Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the West has not fully realised the risk of a nuclear conflict with Moscow, and suggested that the war in Ukraine could last for decades. Medvedev, a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed that NATO’s support for Ukraine amounts to a proxy war that could escalate if it continues to aid Kyiv. He also argued that aiding Ukraine in developing a nuclear weapon would prompt a Russian “missile with a nuclear charge coming to them.” The hawkish Russian elite has repeatedly issued inflammatory comments regarding the threat of nuclear warfare with the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the West has failed to fully comprehend the threat of a nuclear conflict with Moscow. He also suggested that the war in Ukraine could last for decades. Medvedev, who is a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a hawk, claimed that NATO’s support for Ukraine amounts to a proxy war that could escalate if it continues to aid Kyiv.
Citing a Reuters report, Medvedev said, “The Anglo-Saxons do not fully realize this and believe that it will not come to this. It will under certain conditions.” He further argued that aiding Ukraine in developing a nuclear weapon, a suggestion that no Western nation has publicly proposed, would prompt a Russian “missile with a nuclear charge coming to them.” He added, “There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike.”
The hawkish Russian elite has repeatedly issued inflammatory comments regarding the threat of nuclear warfare with the West over the conflict in Ukraine. In March, they said that “nothing can be ruled out” when it comes to Russia’s war effort. Medvedev also told Russian news agencies on Friday that as long as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains in office, the war will continue, potentially for decades.
“This conflict will last for a very long time. For decades, probably. This is a new reality,” he said before calling for a “new system of international relations” that would take into account Russia’s interests.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has been a of tension between Russia and the West for years. The war began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and has since escalated into a full-blown conflict in the eastern Donbas region. The United States and its allies have accused Russia of backing separatist rebels in the region, which Moscow denies.
For months, Western allies have shipped billions of dollars worth of weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine with an urgency to get the supplies to Kyiv in time for an anticipated spring counteroffensive. Now summer is just weeks away. The current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council argued that aiding Ukraine in developing a nuclear weapon would prompt a Russian “missile with a nuclear charge coming to them.”
Medvedev’s comments come as tensions between Russia and the West continue to simmer. The White House recently slammed Putin’s nuclear provocation in Belarus as “irresponsible.” Meanwhile, a Chinese envoy has headed to Russia following a “peace” mission in Ukraine, which some have criticized as “largely self-serving.”
So, Medvedev’s warning about the threat of a nuclear conflict with Moscow should be taken seriously by the West. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has already claimed thousands of lives and has the potential to escalate into a larger conflict. It is crucial for all parties involved to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict and to avoid any actions that could further escalate tensions in the region.
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