14 February 2024 , 23:25
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A Russian official has claimed Joe Biden could cause an "accidental" nuclear war after concerns were raised about the 81-year-old US President's cognitive abilities.
It comes as special counsel Robert Hur's report investigating his possession of classified documents described Biden's memory as "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor" and having "significant limitations," noting that he could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.
In an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Mikhail Popov, mentioned the report and commented: "And this person is the only person who can give the order to use nuclear weapons."
He added: "In general, in the difficult and nervous internal political situation in the United States that has developed recently, the cost of management mistakes, consciously or involuntarily made by the country's leaders, has increased significantly. And there we are not far from a global catastrophe."
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Putin gestures during his meeting with scientists at the State Kremlin Palace, on February 8, 2024 (Getty Images)Popov cited the example of Major Harold Hering, who was dismissed from the US Air Force in 1973 for questioning the legality of orders to launch missiles. He said: "The wording of this question looked like this: 'How can I be sure that the order to launch the missiles given to me came from a sane president?'"
And when asked, "How big is the risk of an 'accidental' nuclear war?" Popov replied: "Today, after 50 years, this question sounds even louder and more relevant."
Responding to the special counsel’s report last week, Biden claimed, "My memory is fine," as he grew visibly angry and denied forgetting when his son died. Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.
The report’s assertions about his memory could undermine Biden’s message to voters that he can manage the government and safeguard the country. Voters are already going into this year’s election with severe misgivings about Biden’s age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
Popov also claimed that the recent hospitalisation of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin could have implications for global security. He said: "It is clear that the Minister of Defense is no longer young and, probably, not a completely healthy person, like many US leaders.
"Age, as a rule, does not add health. But in this case, on the contrary, a sense of responsibility and duty should be manifested. The conversation is not about a banana republic, but about a state that has nuclear weapons and constantly claims to be the world hegemon."
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had surgery to treat prostate cancer in December and was later hospitalised over complications that occurred from the surgery. He and a few select members of his staff kept his initial diagnosis and treatment secret from almost everyone, including Biden.
Austin has since apologized and the decisions around not sharing that information with the president or the public remain under review by the Pentagon’s inspector general. A separate internal review by the Defense Department has been completed but has not been made public yet.