US warnings against Putin's nuclear threats mark a sobering moment for the world

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(CNN) That the United States should be forced to warn Russia publicly , and in more strident terms privately , not to use nuclear weapons is a mark of how dangerous the battle for Ukraine has become -- and how much more risky it might get.

But White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan issued an ominous public caution to Putin on Sunday.

The United States will respond decisively," Sullivan said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"It's very important that Moscow hear from us and know from us that the consequences would be horrific," Blinken said.

There are no public reports that the Kremlin is readying its stock of battlefield nuclear weapons for use or that it has changed the posture of its international strategic missiles.

A stark US message It is in this dangerous atmosphere that Washington issued its warning, designed to deter Putin from a cycle of escalation that could raise the risk he might consider, or at least threaten the use, of a limited yield tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine to compensate for his military's failure in a conventional conflict.