Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, on Feb. 18 threatened to use nuclear weapons against the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Ukraine if Moscow loses all occupied Ukrainian territories.
Medvedev, who is also a former president of Russia, has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons but the threats have so far failed to materialize. His critics say that his statements are bluff rather than Russia’s genuine plans and are intended to scare the West into making concessions.
Medvedev had previously portrayed himself as a liberal but has become one of Russia’s most aggressive pro-war hawks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. He has increasingly played the role formerly filled by the late politician Vladmir Zhirinovsky, famous for his flamboyant and aggressive buffoonery.
“Attempts to restore Russia’s 1991 borders will lead only to one thing – a global war with Western countries with the use of our entire strategic (nuclear) arsenal against Kyiv, Berlin, London, and Washington. And against all other beautiful historic places that have long been included in the flight targets of our nuclear triad,” Medvedev said in a reference to the triad of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers with nuclear weapons.
In the fall of 2022, Russia annexed Ukraine’s four oblasts – Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson – after sham referendums in the occupied parts of these regions took place.
In his latest post, Medvedev said that a potential defeat of Russia in the war against Ukraine and the “disintegration of the country” may trigger a nuclear war.
Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, has regularly regularly threatened Ukraine and NATO with a nuclear attack. However, he has been ridiculed since his numerous nuclear threats have failed to result in any actions.
In May 2022, he said that by sending weapons and training Ukrainian soldiers, NATO “increases the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia.”
Since then, thousands of Ukrainian troops have been trained in the NATO countries, and the allies have delivered different types of weapons, including long-range missiles, main battle tanks, and artillery systems.
