Yikes: Joe Biden Says NATO Would Respond ‘In Kind’ If Russia Uses Chemical Weapons

President Joe Biden held a brief press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday and was asked about the possibility of Russia using chemical weapons in its war on Ukraine.

Biden has ruled out U.S. military action against Russia out of concern it could trigger a catastrophic war between nuclear powers.

Cecilia Vega of ABC News began by asking Biden if it was a mistake to dismiss the idea of military intervention.

“You’ve made it very clear in this conflict that you do not want to see World War III,” she began. “But is it possible that in expressing that so early that you were too quick to rule out direct military intervention in this war?” she inquired. “Could Putin have been emboldened knowing that you are not going to get involved directly in this conflict?”

“No and no,” was Biden’s terse response.

“And to clarify, on chemical weapons,” she said, “If chemical weapons were used in Ukraine, would that trigger a military response from NATO?”

The president answered by stating, “It would trigger a response in kind. Whether or not you’re asking whether NATO would cross–we’d make that decision at the time.”

By saying “in kind,” Biden appeared to suggest NATO would respond by using chemical weapons on Russia. However, in all likelihood, Biden misspoke.

Using chemical weapons is generally frowned upon by polite society. More importantly, their use is banned via the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Of course, states violate treaties with some frequency. However, it’s unlikely that Russia using chemical weapons in Ukraine would trigger a NATO military response at all on behalf of a non-member.

Watch above via CNN.