Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the United States on Saturday to take Russia’s nuclear warnings seriously to avoid World War III.
Medvedev said on Saturday that the United States was mistaken if it thought that Moscow would not use nuclear weapons if its existence was threatened, the TASS news agency said.
Current U.S. And European Political Establishments Lack Foresight
A senior security official, Medvedev served as Russia’s President from 2008 to 2012 and Prime Minister from 2012 to 2020.
Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s powerful security council, told RT broadcaster that top U.S. officials did not want World War III but for some reason they believe “that the Russians will never cross a certain line.”
“They are wrong,” Medvedev told RT, adding that Moscow believed the current U.S. and European political establishments lacked the “foresight and subtlety of mind” displayed by the late Henry Kissinger.
“If we are talking about the existence of our state, as the president of our country has repeatedly said, your humble servant has said, others have said, of course, we simply will not have any choice,” Medvedev said.
War In Ukraine Entering Its Most Dangerous Phase
The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what Russian officials say is its most dangerous phase.
Russian forces are advancing in eastern Ukraine and the West considers how to shore up Ukraine.
Moscow Will Respond If U.S. And Its Allies Help Ukraine
Russia has been signalling for weeks to the West that Moscow will respond if the United States and its allies help Ukraine fire longer-range missiles deep into Russia.
NATO says that North Korea has sent troops to western Russia.
Russian officials say the leaders of the West have failed to heed the signals Moscow has sent over European security and the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
U.S. -Russia Ties Never Been So Bad
U.S. diplomats say the relationship with Russia is worse than at any time since the depths of the Cold War but that Washington does not seek to escalate the war in Ukraine.
(With inputs from Reuters)
