PHOTO: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV / RIA NOVOSTI / KREMLIN POOL (RIA NOVOSTI POOL)
Medvedev told the journalist Nadana Fridrichson, who published the quotes on her Telegram channel. “All of Ukraine that remains under Kiev’s rule will burn,” the ex-president said in the written interview.
Medvedev is the deputy chairman of the powerful National Security Council, which is headed by President Vladimir Putin. Former head of state and prime minister Medvedev is one of the most vocal supporters of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began almost a year ago.
Fridrichson asked Medvedev if the Ukrainian military’s use of longer-range weapons could force Russia to negotiate with the government in Kyiv. “The result will be exactly the opposite,” he replied. “Only moral freaks can argue like that, of which there are enough in both the White House and the Capitol,” he said, looking at the US President’s official residence and the US Parliament.
USA send new missiles
The US Department of Defense said on Friday a new missile that would double the range of Ukraine’s armed forces was included in a more than $2 billion military aid package. Like Medvedev, Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons and has said that Russia will use all available means to protect its territory and people. That includes nuclear weapons.
“We set ourselves no limits”
Asked about the consequences of Ukraine hitting the Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, or territory deep in Russia, with the weapons promised by the US, Medvedev said Putin had clearly raised the issue. “We set no limits and are ready to use all types of weapons depending on the nature of the threat. In accordance with our doctrine, including the fundamentals of nuclear deterrence,” he said. “I can assure you that the answer will be quick, hard and convincing.”
Russia’s nuclear doctrine
Russia’s nuclear doctrine allows a nuclear strike after “an aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the existence of the state is threatened”.
Germany sends tanks
In the meantime, Germany is still waiting for concrete participation from partner countries after its decision to supply modern Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to Ukraine. While there are already announcements for the older Leopard model 2A4, the supply situation for the newer type 2A6 is thin, as government circles in Berlin said on Saturday. The “Spiegel” reported that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had made several phone calls to persuade heads of government to agree to delivery.
Portugal sends tanks
Meanwhile, Portugal wants to deliver its own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. “We are currently working on being able to hand over some of our tanks,” Prime Minister Antonio Costa told the LUSA news agency on a trip to the Central African Republic. “I don’t know how many tanks will be sent (to Ukraine), but that will be announced in due course.” Portugal is in talks with Germany to get parts from Portuguese stock to repair some unserviceable tanks. He hopes that they could be delivered to Ukraine by the end of March. Recently, the head of the Portuguese armed forces, Antonio Silva Ribeiro, said his country had 37 Leopard 2 tanks. According to media reports, however, most of them are not operational.
Spain sends tanks
Spain wants to deliver four to six Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine in a first tranche, as the newspaper “El País” reported, citing government circles in Madrid. The Spanish Ministry of Defense would neither deny nor confirm the report. The newspaper wrote that these were Type 2A4 tanks that had been mothballed in Zaragoza since 2012. They would first have to be repaired, which would take about two and a half months and could cost more than 500,000 euros per tank. The exact number of tanks that Spain can deliver depends on the condition of the 53 Leopards that are mothballed.
Canada sends tanks
After several other countries, Canada had also announced that it would be supplying main battle tanks to Ukraine and, as a first step, intends to send four Leopard models to the war zone. Defense Minister Anita Anand said at a press conference in Ottawa last week that the delivery would take place “in the coming weeks.” In addition, Canadian soldiers should support their Ukrainian counterparts in commissioning the tanks. Also, Canada is considering sending more tanks at a later date.
Source: Nachrichten
