Medvedev, who was president of Russia from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy chairman of its Security Council, claimed on Wednesday that Russia has repeatedly “underscored” that its “plans” do not include any conflict “with NATO and EU member states," the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest analysis of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.
However, Kremlin officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, "have recently threatened NATO member states, and Kremlin-affiliated actors appear to be attempting to sow instability and set information conditions for possible future Russian aggressive actions against various European states," the Washington-based think tank reported.
Medvedev stated that NATO’s military budget and population are significantly larger than Russia’s, so that if a war were to break out between Russia and NATO, Russia would have to respond “asymmetrically” by using “ballistic and cruise missiles carrying special warheads,” resulting in an “apocalypse,” the ISW said.
It added that Kremlin officials and pundits have consistently threatened to use nuclear weapons against NATO members and that "this nuclear rhetoric is aimed at deterring Western aid to Ukraine."
The US think tank assessed that "Medvedev‘s statements about NATO’s larger size and military budget relative to Russia are likely aimed at domestically promoting Kremlin narratives that NATO — and the West generally — poses an existential threat to Russia — a claim the Kremlin has used to try to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine."
Medvedev last autumn said that Russia's neighbour Poland is now considered a "dangerous enemy" by Moscow and that the NATO member could lose its statehood, according to a report.
In January last year, he warned the West that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war, according to reports at the time.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 715 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: understandingwar.org