Putin Ally Issues Ominous Warning on Threat of New World War

Dmitry Medvedev, a Kremlin official and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused Western powers of ignoring "signals" from Moscow and pushing towards a world war, according to state-run news agency, Tass.

Medvedev previously served as the president of Russia from 2008 to 2012, between Putin's first and second terms, and as prime minister from 2012 to 2020. He currently serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and is considered a major Kremlin propagandist.

In an interview segment published on Saturday, Medvedev told the state-run news agencies Tass and RT that Western nations, not Russia, were pushing the world closer to a new world war. A similar sentiment has been echoed by pro-Russia voices since the start of the country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Frankly speaking, it would have definitely been better if they had heard them [the signals]," Medvedev said. "In any case, the world would not have to face the threat of World War III. In fact, this is where our opponents are actively pushing everyone."

He further stressed, according to Tass, that the West "failed to hear our signals."

Newsweek reached out to foreign defense experts via email for comment.

Over the past year-and-a-half, Medvedev has frequently made similar comments about Russia's enemies risking World War III or nuclear war, usually in relation to their opposition to the invasion and support of Ukraine.

In July, he accused President Joe Biden of "provoking nuclear Armageddon" after the United States announced that it would provide controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine as part of its ongoing military aid, adding that the move would risk "a Third World War." In earlier comments, he also suggested that Biden, due to his advanced age, could "absent-mindedly start World War III."

In March, Medvedev invoked World War III after The Hague war crimes court in the Netherlands concluded that Putin had committed war crimes in Ukraine, specifically citing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children, and issued a warrant for his arrest. Medvedev suggested that the Russian leader's arrest would be considered an act of war against Russia.

"Let's imagine—obviously this situation which will never be realized, but nevertheless let's imagine that it was realized. The current head of the nuclear state went to a territory—say, Germany—and was arrested," Medvedev said at the time, according to state-run news agency RIA Novosti. "What would that be? It would be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation."