"We do not have any sign that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon and we will continue to monitor this carefully," Miller said during a press briefing.
In his state of the nation address earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the foreign policy of the West, including claims about possible deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, is dangerous and threatens a nuclear conflict that would result in the destruction of civilization.
He also dismissed claims that Russia is attempting to deploy nuclear weapons in space, calling them a ploy to draw the country into negotiations on terms beneficial to the United States. At the same time, the US is blocking a Russian proposal, which has been on the table for over 15 years, to prevent the deployment of nuclear weapons in outer space, Putin recalled.