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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched a scathing verbal attack on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Thursday, calling for it to pay bounties for Western troops who might invade Ukraine.
“And for the lice abroad who, unlike the unfortunate Ukrainians, were not forced into war, there is only one rule: take no prisoners!” said Medvedev, who is currently deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. wrote. In the post of X.
“And there must be a maximum bounty for every NATO fighter killed, blown up or burned out,” he added.
Medvedev blasted a hypothetical scenario he had advocated on social media in which NATO would first send troops and special forces to western Ukraine to, in his words, “clean, organize and train.” did.
“Utterly impudent barbarians who hold everything in the world for fools!” Medvedev wrote.
Russian officials said any NATO troops stationed in Ukraine would be considered part of the “regular army” fighting Moscow.
“That’s why they are treated only as enemies,” he continued, “and not just as enemies, but as an elite force, the punishers of Hitler’s SS.”
Medvedev’s rhetoric hits on a variety of talking points that the Kremlin typically uses. Moscow often leans on nostalgia for the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany in World War II and blames Ukraine’s status as a Nazi-controlled state as justification for the invasion.
Russia has also repeatedly stepped up talk of direct conflict with NATO, Russian leader Vladimir Putin He said it would inevitably lead to World War III and nuclear holocaust.
Key to that rhetoric is Russia’s amplification of the idea that NATO could escalate tensions by sending troops to Ukraine. After all, President Putin portrays his own invasion as a move to curb NATO aggression.
As for Medvedev, the former Russian president has been staunchly in favor of war since the invasion began, and has not made aggressive proposals, such as launching hypersonic missiles into The Hague over an arrest warrant issued against Putin. It is carried out.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) and Security Council Vice-President Dmitry Medvedev (left) attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Kremlin on February 23, 2020 in Moscow, Russia.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
So far, NATO leaders have said they have not formally sent troops to Ukraine for combat. But some people, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have hinted at or even insisted on such a possibility.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “There are no plans to station NATO combat forces in Ukraine.” told reporters on Wednesday.. “There was no such request.”
There are some signs that NATO will develop a small presence in Ukraine. In early 2023, a confidential document leaked from the Department of Defense read: nearly 100 NATO operators At one point, there was a deployment to Ukraine that included 14 U.S. Special Forces members.
But intelligence agencies around the world are also treading cautiously over the same leaks, amid concerns that the information in the documents may be dishonest or falsified. U.S. officials said the U.S. military was not involved in the fighting in Ukraine.
NATO is also teaching Ukrainians how to use Western-made weapons sent to Kiev, although it is unclear whether these special operations forces were sent to Ukraine for training or in an advisory role. be.
March 8th, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski He said NATO forces were “already in Ukraine,” but did not say how many were sent or for what purpose.
“These countries know who they are, but I can’t reveal it. In contrast to other politicians, I’m not going to list them,” Sikorsky said. said.
Russia pounced on Sikorski’s statement, with a spokesperson saying: Maria Zakharova He said there was “no longer any point in denying” NATO sending troops to Ukraine.
But what really angered Medvedev was Macron’s recent comments about the possibility of NATO joining the fight. Over the past two months, the French leader has repeatedly said: His allies should not rule out deploying troops to Ukraine.
“What we’re doing is setting ourselves apart,” he says.
In response, Medvedev wrote several posts on social media. some in french — insulting or harshly criticizing Macron.
“But on the other hand, what a good thing! With so many coffins arriving in France from abroad, it will be impossible to hide the mass deaths of professional soldiers,” Medvedev said. Written on March 20th.
Medvedev’s current insurrection-proneness is a far cry from when he served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012, when some observers expected him to become more pro-Western and liberal. looks like.
Experts previously told Business Insider’s Sinead Baker that the former leader may be trying to overcompensate with rhetoric to curry favor with Putin.
“Medvedev is like one of the weaker men in Tony Soprano’s circle, who just has to do terrible things to appease the boss,” said Edward Lucas, a senior adviser at the Center for European Policy Analysis. he said.