Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III: Biden

Russia will pay a severe price for the use of chemical weapons, US President Joe Biden said on Friday, stressing that Washington will not fight Moscow in Ukraine as a direct confrontation between NATO and Kremlin would trigger World War III.

On February 24, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.

“We're going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message. We'll defend every single inch of NATO territory with the full might of the United States and galvanise NATO. We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III. Something we must strive to prevent,” Biden told reporters at the White House.