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Dmitry Medvedev calls for a “most reward” for whoever kills NATO fighters in Ukraine.
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In a social media rant on Thursday, he painted a state of affairs the place NATO may ship troops to assist Kiev.
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Medvedev stated such troops could be like “Hitler's SS punishers” and needed their our bodies left on the sector.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched a blistering verbal assault in opposition to the North Atlantic Treaty Group on Thursday, demanding a bounty for Western troops who may enter Ukraine.
“And there can solely be one rule for these abroad lice, who, not like the unlucky Ukrainians, weren’t compelled to go to battle: no prisoners taken!” wrote Medvedev, who’s now vp of Russia's Safety Council, in a place on X.
“And for each NATO fighter killed, blown up, or burned, there needs to be a most reward,” he added.
Medvedev criticized a hypothetical state of affairs posed on social media, wherein NATO would initially deploy troops and particular forces in Western Ukraine for “policing and group; coaching,” as he put it.
“Simply completely brazen bastards who take the entire world for fools!” Medvedev wrote.
The Russian official stated any NATO forces in Ukraine could be thought of a part of the “common forces” preventing Moscow.
“Which is why they’ll solely be handled as enemies; and never simply enemies, however as elite detachments, SS punishers of Hitler,” he continued.
Medvedev's rhetoric touches on varied speaking factors usually utilized by the Kremlin. Moscow typically attracts on the nostalgia of the Soviet Union's struggle in opposition to Nazi Germany in World Warfare II, accusing Ukraine of being a Nazi-ruled state as a justification for its invasion
Russia has additionally repeatedly stepped up discuss of direct battle with NATO, with Russian chief Vladimir Putin saying it will inevitably result in a 3rd world battle and nuclear disaster.
Key to that rhetoric has been Russia amplifying the concept NATO may escalate tensions by sending troops into Ukraine. In any case, Putin portrayed his invasion as a transfer to curb NATO aggression.
As for Medvedev, the previous Russian president has been staunchly pro-war for the reason that invasion started, airing aggressive strategies akin to firing a hypersonic missile at The Hague over an arrest warrant issued in opposition to Putin.
To this point, NATO leaders say they haven’t formally deployed troops to Ukraine to struggle. Nevertheless, some – akin to French President Emmanuel Macron – have hinted at such a risk and even advocated for it.
“We’ve got no plans to have NATO fight troops in Ukraine,” NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg informed reporters on Wednesday. “There have been no requests for that.”
There are some indications that NATO maintains a small presence in Ukraine. In early 2023, categorised paperwork leaked from the Pentagon stated that just about 100 NATO operators have been despatched to Ukraine at one level, together with 14 members of the US particular forces.
However the identical leaks have additionally been approached with warning by the worldwide intelligence neighborhood, out of concern that the knowledge within the paperwork could also be false or have been manipulated. U.S. officers stated no U.S. troops have been concerned in fight in Ukraine.
NATO can also be instructing Ukrainians to make use of the arsenal of Western-made weapons despatched to Kiev, and it’s unclear whether or not these particular operations forces might be deployed to Ukraine for coaching or in advisory roles.
On March 8, Polish Overseas Minister Radek Sikorski stated NATO troops have been “already current in Ukraine,” however didn’t say what number of have been deployed or for what goal.
“These nations know who I’m, however I can't disclose it. Not like different politicians, I don't share these nations,” stated Sikorski.
Russia jumped on Sikorski's assertion, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying “there’s nothing to disclaim anymore” that NATO is placing troops in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, what actually riled Medvedev have been Macron's latest feedback about NATO presumably becoming a member of the fray. Within the final two months, the French chief has repeated that his allies won’t rule out the deployment of troops in Ukraine.
“What we're doing is giving ourselves pink traces,” he stated.
In response, Medvedev wrote a number of posts on social media – some in French – insult Macron or criticize him vehemently.
“However what factor, alternatively! With so many Sardinians arriving in France from a international nation, it will be unimaginable to cowl the mass loss of life {of professional} troopers,” Medvedev. wrote on March 20.
Medvedev's present tirade-prone stance appears a big departure from when he was Russia's president from 2008 to 2012, when some observers had hoped he could be pro-Western and extra liberal.
Consultants beforehand informed Enterprise Insider's Sinead Baker that the previous chief could also be attempting to overcompensate together with his rhetoric to curry favor with Putin.
“Medvedev is like one of many weakest guys in Tony Soprano's circles, who simply has to go and do horrible issues to appease the boss,” stated Edward Lucas, a senior adviser on the Middle for Coverage Evaluation. European.
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