Medvedev warns the West about a Third World War: “It would erase the entire history of human civilization”

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, warned at the beginning of this week that Moscow’s threats to use nuclear weapons represent “a reality,” not merely a tactic of intimidation. The statements were made in the context of Western support for Ukraine and deliveries of British weapons used in attacks on Russian territory.

Medvedev accused Western leaders of “gross ignorance” and of pushing the world to the brink of a nuclear apocalypse. He argued that some acts of aggression could already have triggered a Third World War and warned that such a conflict could destroy human civilization.

The Russian official said Vladimir Putin could resort to nuclear weapons to end the war in Ukraine “on Moscow’s terms” and to prevent the conflict from recurring or escalating. Medvedev cited Russia’s nuclear doctrine, under which such weapons may be used in the event of a threat to the country’s security, and said the list of military threats justifying nuclear deterrence had been expanded.

The warnings come after Russia threatened British facilities where weapons intended for Ukraine are produced. Asked whether Moscow could strike military facilities in the United Kingdom, Putin replied: “It is a secret. A military secret.”