CNN/ After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s deterrence forces — including its nuclear weapons — have been placed on high alert, the Pentagon responded by calling the announcement “as unnecessary as it is escalatory.”
The response was issued by Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby during a briefing on Monday.
Kirby went on to note that the Pentagon is “reviewing and analyzing” Putin’s announcement.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is “comfortable with the strategic deterrent posture of the United States, and our ability to defend our homeland and our partners,” Kirby also said.
