The United States welcomes Russians seeking asylum from President Vladimir Putin's "unpopular" war, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
"We believe that regardless of their nationality, they may apply for asylum in the United States and have their claim educated on a case by case basis," she said.
Earlier in the day, an ally of President Putin issued a stark new nuclear warning to Ukraine and the West as Russia began releasing results of referendums it bills as a prelude to it annexing four Ukrainian regions.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Nandita Bose in Washington)
