Biden: Putin using nuclear weapons would see "consequential” U.S. response

• In March, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia would only use nuclear weapons if there's a "threat for existence" to the country and not due to the war with Ukraine.
• Last month, the UN warned that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation."

Why it matters: Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine increased tensions between the U.S. and its former Cold War foe — both of which have nuclear weapons, Axios' Julia Shapero reports.

• Putin ordered Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on alert soon after invading Ukraine, citing "aggressive statements" from NATO countries.

What they're saying: “It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II," Biden said in an interview with CBS that will air Sunday.

• "They’ll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur," he added.