Dmitry Medvedev said the Kremlin could order “pre-emptive strikes” against the West in response to Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to end the war in Ukraine
A former president of Russia has urged Vladimir Putin to bomb enemies in the West because, in his eyes, WW3 is already well under way.
Dmitry Medvedev, who now holds the deputy chairman position for Russia’s Security Council, said NATO has already waged war against Moscow, labelling his country as victims of Western aggression and glossing over its role in starting the war in Ukraine.
It comes days after Donald Trump issued Putin with an ultimatum, ordering him to end the war in 50 days or face serious economic sanctions. Medvedev said Russia is “hated by the West” and that the US and Europe is doing everything it can to “destroy” the country.
He said: “What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, etc), sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe. It’s another attempt to destroy the ‘historical anomaly’ hated by the West – Russia, our country.”
Medvedev said Russia could respond to Trump’s threats – a new round of 100 per cent tariffs should Moscow refuse to make peace with Ukraine in 50 days – with “pre-emptive strikes”.
He said: “We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch pre-emptive strikes.”
While Medvedev feels it’s perfectly within Russia’s rights to launch bombs on the West, he said that any idea of the Kremlin ordering an invasion of NATO countries was “complete nonsense”.
He said: “I would add that this nonsense is being deliberately thrown into the information space in order to destabilise an already difficult situation. This is another flank of the West’s open war against us.”
It comes days after Medvedev made a far more nonchalant comment about Trump’s ultimatum.
In the first official Kremlin reaction since Trump made his demands, Medvedev said: “Trump has declared a decorative ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. The belligerent European Union is disappointed. Russia did not notice it.”
The Kremlin has received Trump’s previous threats in a similar way. In April, Trump warned Putin to stop striking the capital of Kyiv and branded the tyrant as “crazy”, but nothing changed and the Kremlin continued with its attacks.
At the Oval Office last week, Trump dismissed claims he had been fooled into believing the Russian president was keen on peace.
Trump said: “I speak to him a lot and I go away and say ‘that was a nice conversation.’ Then the missiles happen and after three or four times you realise the talk doesn’t mean anything.”
He then went on to claim he had not been duped by Putin but said the Russian leader had fooled others before him.