Washington responded to media statements that Putin ordered to put Russian nuclear forces on high alert

On Sunday, February 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that his country's deterrent forces, including nuclear weapons, are put on high alert. The White House has already responded to the Kremlin's decision.

This was reported by CNN with reference to Russian news agencies, writes TSN.

"Senior officials from leading NATO countries have allowed themselves to comment aggressively on our country, so I order the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff of the [Russian Armed Forces] to bring the Russian Army Deterrence Force into combat readiness," Putin said in a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Defense Forces Valery Gerasimov.

The Russian president also added that sanctions against Russia are illegal.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki commented on the Kremlin's decision, noting that the order was a pattern of Putin's behavior because of the Kremlin's "threats."

"This is the pattern of behavior that we have seen from President Putin during this conflict, creating threats that do not exist to justify further aggression. The global community and the American people must look at it through this prism," she said on ABC television.

Answering a question about further military assistance to Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions, Psaki replied that the United States is ready to send more humanitarian, economic and defense military supplies.

"I would like to note that the sanctions that we announced yesterday [on disconnecting a number of Russian banks from SWIFT] put Russia on a par with Iran, cutting it off from the banking system with the world community," Psaki said.

Psaki added that the US remains in close contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and praised him for his leadership during the first few days of the current war.

"He courageously opposes the invasion of President Putin and the Russian leadership. We will maintain close contact with him," the White House speaker promised.