"We are faced with the reality. Now, President Biden's actions and policies have pushed us to the brink of nuclear war. This is an existential crisis, not only for us here, but the world. This proxy war against Russia using the Ukrainian people's lives continues to escalate," Gabbard said on Saturday at a meeting in a university in Centennial, the US state of Colorado, which was broadcast on her social media.
The politician also said that NATO's weapons delivery to Ukraine would "only increase the likelihood" of a possible direct confrontation between the United States, NATO member states and Russia.
"Now if you hear President Biden and his administration … talk about this, they talk about World War III and nuclear war as though it is just another war, just another conflict … it is so far removed from the reality … they are not being honest with the American people what the cost and consequences of these wars would look like," Gabbard added.
Western countries have been providing financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023.
Russia has been warning countries giving weapons to Ukraine that it sees military shipments as legitimate targets. Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that NATO allies' arming and training Ukrainians is tantamount to a direct involvement in the conflict.