Russia former president fears nuclear warfare by claiming Joe Biden will not intervene if the dictatorship has nuclear weapons Ukraine because he fears an “apocalypse”. The inflammatory comments come from Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012 and Russia’s prime minister from 2012 to 2020.
Mr Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, supported the terrifying remarks by insisting: “This is not a bluff”.
This comment mirrored that of Putin last week, who said when he announced Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II: “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will no doubt use all available means to defend Russia and our people.” protect – this is not a bluff”.
Medvedev, 57, said on Telegram yesterday: “I have to remind you again – for those deaf ears who only hear themselves. Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary.”
The former president added that it would do so “in pre-determined cases”, and only in strict accordance with state policy.
He said: “Let’s imagine that Russia is forced to use the most powerful weapon against the Ukrainian regime that has committed a large-scale act of aggression, which is dangerous for the survival of our state. I believe that NATO is not will directly interfere in the conflict, even in this scenario.
“The demagogues across the ocean and in Europe will not die in a nuclear apocalypse.”
Once upon a time Medvedev positioned himself as a liberal reformer willing to work closely with the US. But more recently, he has taken the opposite strategy, repeatedly raising the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons.
Medvedev’s reference to a threat to the “own existence of the state” directly reflects one of the terms of the Russian nuclear attack doctrine, which reads: “aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the survival of the state is threatened”.
Washington has yet to detail what its reaction would be if Putin ordered the first use of nuclear weapons since the US declared the terrifying power of atomic bombs on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The US and Russia together possess 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads.
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According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads, while the United States has 5,428 nuclear warheads, while China has 350, France has 290 and the United Kingdom has 225. Despite the lack of a formal response schedule, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Washington would respond resolutely to any Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
He said Russia would face “catastrophic consequences” if it “crossed this border”. Although he did not detail the details, Mr Sullivan said the White House has privately “specified exactly what that would mean” in Moscow.
Sullivan said the United States has been in regular direct contact with Russia, including in recent days, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Putin’s actions and threats.
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The official added: “Putin continues to plan … to exterminate the Ukrainian people who he thinks have no right to exist. So he will keep coming and we must keep coming with weapons, ammunition, intelligence and all the support we need.” can deliver.”
In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, Joe Biden accused Putin of making “overt nuclear threats against Europe” in reckless disregard for nuclear non-proliferation responsibilities. The latest threats of nuclear warfare come as Russia prepares to annex large swaths of Ukrainian territory after “referendums”.
Ukraine and the West have labeled the plans a “sham,” with unverified images online of soldiers holding voters at gunpoint.