Maria Butina made the statement to Reuters after rumors circulated that President Joe Biden approved the use of Army Tactical Missile System missiles. These missiles can travel 190 miles and could strike key Russian airfields and other crucial military targets. Previously, Biden had been reportedly against using ATACMS due to concerns over escalation. 

Butina warned that using ATACMS would be a significant error in judgment and that Russia’s government could view it as an act of escalation.

“These guys, Biden’s administration, is trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office,” Butina said.

While ominous about the possibility of the Biden administration using ATACMS, Butina did express optimism that a Trump administration would reverse such a decision. However, she reiterated the warning that using the weapons could lead to World War Three. 

“I have a great hope that (Donald) Trump will overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking the start of World War Three, which is not in anybody’s interest,” Butina said.

Additionally, Butina has her own history of hostilities with the United States. In July 2018, she was arrested by the FBI and charged with acting as an agent of Russia “without prior notification to the Attorney General.” She pleaded guilty to “charges of conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia” and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Butina’s warning matches the tone and sentiment of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who previously warned that any approval from the United States to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles would be considered an escalation. He touted nuclear retaliation as a possible response if the U.S. approved Ukraine using the weapons. 

“It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin said in September. 

“The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are also clearly fixed,” Putin added.

Furthermore, Putin warned that he would consider using nuclear weapons if he became aware of reliable “information about the massive launch of aerospace attack vehicles and their crossing of our state border, meaning strategic or tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other aircraft.”

“The list of military threats has been supplemented,” Putin warned.