The White House Replies To Russia's Move To Activate Its Deterrence Forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to put Russia's deterrence forces, which include nuclear weapons, on high alert is part of a larger pattern of unwarranted escalation and "fabricated threats," according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

"This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin throughout this conflict, which is fabricating threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression — and the international community and the American people should look at it through that prism," Psaki said on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

Furthermore, a senior administration official remarked on Sunday that Putin's decision was "yet another escalatory and utterly unneeded step," according to the official.

"Putin has fabricated threats at every stage of this conflict to justify more aggressive actions — he was never threatened by Ukraine or NATO, which is a defensive alliance that will not fight in Ukraine," the official said.

"His forces are only facing a threat today because they invaded a sovereign country devoid of nuclear weapons." They went on to say, "This is yet another escalatory and completely unneeded step."

Putin's move comes despite widespread international condemnation of Moscow's unjustified attack on Ukraine, which is now in its fourth day.

"I now instruct the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff to set the Russian Army Deterrence Force on battle alert," Putin said during a televised meeting with top Russian defense leaders.