WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States doesn’t believe Russia poses a threat to its nuclear arsenal despite recent rhetorical escalation by Moscow. This was stated Friday by a top U.S. defense officer.

According to the anonymous official speaking under condition de anonymity, “We continue monitoring their nuclear capabilities every day and we don’t assess that there are any threats of the use nuclear weapons or threat to NATO territory.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Monday that the West shouldn’t underestimate the high risks of nuclear war over Ukraine.

Russia stated earlier in the month that its Sarmat intercontinental missile-bombistic missiles have been tested and are ready to be deployed against American nuclear attacks by autumn.

The West’s concern about nuclear war has increased since President Vladimir Putin’s Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24th with a speech where he pointedly spoke out against Moscow’s nukes and warned that any attempts to block Russia’s path would lead to “such consequences that you have not experienced in all your history.”

Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister said that this week he does not anticipate any Russian military failures in Ukraine. This would push Putin to use tactical nuclear arms there. Johnson stated that Putin had enough room to maneuver and ended the conflict.

Earlier this month, CIA Director William Burns declared that Russia could use tactical and low-yield nukes in Ukraine. But that there is not much evidence to support his concern.

Russia’s invading of Ukraine left many people dead, or seriously injured. They also destroyed towns and cities, and made it impossible for over 5,000,000 Ukrainians to escape to safety. Moscow refers to its “special operation” as an attempt to demilitarize neighbor.