On Tuesday, former National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “signing a suicide note” if he chose to use nuclear weapons during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
”We need to make clear [that] if Putin were to order the use of a tactical nuclear weapon he would be signing a suicide note,” Bolton told the British radio station LBC . “I think that’s what it may take to deter him if he gets into extreme circumstances.”
Host Andrew Marr then asked Bolton whether he meant assassination by the “suicide note” comment.
“We cannot allow the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine or anywhere else from terrorists like Iran, or North Korea, as well as from Russia or China, without the person who was responsible for that decision being held accountable,” Bolton responded, before adding that the United States has the ability to target the Russian leader.
“And I think he knows that. You can ask Qassem Soleimani in Iran what happens when we just decide somebody is a threat to the United States,” Bolton added, referring to the United States killing of Iran’s top general in a January 2020 drone stroke during former President Trump’s administration.
Bolton’s comments come a few weeks after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned Putin that there would be “catastrophic consequences” if Russia used nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Sullivan made the remarks during an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” saying that the United States has told Russia “in no uncertain terms, for example, what the consequences would be, and they would be catastrophic if Russia went down the dark road of nuclear weapons use.”
“Let me say it plainly,” Sullivan later added. “If Russia crosses this line there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia. The United States will respond decisively. Now, in private channels we have spelled out in greater detail exactly what that would mean, but we want to be able to have the credibility of speaking directly to senior leadership in Russia and laying out for them what the consequences would be without getting into a rhetorical tit for tat publicly. But we will not hesitate in saying publicly that there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia.”