“Such statements are irresponsible,” the Russian diplomatic mission said on Facebook.
The embassy recalled the joint statement of the presidents of Russia and the United States of June 16, 2021, confirming the countries' commitment to renouncing nuclear war.
In an interview with Fox News, Wicker did not rule out the preemptive use of nuclear weapons against Russia in connection with the internal Ukrainian crisis.
Earlier, White House spokesman Karin Jean-Pierre said that Russia and the United States maintain constant high-level contact regarding the situation around Ukraine.