ALBAWABA - Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, warned that the assault on Kursk may justify a nuclear reaction and questioned Western assumptions about Russia's response to deep attacks into its territory by Kyiv using weapons provided by the West.
In a message on his Telegram channel, Medvedev voiced doubts about how the West sees Russia's possible responses. "What do Western leaders, who are deeply involved in the war, expect Russia to do when facing missile attacks deep into our land?" said the diplomat.
He pointed out that Western politicians seemed to think Russia's nuclear threats are just empty words. They believe that even though we discuss WMDs, we never really do anything about them. They see our warnings as empty platitudes and think we won't violate any boundaries—just scare tactics," Medvedev said.
He went on to say that while nobody wants a nuclear exchange, the West shouldn't rule out the possibility. "A nuclear conflict is a terrible prospect with severe consequences, which is why no decision has been made so far to use such weapons," Medvedev said.
He did, however, issue a warning that there are certain prerequisites for a nuclear reaction. "The use of nuclear weapons is subject to certain prerequisites that are in line with our deterrent strategy. One of such catalysts may be an assault on the Kursk area, for instance. We're only so patient, but Russia has showed prudence," he said.
Additionally, Medvedev berated Western leaders for not appreciating Russia's readiness to take action. "The haughtiness of the Anglo-Saxons denies that Russia's tolerance is finite. He said, "Western analysts who predict Russia won't retaliate may be correct for the time being, but they ignore the genuine chance that a future response might involve non-nuclear but equally devastating measures."
