In a blistering social media post, Russia’s Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has branded European nations pushing for conflict as ‘ruling fools.’ He issued a stark warning against any deployment of European or NATO troops in Ukraine, deeming it utterly unacceptable to Moscow.
Medvedev shared his message on X, formerly Twitter, attaching a video of an Oreshnik hypersonic missile strike on critical Ukrainian infrastructure. ‘The ruling fools of European countries want war in Europe. It has been said a thousand times: Russia will not accept any European or NATO soldiers in Ukraine,’ he wrote in English.
Targeting French President Emmanuel Macron directly, Medvedev dismissed recent proposals as ‘nonsense’ and escalated with a provocative video, captioning it, ‘Okay then, let’s go. This is what you’ll get.’ The timing couldn’t be more charged, coming just as France and the UK pledged peacekeepers for Ukraine post any ceasefire – a move Russia views as prime targets.
This isn’t Medvedev’s first salvo. He has previously labeled British troop deployments as declarations of war against Russia. Russian officials have consistently rejected Western security guarantees involving NATO states, seeing them as direct provocations.
The backdrop is a fresh Russian Defense Ministry video from Friday, claiming Oreshnik hypersonic missile launches overnight Thursday-Friday in retaliation for an alleged attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence. Putin himself has boasted that these intermediate-range missiles, traveling at over 10 times the speed of sound, are impossible to intercept.
Tensions are skyrocketing as Western nations ramp up military aid to Ukraine, which Moscow interprets as full-scale war participation. Medvedev’s rhetoric underscores Russia’s red lines, signaling potential escalation if Europe crosses them. International observers watch closely, fearing a broader conflict engulfing the continent.