Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned a full-scale war with NATO would force Moscow to mobilize its nuclear assets, according to the New American.
Medvedev also said Russia is not pursuing a conflict with the U.S.-led military bloc.
Now serving as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Medvedev said if such a conflict were to occur, “Since our military capabilities are incomparable, we will simply have no choice. The response will be asymmetrical.”
“To protect the territorial integrity of our country,” he continued, “ballistic and cruise missiles with special warheads will be used…. This will be the proverbial Apocalypse. The end of everything.”
The remarks were pushing back against warnings by Western leaders to prepare for a potential conflict with Moscow.
Ex-Russian president warns NATO of ‘Apocalypse’
The West should tell its citizens the 'bitter truth' about what would happen if the bloc clashes with Moscow, Dmitry Medvedev sayshttps://t.co/kd3U0gFSlQ pic.twitter.com/e48sUtCvvg
— RT (@RT_com) February 7, 2024
Medvedev advised Western politicians to advise their voters the “bitter truth” about a full-scale war with Russia. He also advised them to stop “treating them [the citizens] like brainless idiots.”
A war with Russia would not be pretty. In 2020, a declassified Russian video showed the largest-ever hydrogen bomb blast on record.
Called the “Tsar Bomb” the nuclear blast was equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT. The U.S. bomb “Little Boy” equaled about 15 kilotons of TNT,” according to India Times.
By way of comparison,15 kilotons is equivalent to 15,000 tons.
Last April, Medvedev warned that Poland would cease to exist if a direct clash were to take place between Russia and NATO.
At that time, Medvedev was responding to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki who said that Ukrainian strikes on Russia would not lead to a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
Russian officials have emphasized they have never threatened to use nuclear weapons. They have also underscored the fact such weapons could be mobilized if the existence of the state was at stake, according to the New American.
Current President Vladimir Putin said in December that Russia “has no interest … geopolitically, economically or militarily … in waging war against NATO.”
He has also argued that NATO’s expansion toward its borders poses an existential threat to Russia.
The line between Russia and the West is in Ukraine. Russia has denounced Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they will only drag the conflict on.
Neither side appears to be backing down. Will the conflict end with a bang or a peace negotiation?
