Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said Sunday that if Ukraine’s struggling counteroffensive was successful, Russia would have to use nuclear weapons.
“By repelling the collective enemy’s counteroffensive, our Armed Forces are defending Russian citizens and our land. It is quite clear to all decent people. Besides that, they are preventing global conflict,” Medvedev, who served as president from 2008-2012, wrote on Twitter.
Medvedev said that if Ukraine’s counteroffensive was successful and “they took away a part of our land,” Russia would have to “use the nuclear weapon.” He referred to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which allows the use of nukes if Russia feels its existence is threatened.
“There would simply be no other way out. That’s why our enemies must worship our warriors. They are keeping global nuclear fire from flaring up,” he said.
Throughout the war, Medvedev has been known for hawkish rhetoric. He recently said British officials were “legitimate military targets” due to the UK’s support for Ukraine and British comments Moscow viewed as encouraging attacks on civilians inside Russia.
Dmitry Medvedev is the designated bad-cop hothead in this show and he loves making these statements in the most shocking and threatening way he can. But he’s really just restating Russian policy on the use of nuclear weapons and it would be incredibly reckless not to take him seriously.
This really isn’t hard to understand. The problem seems to be that so many just don’t want to understand. Russia believes it is in a fight for its existence. That’s why the Kremlin finally invaded Ukraine when many years of attempts to resolve its security concerns diplomatically failed. When you think you’re in an existential fight, and you think you’re about to lose, you do anything you can to prevent that from happening. Anything.
As more than a few of us have been saying from the moment this long-simmering crisis turned into a hot war, the worst possible outcome would likely result from a situation in which Russia believed it was at risk of losing the fight.
Bad cop hothead? Medvedev isn’t stupid or ignorant. He felt the wrath of the Russian population for his relationship with mr.Obama. It seems to me he is simply trying to correct his political mistakes. I doubt anyone with good knowledge of Anglo-American empire believes that Russia is threatened. There is simply no possible scenario for Pentagon to win a war against Russian Federation. In the current state, the Anglo-American empire would not be able to wage war against none-nuclear Iran, never mind nuclear-capable states. This isn’t a role but a valid political position in opposition to Putin. This position resonates with many educated people in Eurasia. A more aggressive stance from Kremlin would save many lives in Ukraine and speed up the collapse of Anglo-American empire.
“Bad cop hothead? Medvedev isn’t stupid or ignorant.”
No, he is neither of those. He is, however, clearly playing a role in the Kremlin’s communications campaign in this war.
I’ll pass on your assertion that Russia isn’t threatened, because it’s not clear to me quite what you mean.
“In the current state, the Anglo-American empire would not be able to wage war against none-nuclear Iran, never mind nuclear-capable states.”
The US and its allies are perfectly capable of waging war against any power on the planet, and inflicting horrible damage, spreading death and destruction across vast territories. They just aren’t capable of “winning.” It’s very important to keep the distinction in mind.
“A more aggressive stance from Kremlin would save many lives in Ukraine and speed up the collapse of Anglo-American empire.”
It might, or it might result in the loss of an unimaginable number of lives and the destruction of much of civilization. Sergey Karaganov might be correct, but never forget what is likely to happen if he, and you, are wrong.
You think so? Tell me why do you think the Anglo-American empire is capable of starting a war with a major military power without immediately feeling the horrific repercussions? What do you think will happen in US after loss of one aircraft carrier? What will happen after a strike on a US military base? Or how about nuclear detonation over a major US city? How long will these terrorists in Washington survive before angry, ARMED crowds will carry them out? Part of the reason these imperial parasites are so impudent is because they feel safe. When that illusion of safety is shattered, they will sing entirely different song. And if they don’t, punishment need to increase tenfold. What these imperial pests are banking on is peace-loving, pacifist stance of Eurasian leaders. They exploit it and it is time to end it.
“Tell me why do you think the Anglo-American empire is capable of
starting a war with a major military power without immediately feeling
the horrific repercussions?”
Tell me why you think I think that.
Work on reading for meaning.
Ok, so if you don’t think so, why would these parasites start a conflict that has a potential to end their miserable existence?
“Work on reading for meaning.”
Red D.
The point is: Putin is trying to win and not have US nuclear weapons launched at Russian cities. Medvedev can be a bit over the top (like Lindsey Graham in the US) due to his lack of power.
This is a SMO rather than a shock and awe war because the second alternative leads to very bad consequences. This is also why it is upsetting when, for example, the US uses cluster bombs, moving us one step closer to shock and awe. The worst part is that cluster bombs have been found to be effective in damaging Russian artillery. So now cluster bombs are one more type of weaponry that both sides will regularly use.
