A top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered a stark warning, indicating the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Washington should Ukraine and its supporters triumph in the current conflict. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, expressed this warning on the messaging app Telegram, emphasizing that Moscow could resort to nuclear warfare if forced out of Ukraine. In his message, Medvedev painted a bleak picture of the potential consequences of a Russian defeat, foreseeing catastrophic outcomes similar to the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, including extensive casualties and global warfare. He stated that a Ukrainian victory could result in the complete downfall of Russia, leading to “tens of millions of victims” and signaling “the death of our future, the collapse of everything in the world.” Medvedev also highlighted the possibility of a global conflict with Western nations utilizing Russia’s full strategic arsenal in response to attempts to revert the country to its 1991 borders. Identifying cities like Kyiv, Berlin, London, and Washington as potential nuclear targets, Medvedev concluded his warning by questioning whether Russia would have the resolve to act if the nation’s existence was jeopardized. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which commenced nearly two years prior in February 2022, has seen repeated references from Putin and Russian officials to the potential use of nuclear weapons, escalating tensions. With Russia possessing the world’s largest nuclear arsenal comprising 5,889 warheads, the threat of nuclear conflict between Russia and the U.S. holds significant global ramifications, given their status as the foremost nuclear powers. This perilous situation has sparked concerns worldwide about the specter of nuclear warfare.
