Newsletters
A senior Russian security official said the world is becoming increasingly dangerous but insisted that Russia does not want a global conflict, even as the war in Ukraine continues to fuel tensions with the West.
Dmitry Medvedev made the remarks in an interview released Monday.
Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said the global situation was extremely dangerous and warned that the threshold for pain and escalation appeared to be falling.
“We are not interested in a global conflict. We’re not crazy,” Medvedev said, while adding that such a conflict “cannot be ruled out.”
He said Western countries had repeatedly ignored Russian interests and warned of the risk of escalation toward what he has previously described as a nuclear “apocalypse.”
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered the most severe confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Medvedev praised U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it was encouraging that contacts had resumed with Washington as Trump’s envoys seek to negotiate an end to the war.
Medvedev said the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine, which Russia calls a “special military operation,” demonstrated that Moscow would defend its interests.
Ukraine and its European allies describe the war as an imperial-style land grab and warn that a Russian victory could lead to future attacks on NATO, claims that Russia dismisses as unfounded.
Medvedev said European diplomats underestimate Russia’s willingness to act, accusing Western leaders of dismissing Moscow’s warnings as scare tactics.
“They say this is all horror stories,” Medvedev said, adding that recent global developments had made January feel “too much.”
He cited events involving Venezuela and Greenland, rejecting Western claims of Russian or Chinese threats to Greenland as fabricated narratives used to justify Western behavior.
Medvedev also commented on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying that if a foreign power had similarly removed a U.S. president, Washington would have considered it an act of war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the final decision-maker on Russian policy, though Medvedev’s statements are widely seen as reflecting the views of hardliners within Russia’s political elite.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
1 min read