I don’t see any possible scenario when any of imperial rats will launch nukes at Russia. It’s not impossible but totally improbable. There is more chance of a gamma ray hitting Earth. Imperial parasites are not suicidal. Kremlin need harden their stance and escalate. Disproportionately. For every imperial transgression, there needs to 3x stronger response. Playing defense will only lead to creepy-crawly escalation and a large conflict in Europe. Nobody needs that.
“There is more chance of a gamma ray hitting Earth.”
Not very comforting. Gamma rays hit Earth all the time. And it got a large burst of them last October.
Sure sounds like he’s scared of the Ukrainian offensive! Hahaha
here is what Medvedev supposedly said =
“Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia.”
there is no real evidence that he actually said that, and it seems just as likely to me that it is something that the west would claim that he said in advance of a false-flag nuclear bomb attack by the west, designed to be blamed on Russia
“there is no real evidence that he actually said that”
Yes there is. He posted it to his official social media channels. Partial machine translation:
“After all, if we imagine that the offensive of the Ukrobanderites with the support of NATO was successful and they seized part of our land, then we would have to, by virtue of the rules of the decree of the President of Russia dated 06/02/2020, go for the use of nuclear weapons.”
https://t.me/s/medvedev_telegram
Yes, and here’s full post:
Наши Вооружённые силы, отражая контрнаступление коллективного врага, защищают граждан России и нашу землю. Это очевидно всем приличным людям.
Но помимо этого они предотвращают мировой конфликт.
Ведь если представить себе, что наступление укробандеровцев при поддержке НАТО удалось и они отторгли часть нашей земли, то нам пришлось бы в силу правил указа Президента России от 02.06.2020 пойти на использование ядерного оружия.
Другого выхода просто не останется.
Поэтому наши враги должны молиться на наших воинов. Они не дают разгореться мировому ядерному пожару.
С Днём Военно-морского флота России!
P. S. Беспилотный аппарат «Посейдон» присоединяется к поздравлениям и рекомендует врагам нашей страны молиться о здравии всех моряков России.
and full translation:
Our Armed Forces, repelling the counteroffensive of the collective enemy, protect the citizens of Russia and our land. This is obvious to all decent people.
But beyond that, they prevent a global conflict.
After all, if we imagine that the offensive of the Ukrobanderites with the support of NATO succeeded and they tore off part of our land, then we would have to use nuclear weapons by virtue of the rules of the decree of the President of Russia dated 02.06.2020.
There will simply be no other way out.
Therefore, our enemies should pray for our warriors. They do not allow the global nuclear conflagration to flare up.
Happy Russian Navy Day!
PS The Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle joins the congratulations and recommends that the enemies of our country pray for the health of all Russian sailors.
(I’m gonna murder that Discus formatting script!!!)
Well, be it a false-flag nuclear attack or a direct attack, it wouldn’t matter because result will be the same. A nuclear war between Russian Federation and the United States.
I consider propaganda spins to be irrelevant now. In a state of a nuclear conflict, it will be forgotten memory.
I mostly ignore the information war. I look at the names of towns being fought over, and use Mapquest see where these towns are. If I remember correctly, it is about an 8 hour drive from Kiev to the front lines. I am assuming that defensive trenches are being built 4 hours away from Kiev.
The best place to find out what kinds of units being used by US / NATO / Ukraine is from the Russian daily clobber reports. The numbers I gloss over, but I focus on the types of units they mention, and the areas with the biggest numbers.
There is just too much info coming in from all over to keep up with everything. I don’t listen to Russian MoD daily reports since they report what I already know. Videos are far more influential and videos spread much better and not as easy to use as propaganda. Talk is cheap.
US political leaders (“Turn the ruble to rubble”) of both parties have called for Putin to be overthrown and for Russia to get obliterated. Repeatedly. Their fears are well founded.
“But he’s really just restating Russian policy on the use of nuclear weapons and it would be incredibly reckless not to take him seriously.”
Standard response from Red Douglas on Russia’s nuclear threats. Almost word by word.
Standard response from Don Julio on Don Julio’s vivid imagination. Exactly word by word.
Probably, Medvedev is hoping to become the president of Russia again. However, people remember his slow reaction to Georgian attack on Russian peacekeepers in August 2008 and his silly decision to agree with no fly zone in Libya which gave NATO pretext to use this UN resolution as a cover for the aggression against Libya.
There are no any military sense to use nukes in Ukraine. The main logistic center is in Poland.
Maybe they would use it in Poland if it came to that.
Maybe, but it is also very much unlikely.
Agreeing to a no fly zone over Libya was indeed really stupid.
“Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia.”
….. Medvedev (according to the internal link)
i’m not sure that i believe he actually said that.
but if he did say it then that would be some extreme irony seeing as how (according NATO) Russia has “torn off a part of Ukraine”, which would justify (in Medvedev’s own alleged words) NATO’s use of a nuclear weapon.
Ukraine isn’t a member of NATO – so you’re wrong.
