Putin ally threatens 'preemptive strikes' against 'treacherous West'
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has issued a stark warning to the West and threatened preemptive military strikes
Dmitry Medvedev, a key confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has delivered yet another ominous threat to Western nations, claiming they possess "treachery in their blood" and warning of potential preemptive military action should Russia perceive provocation. The former Russian leader, who now serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council, made these statements during an interview with the state-controlled TASS news agency.
Medvedev asserted that Western nations operate under a "sick, very outdated idea of their own superiority" and declared that Russia must "respond in full" to any threats it detects. These inflammatory comments emerge as tensions between Moscow and NATO continue to intensify, with Kremlin officials increasingly portraying the Ukraine conflict as an existential battle against Western powers.
Once regarded as a moderate reformist during his 2008 to 2012 presidential term, Medvedev has transformed into one of the Kremlin's most aggressive voices following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The former president has consistently brandished nuclear threats and rejected international isolation efforts as meaningless.
Western experts suggest this inflammatory language serves to rally Russian public opinion while attempting to discourage additional Western military support for Kyiv.
Nevertheless, demands for "preemptive strikes" - whether using conventional or nuclear weapons - spark grave concerns regarding Moscow's strategic objectives and threaten to further destabilize an already precarious security landscape. Medvedev's recent warning highlights the Kremlin's escalating aggressive stance and its willingness to brandish the threat of force in reaction to diplomatic or military reversals.
