Biden admin avoiding 'red line' over any Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine

The Biden administration is weighing more sanctions against Russia if it uses chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.

The Biden administration official is steering clear of defining any use by Russia of chemical weapons in Ukraine as a "red line," a senior administration official told ABC News.

"We learned our lesson" the official said in describing the Obama administration's ineffective response to Syria's use of chemical weapons in 2012.

Instead, the administration is considering a new round of economic sanctions against Russia as a potential response should Russia use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, according to a senior administration official.

A senior administration official told ABC News that the U.S. would most likely respond to Russia's use of chemical and biological weapons "with dramatically stepped-up" sanctions that could target Russia's gold reserves or Russian leadership.