Dmitry Medvedev. Photo: Alexei Maishev / TASS
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, known for his harsh statements, has said that Russia is ready to resort to nuclear weapons to defend its existence. This was reported by the Russian news agency TASS, quoting Medvedev’s interview with RT.
A former president and prime minister of Russia, Medvedev is considered one of the most bellicose voices in Vladimir Putin’s team. In an interview, he expressed his belief that while the US does not want World War III, it underestimates Russia’s determination. “For some reason, the Americans think that the Russians will not cross a certain line,” Medvedev said. “They are mistaken,” he added, stressing that for Russia, the issue of the country’s existence is crucial and may leave it with no other choice.
Medvedev noted that any president of a nuclear-armed country is obliged to defend it “to the last”. In his view, the American and European political establishment lacks the “subtlety of thinking” inherent in figures such as the late Henry Kissinger.
Russian officials say that the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two and a half years, is entering its most dangerous phase as Russian troops advance in eastern Ukraine and Western countries consider providing Kyiv with long-range weapons. For weeks, the Kremlin has warned that it will retaliate if Ukraine’s Western allies help it strike deep into Russia.
At the same time, Moscow accuses the West of supporting Korean troops, which, according to NATO, may arrive in Russia’s western regions to take part in the conflict. Both Putin and Medvedev have repeatedly mentioned the possibility of using nuclear weapons, raising this threat since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In response to rising tensions, Russian authorities have in recent months announced changes to their nuclear doctrine and are considering resuming nuclear tests that have not been conducted for 34 years. Putin himself has also issued a series of new nuclear warnings to the West, underscoring the Kremlin’s seriousness about protecting its strategic interests by any means necessary.
