Dmitry Medvedev, vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council and former head of the country, said that the risks of the 3rd World War have been under control so far. According to him, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine for this.
In an interview with the French television channel LCI, he gave a negative answer to the question of whether humanity has entered a new world war.
“I hope not, but so far the situation has been brought under control. Although if we make such a biblical comparison and remember the words from the Revelation of John the Theologian, namely the Apocalypse: “And the first angel played his trumpet, and there was hail and fire” – the most “At least the first angel trumpet. But the apocalypse has not yet come and I hope it will not come.”
In his opinion, Moscow’s policy, and even a “special military operation”, is aimed “for the absence of the Third World War.”
Medvedev added that the military operation is also associated with a threat to the vital interests of Russia. At the same time, as the deputy chairman of the Security Council noted, such an operation would not have been carried out now if there were no threats to Moscow’s interests.
“This operation can be abandoned for the moment. And we were negotiating with the Ukrainians, in any case we tried to negotiate with both the Europeans and the United States. But these negotiations ended in nothing, no one heard us,” he said.
The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation noted that Moscow is “forced” to escalate the situation in Ukraine.
According to him, “if the Ukrainian leadership had gathered courage and accepted the facts, if the Ukrainian leadership had not persecuted its own population in Donetsk and Lugansk for eight years, if there had not been thousands of people, the armed conflict could have been avoided. Ukrainian citizens and victims of Russian citizens”. He also drew attention to Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and the statements of Ukrainian officials that “it is necessary to restore nuclear potential”.
Gentle military operation scenario
Medvedev said Russia is conducting a “military operation according to the most frugal and moderate option” in Ukraine.
“The forces of our country, the Donetsk Republic and the Lugansk Republic are acting exclusively against the Ukrainian armed forces,” he continued.
A more difficult scenario would have allowed the military action to be completed faster, but “for Ukraine there would have been completely different consequences,” the vice-chairman of the Security Council said. In this case, Medvedev “its infrastructure will be completely destroyed, decision centers, authorities etc.”.
Moscow said it did not accept this option “for humanitarian reasons”.
How Medvedev Became a “Hawk”
During the interview, the journalist asked Medvedev to tell how he became one of the main “hawks” of Russia.
“As for my feelings, they have definitely changed, that’s true. And it’s not because I’ve somehow been reborn, but because of the route our partners are starting to follow. I can’t call this course anything but Russophobia. A change in rhetoric is also connected with it, there is nothing surprising in this, ”Medvedev explained.
After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, the former president posts on Telegram containing harsh statements about Western politicians and a tough stance against Ukraine.
In an interview with Al Jazeera TV channel, Medvedev said that he personally runs the Telegram channel.
“It seems to me that the style of what was posted there clearly indicates that I was directly involved in it. Sometimes, perhaps, things are not presented in purely diplomatic language there, but I believe that people should receive such information … Intelligible and at the same time direct, ”explained the vice-chairman of the Security Council.
On trusting Zelensky
According to Medvedev, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky does not arouse the confidence of the Russian side as an interlocutor in the negotiations, but was chosen by the citizens of Ukraine “and at least tries to fulfill the functions of the president. country and the commander-in-chief, so in that sense he still remains in his post”.
When asked if Russia had any intention to kill the Ukrainian President, Medvedev replied, “There is no evidence of such activity, it is an empty fiction.”
The vice chairman of the Security Council said that the attitude of Russian officials towards Zelensky was “shaped by his actual actions, not by his appearance, his cinematographic profession or anything else.”
“This is a man who took office without a day of government experience and became famous only for starring in a drama about the president. This is a man who refuses to conduct normal full-fledged negotiations with our country and counts only on the support of Western countries and the United States, ”said the author.
He also described Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO as an insufficient condition for achieving peace. According to Medvedev, to end hostilities, it is necessary to achieve the goals of the Russian operation, as well as the guarantees developed between “all parties”, which will be reflected in the agreement.
Will Russia use nuclear weapons?
The journalist asked the deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation whether Russian military doctrine provides for the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons in case of threat. Medvedev pointed out that Russia can use its nuclear weapons only in four special cases.
“The launch of nuclear missiles, the use of nuclear weapons, attacks on critical infrastructure that controls nuclear weapons, or other actions that threaten the existence of the state. No such action has been taken so far,” he said.– said the vice chairman of the Security Council.
He also emphasized that Russia is a country with a thousand-year history and the largest nuclear potential in the world.
“I am confident that we can stand up for ourselves,” Medvedev summed up.