Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Europe could not afford a war against Russia, but that if its leaders made the mistake of triggering one, then it could escalate into a conflict with weapons of mass destruction.
Russia, Medvedev said on Telegram, does not need such a war, including with "frigid old Europe".
"They simply cannot afford a war with Russia," Medvedev said of European powers, adding that "the possibility of a fatal accident always exists."
"And such a conflict has an absolutely real risk of escalating into a war using weapons of mass destruction,"
Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that speculation in European countries about a possible war with Russia in the next five years “should not happen,” stressing it goes against Moscow’s interests.
He also argued that Europe’s economy is “weak and dependent on the US” and accused the continent of “losing its identity, dissolving into aggressive migrants.”
Medvedev, who also served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012, has repeatedly made harsh statements against Western governments throughout the Ukraine war.
His latest remarks follow growing debates in Europe on defence spending and security preparedness.