Of course the UK officials are “legitimate military targets.” This is exactly why I didn’t want this war to start. Russia is attacking Ukraine but the west is attacking Russia. The entire west is full of stupid barking dogs begging for Russian nuclear weapons to drop on their heads. As I expected, our population goes along and doesn’t ask for peace or questions what those evil stupid neocons are doing. The game is rigged. The only thing I ask for at this moment, is a quick end. The Russians don’t need a world if it’s a world without Russia. (Sarcasm alert)
Never, ever gets old! 😁
Insane too.
A tad hysterical. How about committing more of your army to the fight before doing that. Russia has only mobilized a fraction of their forces.
There’s nothing hysterical about it. It’s a calculated, dramatic reminder of a key provision of Russian nuclear doctrine. It would be reckless in the extreme not to take it as seriously as it is meant.
There’s no imminent threat, now, of the Ukraine proxy “tearing off” or “taking away” pieces of Russia and Russia seems to have committed sufficient forces for its current objectives.
“reminder of a key provision of Russian nuclear doctrine”
Red Douglas response.
You can bet there is a reason for not committing all of their forces. I suspect they are either planning for a surprise attack or planning one of their own.
Russia holding the front line, with ease, against NATO forces disguised in Ukrainian uniforms speaks volume. Let’s hope they are never forced to use nukes.
When Putin was told that Poland may be planning a “friendly” annexation of western Ukraine, he said it wasn’t his problem. But Belarus asked him to reconsider. I suspect he will.
This makes the Lvov area west of Kyev a possible flash point that could trigger who knows what kind of response from either or both Belarus and Russia. Belarus, of course, can also use tactical nukes if they feel threatened enough.
Putin may reconsider but doubtless his position will change – he spent 2 decades trying to avoid this war, now that he’s been forced into it he doesn’t want the result being Russia’s decades long occupation of West Ukraine and it’s fanatical Banderite nationalists.
Oh FFS. Tactical nukes are completely useless. There is absolutely no reason to contaminate European lands when they can simply nuke main aggressors. London and Washington. It’s ridiculous to even muse on this subject.
” It’s ridiculous to even muse on this subject.”
But here you are, continuously doing so.
Please point out where I muse about use of tactical nukes.
Your slander and trolling of users here is getting tiresome.
“Please point out where I muse about use of tactical nukes.”
In the comment I replied to where you mused about how the use of tactical nukes isn’t worth musing about.
There’s a block/ignore button if you don’t like reading what I have to say. Or you can just whine a little. But the latter is much less effective.
Your silly pretense at lack of comprehension isn’t amusing. Keep it up and I will ignore you.
“Belarus, of course, can also use tactical nukes if they feel threatened enough.”
Nah. Belarus doesn’t have control of the Russian nukes stationed there.
I prefer to not test out that theory.
It’s not a theory. Russia hasn’t given Belarus control of the nukes stationed there, just as the US doesn’t give Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands or Turkey control of the nukes stationed in those countries under “nuclear sharing” agreements.
But I don’t think anyone should find that too comforting. 🙁
In another post, there are 29 Military personnel on the ground in Ukraine.
Russia is holding their blockade of international transport ships too, right? RIGHT?!?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/nato-planes-watched-as-three-civilian-ships-ran-russia-s-naval-blockade-of-ukraine/ar-AA1eBOgR
Hahahaha. Toolbag!
LOL Medvedev is essentially trolling the West. It’s virtually impossible for the Ukraine “offensive” (if you can call it that rather than a random series of failed attacks) to succeed. So it’s merely “taking the piss” as the Brits say to mention nukes in connection with it. Anyone who takes this comment by Medvedev seriously is a moron.
Anyone who can’t reason through to the scenario Medvedev poses is as delusional as the arrogant western lunatics who, in the face 30 years of warnings from both our cold warriors and 4 Russian presidents, created this disaster.
The target audience is the US and EU public who is expecting US / EU / Ukraine to march to Crimea and further by … well I guess the end of summer or maybe Labor Day.
His statement is clear: if your goal happens, you will get nuked, so what’s the point.
It is also a reminder to everyone who is exposed to the US Information War that news of the impending death of Russia is overstated.
It is indeed nearly impossible, as things now stand, for Ukraine to create a credible threat that would meet the conditions of Russia’s policy for the use of nuclear weapons. Medvedev isn’t suggesting anything to the contrary. And I don’t think he’s taking the piss, not at all.
I think this is just another reminder to the leaders of the West. They surely know, by now, that Ukraine has no chance of reclaiming any significant amount of territory from Russia. They are probably beginning to understand that Ukrainian forces are facing a real possibility of collapse. The critical question is, “What would the US-NATO do in order to try to prevent an unmistakable — and undisguisable — military defeat?”
