Dmitry Medvedev warns US it should take Russia nuclear warnings seriously to avoid World War Three

2 November 2024, 12:12 | Updated: 2 November 2024, 15:44

Moscow has warned the US it should take Russia's nuclear warnings seriously to avoid World War Three.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council and who served as the country's president from 2008 to 2012, warned the US on Saturday it was "wrong" to believe "that the Russians will never cross a certain line".

He told Russian-state broadcaster RT that Moscow believed the current US and European political establishments lacked the "foresight and subtlety of mind" displayed by the late Henry Kissinger.

"If we are talking about the existence of our state, as the president of our country has repeatedly said, your humble
servant has said, others have said, of course, we simply will not have any choice," Mr Medvedev said.

Russia has been signalling for weeks to the West that Moscow will respond if the US and its allies help Ukraine fire longer-range missiles deep into Russia.

US diplomats have previously said Washington is not seeking to escalate the war in Ukraine.

It's not the first time Mr Medvedev has warned of a serious escalation of the Ukraine conflict.

Back in September, he threatened that Ukraine's incursion into the Russian territory of Kursk had given Russia formal grounds to use nuclear weapons.