Russia must be ready to strike West over Ukraine, former leader says
'What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-fledged war,' Medvedev, who is now a senior Russian national security official, told the Tass news agency. 'We need to act accordingly. Respond in full. And if necessary, launch preventative strikes.'
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that while Medvedev had been expressing his own opinions, such views were 'entirely justified', in light of what he described as the 'confrontational and militaristic' mood in Europe.
Once seen as a relative liberal, Medvedev has transformed into one of Russia's biggest hawks since President Putin ordered tanks into Ukraine in 2022. He also portrayed western backing for Ukraine as part of what he said was a centuries-old campaign against Moscow. 'It's another attempt to destroy the 'historical anomaly' hated by the West — Russia, our country,' he said.
He echoed the Kremlin's insistence that Russia was not planning to invade a Nato or European country, saying that such claims by some western officials were 'complete nonsense'. However, Moscow also mocked suspicions that it was preparing to launch a full-scale war against Ukraine up until it began bombing Kyiv, triggering the biggest conflict in Europe since 1945.
Mark Rutte, the Nato chief, warned on a visit to London last month that people in Britain should 'learn to speak Russian' unless the government increased defence spending. He said Russia was producing more ammunition in three months than the whole of Nato turned out in a year, and could threaten member states within three to five years. He said the threat from Putin's regime would remain acute, even if the war in Ukraine ended.
• Russia planning attack on Nato 'to test article 5', warns Germany
Medvedev served a single term as Putin's handpicked successor from 2008 to 2012 before stepping aside. His presidency was widely seen as a tactic to allow Putin, who shifted to the post of prime minister for four years, to return to the Kremlin without violating legal restrictions on 'consecutive' presidential terms. Medvedev then served as prime minister until 2020, when he was named the deputy chairman of Russia's national security council.
His comments came as Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of more dead soldiers under a deal that was agreed on during talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul last month. Russia said on Thursday that it had returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and received 19 of its own fallen troops in return.
The two countries also exchanged bodies in June, when Ukraine received the remains of about 6,000 of its soldiers. Moscow took possession of about 80 bodies in return. President Zelensky said last month that the difference in the numbers of war dead received by each country was because Russian soldiers had died in areas of Ukraine occupied by Moscow. 'They were advancing, and their dead remained in the territory where they were,' he said. During last month's exchange, Ihor Klymenko, the Ukrainian interior minister, accused Russia of 'deliberately complicating' the identification process. 'Bodies are returned in an extremely mutilated state, parts of [the same] bodies are in different bags,' he said.
Kyiv has also previously accused Russia of handing over the bodies of dead Russian soldiers disguised as Ukrainians. A number of repatriations of dead soldiers have taken place since the start of the war, although no meaningful progress has been made towards a peace deal.
Alexus Grynkewich, Nato's top military commander, said on Thursday that preparations were under way to quickly transfer additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine. President Trump said on Tuesday that some Patriot missiles were already on their way from Germany to Kyiv.
'We are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer', Grynkewich said. 'The guidance that I have been given has been to move out as quickly as possible.'
A meeting of countries with Patriot air defence systems, which are vital to protect Ukraine against Russian ballistic missiles, could be held next week at Nato's military headquarters near the Belgian town of Mons, Reuters said, citing a source.
• What impact will Trump's weapons pledge have on Ukraine's war?
At least two people were killed and dozens injured when Russian forces launched a 500kg bomb on a shopping centre and a market in Dobropillia, a frontline town in eastern Ukraine, officials said. Zelensky described the attack as 'horrific, senseless terror'.
A woman also died in Belgorod, a Russian border city, in a Ukrainian drone attack, the regional governor said, adding that three civilians had been killed in another strike this week. About 25 people have also been injured, some seriously, by Ukrainian drone attacks on the southwestern Russian city of Voronezh in recent days, according to officials.
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