Jim Gilmore told Newsmax on Tuesday that if the unconfirmed allegations about Russia using chemical weapons in Ukraine are verified, the U.S. may supply the Ukrainians with chemical weapons.
During an appearance on Newsmax's "National Report," the former U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that President Joe Biden created speculation a few weeks ago about the U.S. response to Russia deploying chemical weapons.
"The president, in sort of a sloppy way, said, 'Well, you know, if they use chemical weapons, we will respond in kind,' " Gilmore said. "And, at that time, there was a lot of debate and saying, 'What does that mean?' "
"The president sort of backtracked on that, but the fact is that there's an expectation now that if they're using chemical weapons, we may give the Ukrainians chemical weapons and once again that raises the stakes," he added.
Going back to the Obama era, Gilmore said if Moscow did use chemical weapons, it was emboldened by the United States' projection of weakness, then and now.
"You may recall that Obama set down a red line and said, 'Well, don't use weapons of mass destruction in Syria,' " he said. "They did, he ignored it, and that was sending a message that probably led to this kind of conflict we're in right now."
According to Newsweek, after an alleged chemical attack in Syria in 2013, Obama asked Congress to authorize military intervention but didn't find much support. The United States instead removed more than 1,300 tons of chemical agents from the country. Obama ordered airstrikes in Syria in 2014 as part of a military campaign against ISIS.
Gilmore said that Russia is being strategic in its campaign in Ukraine, with its ultimate goal bigger than the neighboring country.
"They're doing this in order to send a message to eastern Europe and to western Europe and the United States and to the world that they will use whatever terror or violence or weapons of mass destruction necessary to carry out their policy goal [and] their political goal, which is the control of the European continent," he said. "You can't permit that."
"Look, I'm not a neocon and I've listened to my friends in the conservative movement who are nervous about this kind of thing," Gilmore continued. "We have to stamp out this neo isolationism."
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