Vladimir Putin’s close ally Dmitry Medvedev has warned again of nuclear “apocalypse” if the West continues to provide arms to Ukraine.
Medvedev, the former Russian president and prime minister, chillingly said that rubble would “emit radiation” for centuries to come as he predicted a catastrophic outcome.
Currently deputy chairman of Russia's powerful security committee, Medvedev claimed that the West wanted to make Ukraine a “new anti-Russian Frankenstein”.
Putin has repeatedly cast the conflict as necessary to combat alleged Western aims to weaken Russia and has told of an increasing threat of nuclear war.
Last week he warned of a World War 3 “global conflict” as he issued a nuclear threat ahead of the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
Now Medvedev told Russian news outlet Izvestia of a possible apocalypse if the West continues to supply weapons to Ukraine.
He reportedly said: "Of course, the pumping in of weapons can continue.... and prevent any possibility of reviving negotiations.
"Our enemies are doing just that, not wanting to understand that their goals will certainly lead to a total fiasco.
"Loss for everyone. A collapse. Apocalypse. Where you forget for centuries about your former life, until the rubble ceases to emit radiation."
Medvedev has previously used nuclear rhetoric and only last week also said: “If the US wants Russia’s defeat, we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapons, including nuclear.”
Putin also said last week that Russia would suspend participation in the New START treaty which obligated both it and the US to commit to regular communications on the status of their nuclear arsenals, allow regular on-site inspections and abide by caps on the number of deployed and non-deployed warheads of each side.
“Russia is once again showing the world that it is not a responsible nuclear power,” Bonnie Jenkins, the US undersecretary of state for arms control, said at a session of the Conference on Disarmament, a United Nations-affiliated international forum.
Russia is not withdrawing from the treaty, which is in force until 2026, but Putin said Russia cannot accept US inspections of its nuclear sites while Washington and its NATO allies seek Russia’s defeat in Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the country would respect the treaty’s caps on nuclear weapons and continue notifying the US about test launches of ballistic missiles.