As they’ve done at every step of the way so far, the clueless and recklessly-incompetent amateurs in charge of Western policy would want to up the ante to try to save themselves from the ignominy of defeat. They won’t have more wonder-weapons to send, and Ukraine wouldn’t have manpower to use them if they were available. So they might be tempted to try other, even riskier options. We can start to see some of the possibilities emerging from the fog now.
For instance, Zelensky’s message to NATO and the UN, suggesting a new version of the grain deal, without Russia. Under the now-prevailing circumstances, that could easily turn into a naval war in the Black Sea (if NATO, and especially Turkey, were dumb enough to try it).
We’re hearing more and more murmurings about the possible deployment of forces by a “coalition of the willing” into western Ukraine. No doubt the willing would be Poles and Balts. Some of them still dream of the glory of the Polish-Lithuanian empire. It is this possibility that triggered the recent staged public conversation between Putin and Lukashenko about the “Union State’s” response to such a development.
In the context of NATO expansion to Finland and Sweden, we’re also hearing more talk about the Baltic as a NATO lake and the obvious threat to Russian interests, especially in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
Any of these possible moves would increase the risk of developments that would be seen by Russia as a threat to “the very existence of the state.” I think the Kremlin just wants to make sure that the gambling addicts in DC, London and Brussels remember that the consequences could be very undesirable. Medvedev is especially good at conveying this message.
What’s quite frightening is not what Medvedev said but compared to the crazy of Western leadership Medvedev’s a serious person making a rational argument. Elon should post and recommend “The Day After” on Twitter.
Since apparently people don’t get it…
Medvedev is not telling the West anything they don’t already know. Maybe Biden is too brain-dead to comprehend and the neocons don’t care, but I assure you the Pentagon knows what the Russian nuclear doctrine is. The same applies to NATO: the politicians are morons, and the military is incompetent, but the military still knows what Russian nuclear doctrine is.
As for the public, 99% of the people in the US will never read Medvedev’s comments or likely even hear them on TV unless the MSM spends some time on them. So Medvedev’s comments are not directed at them because he knows that full well.
Therefore the only possible conclusion is that Medvedev is just trolling as he has done many times before. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just what it is. There’s no need to “explain” it to anyone as being some sort of serious existential concept.
Everyone know the consequences if Russia is actually ever threatened with the elimination of the Russian state as it is now. While there are morons who don’t realize that this is not possible (short of WWIII), everyone who has the authority to launch nuclear weapons knows full well what those consequences are.
Everyone else is irrelevant – and that is something Medvedev knows full well.
Russia is not at risk of anything of the sort happening short of a US/NATO nuclear first strike. There is absolutely nothing either the US or NATO can do on the ground or in the oceans or in the air that will threaten the existence of the Russian state short of a nuclear first strike. Period. End of story. Anyone familiar with the state of the US military, the state of the NATO military and the military balance with Russia understands that. Only people who are ignorant of those facts believe otherwise. Even if that includes most of the people running the US and Europe.
So at best Medvedev was reminding the ignorant of the reality, but most likely given the phrasing of his statement he was indeed just trolling them, knowing they won’t understand or believe him anyway. As Andrei Martyanov says, you can’t convince an imbecile that he’s an imbecile because he’s an imbecile. Medvedev knows that.
I might add that while the West can not threaten the EXISTENCE of the Russian state short of WWIII, it can THREATEN the Russian state.
This is illustrated by those Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania. They can threaten either a decapitation strike as a prelude to a nuclear first strike or they can compromise a Russian nuclear counter-strike. Therefore they are a threat to the Russian state – and potentially an existential threat.
This is why Ukraine was invaded – to enable Russia to counter that threat and also to prevent those same weapons from being installed in Ukraine if Ukraine became part of NATO. Russia will counter the threat posed by those weapons systems by placing Russian air defense and other strategic weapons near the Polish and Romanian borders to enable Russia to detect and destroy those systems immediately if they were ever to be launched.
That is the primary reason for the Russian invasion of Ukraine as I am on record since April, 2022.
This last post needs to be periodically reposted.
The first one – I am hoping that these kind of speeches trickle into US discourse. US forums that talk about nuclear war not being a problem because Russia is too broke to maintain their nukes – OK those writers will not be reached.
It took a couple of years for support for the Iraq war to go below 50%. It was over 90% for the longest time. US enthusiasm for the current conflict has waned. Hopefully Mevedev will continue making statements reminding the west that Russia is a legitimate country with legitimate interests, including security ones.
“Medvedev Says Russia Would Use Nuke If Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Was Succesful – The former Russian president says Russian forces are preventing ‘global conflict’ by repelling the counteroffensive”
Delusional deranged NEOCONs hate Europe and Russia.
Neocons don’t hate Europe. They just don’t care about Europe.
Ray McGovern on precisely what I said earlier… “Jocularly”…
Ukraine War Moving into Russia w⧸ Ray McGovern fmr CIA