Medvedev Warns of Preemptive Strikes Amid Rising Tensions Over Ukraine

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that Russia must be prepared to launch preemptive strikes against the West if the Ukraine conflict escalates further. His remarks, reported by the TASS state news agency, reflect growing concerns within Moscow over what it perceives as intensifying Western involvement in the war.

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed claims that Russia intends to attack NATO or Europe as “complete nonsense.” However, he emphasized that if Western nations continue to escalate the situation, Russia should respond “in full” and be ready to act decisively.

He accused Western leaders of deliberately stoking tensions and described the current conflict as a proxy war that has evolved into a full-scale confrontation, citing Western missile launches, satellite intelligence, and sanctions as evidence. Medvedev also criticized what he called the West’s “outdated view of superiority” and claimed that many Western officials have “treachery in their blood”.

The Kremlin acknowledged Medvedev’s comments as his personal opinion but noted that his concerns about Europe’s confrontational stance were justified. The warning comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for a peace deal within 50 days, coupled with threats of secondary sanctions on Russian exports.

Medvedev’s increasingly hawkish rhetoric signals a hardening stance within Russia’s political elite and raises the stakes in an already volatile geopolitical landscape.