U.S. sees no threat of Russia using nuclear weapons despite rhetoric- official

FILE PHOTO: Tanks of pro-Russian troops drive along a road during Ukraine-Russia conflict near the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 17, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not believe that there is a threat of Russia using nuclear weapons despite a recent escalation in Moscow's rhetoric, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.

"We continue to monitor their nuclear capabilities every day the best we can and we do not assess that there is a threat of the use of nuclear weapons and no threat to NATO territory," the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters.