event of a chemical, biological, or nuclear weapon attack by Russia during its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, citing sources within the discussions, a so-called 'Tiger Team' is considering what to do if Russia crosses into NATO territory to destroy convoys carrying weapons and aid to embattled Ukraine.
The committee, which reportedly meets three times a week in closed meetings, is also considering how to respond if Russia moves into neighboring countries such as Moldova and Georgia, as well as how to prepare European countries for a massive new influx of refugees.
Tochka-U guided missiles Kiev's forces used against DPR civilians - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.03.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
'Out of the Question': Claims of Russian Use of Cluster, Vacuum Munitions in Ukraine False - Kremlin
Those eventualities are said to be important to Biden's closed door meetings with leaders of the 29 other NATO nations expected on Thursday in Brussels.
According to sources, the team of officials was established in a memo signed by Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, on February 28, four days after the special military operation began.
An earlier incarnation spent months secretly preparing the US administration for the possibility of the current Russian action in Ukraine. That group was instrumental in developing playbooks for harsh sanctions, troop buildups in NATO countries, and arming the Ukrainian military.
The Tiger Team is examining what threshold would compel the alliance to deploy military force in Ukraine as one of its main concerns. This comes after Biden made it clear that he is adamantly opposed to doing so, believing that a direct involvement in ongoing conflict would spiral it out of control, adding that it would be "World War 3."
Sullivan's memo also reportedly organized a second team of officials to look at long-term potential for the US to better its geopolitical position as a result of the current standoff over the Ukraine crisis.
According to the outlet, the White House believes that the special military operation will hurt Russia in the long term, hurt its economy, and alienate potential allies for years, but some officials reportedly caution that it is too early to tell.
In recent weeks, the White House and NATO headquarters have ramped up warnings that Russia may resort to its most potent weapons in its special military operation. Also on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that if weapons of mass destruction were used inside Ukraine, it would have "dire consequences" for NATO. He also reportedly mentioned that one question being investigated is whether collateral damage would be considered an "attack" on NATO under the organization's charter, evoking the military response.

Stoltenberg reportedly said he believed that "allies will agree to provide additional support, including cybersecurity assistance and equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiologic and nuclear threats."

The claims are made as Russian troops discover secret biolaboratories in Ukraine, that were funded by the US. And according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, these laboratories could be used to develop biological weapons.
Russia has also repeatedly stressed that it has disposed of its stockpiles of chemical weapons, while the US has its stockpiles. On Tuesday, the Russian embassy in the nation noted that Washington deliberately delayed the destruction of their remaining 3% of chemical weapons.
Statue of George the Victorious on Manezhnaya Square. - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.03.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
Russia Would Only Use Nuclear Weapons if Its Existence Was Threatened, Kremlin Says
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with CNN this week that the Russian government would only resort to using nuclear weapons in the event of an "existential threat" to its own existence.
On Thursday, Biden will attend an extraordinary NATO summit on Ukraine and meet with G7 leaders, according to the White House. He will also attend a European Council summit and hold a bilateral meeting with European Council President Charles Michel, before ending his trip in Warsaw on Saturday where he will discuss humanitarian issues with his Polish counterpart.
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