U.S. had no new intel on Russia nukes before Biden's "Armageddon" warning, White House says

According to White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre, the United States had no new information about Russia or nuclear weapons prior to President Biden's "Armageddon” warning.

The big picture: Biden warned Thursday that the U.S. faces the highest chance of "Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis" after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a veiled nuclear threat last month.

What she said: Pierre stated that the president was expressing concern about Putin's threats of using nuclear weapons.

• She said, "We haven't seen any reason to alter our own strategic nuclear position." "We don't have any indications that Russia is planning to use nuclear weapons in the near future," she said.

FlashbackBiden's comments about "Armageddon" came after Putin had promised that he would use "all the means available" to protect Russia at the end September.

At a Thursday night fundraiser, Biden stated that Putin "isn't joking when it comes to potential use of tactical nu weapons or biological or chemical weapon because his military is, as you might say, significantly underperforming."

• "First time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have a direct menace of the use of nuclear weapon if things continue down their current path," he said.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that Biden's warning was an appeal to "start yet another world war with unpredictable and monstrous consequences", according to RIA, a Russian state-owned news agency.

Biden: Putin could increase "prospects of Armageddon" by using nuclear weapons

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional reporting.