Who is Dmitry Medvedev? Ex-Russian President who has dared Donald Trump, stoked fears of World War 3

Economic Times

5 days ago

Dmitry Medvedev has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.
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Who is Dmitry Medvedev?
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. Medvedev on Thursday said Trump should remember that Moscow possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort, after Trump had told Medvedev to "watch his words."Security analysts called Trump's move a rhetorical escalation with Moscow, but not necessarily a military one, given that the United States already has nuclear-powered submarines that are deployed and capable of striking Russia.Dmitry Medvedev was Russia's president from 2008 to 2012, while Vladimir Putin was barred from seeking a third consecutive term, and then stepped aside to let him run again. Born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, Medvedev is a Russian lawyer and longtime Putin ally. He earned a law degree in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1990 from Leningrad State University, later serving on faculty before joining Vladimir Putin's early political team in the 1990sMedvedev held several high-level posts under Putin—chief of staff, deputy prime minister, and chairman of Gazprom—before being elected President in May 2008. His one-term presidency (2008–12) emphasized economic modernization and legal reform, including the New START arms reduction treaty with the U.S. and renaming "militsia" to "politsia". He and Putin swapped roles in 2012, with Medvedev serving as Prime Minister until 2020.Now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022. That's a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive.Medvedev has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.One such example before the latest spat with Trump came on July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow. Medvedev posted then, 'Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care.'A1. The full name of Dmitry Medvedev is Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.A2. Dmitry Medvedev has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.