Direct NATO-Russia clash would trigger World War III, says President Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden on Friday said the United States would not directly intervene to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning that direct confrontation between NATO and Kremlin would trigger World War III. Russia will pay a severe price for the use of chemical weapons, he added.

During a speech at the White House, Biden said “We’re going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message. We’ll defend every single inch of NATO territory with the full might of the United States and galvanise NATO.”

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“We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III. Something we must strive to prevent,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

He firmly rejected the increasingly desperate calls from Kyiv for NATO to intervene against the Russian invasion. Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to dominate Ukraine without war but he failed and also failed in his alleged attempt to fracture and weaken the transatlantic alliance.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a group of 30 North American and European nations. Its purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

On Friday, Biden announced that the U.S. will revoke its “most favoured nation” trade status with Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine. Other major economies are expected to do the same, which would allow for higher tariffs on some Russian imports, increasing the isolation of the Russian economy.

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The U.S. also banned imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds. “The free world is coming together to confront Putin,” said Biden from the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

There has been bipartisan pressure in Washington to revoke the “permanent normal trade relations” with Russia. A few days back, Biden moved to ban imports of Russian oil and gas products.