NATO would in fact respond should Russia use chemical weapons in Ukraine, President Biden warned during a press conference out of Brussels on Thursday, Axios reports.
Per The Washington Free Beacon's Chuck Ross, it was "the first time Biden has explicitly identified a red line."
The White House has previously brought up the possibility of Russia implementing a chemical or biological weapons attack in its war with Ukraine — earlier this month, Biden told reporters that Russia would pay a "severe price" should it conduct a chemical weapons assault.
On Thursday, when asked if the U.S. had gathered information indicating Moscow was considering chemical warfare, Biden declined to comment specifically on intelligence but said, "We would respond if he uses it," alluding to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use," Biden added, per Axios.
When asked again later if the use of chemical weapons would generate a NATO response, Biden replied, "It would trigger a response in kind."
The president also during the presser weighed the suggestion of removing Russia from the G20, and addressed the possibility of Trump winning the presidency in 2024.