Putin Stirs U.S. Concern That He Feels Cornered and May Lash Out
- Putin tends to act out, not back down, U.S. officials believe
- There’s increasing focus on a possible chemical weapons attack
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Biden administration officials are worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin may lash out dangerously as Russian troops find themselves bogged down in Ukraine and Western sanctions begin to bite.
The internal assessment of senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, is that Putin’s tendency when boxed in is to escalate rather than back down. Their view is that the Russian leader’s choices could include the blanket bombing of Ukrainian cities or the use of chemical weapons -- or even tactical nuclear weapons.