NATO's military aid to Ukraine bringing World War III closer, warns ex-Russian president Medvedev
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warns of a looming third world war as the "completely mad West" supports Ukraine, while tensions rise at the NATO summit and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy demands a clear timeline for NATO membership.
FollowFormer Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin and currently the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, has warned that the support of the "completely mad West" for Ukraine could lead to a third world war. Medvedev said 'World War III' was 'fast approaching' and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would 'continue'. His remarks came as G7 countries prepared to announce a long-term security package for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, aimed at ending the war.
Medvedev criticised the West for failing to offer any alternative solutions and emphasized that the military operation in Ukraine would continue. "Increase military assistance to the Kyiv regime. Everything that is possible: rockets, cluster charges, airplanes. The completely crazy West could not come up with anything else. Predictability of the highest level, to the point of idiocy. In fact, it's a dead end. World War III is getting closer," Medvedev stated.
The UK government and the White House echoed the importance of supporting Ukraine and deterring future attacks. "The joint declaration, expected to be signed by all members of the G7, will set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack," the UK government said in a statement.
UK PM Rishi Sunak added, "As Ukraine makes strategic progress in their counteroffensive, and the degradation of Russian forces begins to infect Putin's front line, we are stepping up our formal arrangements to protect Ukraine for the long term."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration during the NATO summit, as he criticized allies for not setting a firm timeline for Ukraine's accession to the alliance. Zelenskyy voiced his concerns on Twitter, stating that while Ukraine would be represented at the summit, discussions were taking place without Ukrainian involvement regarding the invitation for NATO membership. He emphasized the need for a clear time frame and expressed worries that leaving room for negotiation with Russia would only encourage further aggression. Zelenskyy's remarks suggested that Russia would perceive the lack of a decisive commitment as an opportunity to continue its actions.
"But Ukraine also deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine. And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine's membership. It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. While at the same time vague wording about "conditions" is added even for inviting Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
"This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia," he added. "And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror."
In a separate development, Medvedev recently claimed that the West must stop opposing Russia's aggression in Ukraine or face severe consequences such as nuclear war, epidemics, and famine. He asserted that Putin would only accept a solution that led to the complete defeat or annihilation of democratic Ukraine. Medvedev called for Russia to suspend diplomatic relations with countries like the UK, Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states who are supporting Ukraine, even suggesting downgrading diplomatic ties temporarily.
"You don't have to be a visionary to understand that the confrontation phase will be very long," said Medvedev, who is now deputy head of 70-year-old Putin's security council.
"The confrontation will last for decades. One way to resolve it is the third world war. But it is obviously bad, because the victors are not at all guaranteed further prosperity, as was the case after previous world wars. Most likely, there will simply be no winners," he noted.
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"It would be better to temporarily suspend diplomatic relations with Finland and similar countries (such as Poland, the Baltic states and, of course, the UK), or at least downgrade their level for a while," Medvedev added.
Dmitry Medvedev, aged 57, previously served as the President of Russia from 2008 to 2012 and is positioning himself to potentially return to power if Putin's leadership weakens or if he becomes incapacitated.
