Putin sidekick threatens preemptive strikes as Russia rails against ‘treacherous’ West

By Ciaran McGrath, Senior News Reporter

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin (Image: Getty)

Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has issued another stark warning to the West, accusing it of harbouring "treachery in its blood" and threatening preemptive military strikes if Russia feels provoked. The former Russian President and current deputy chairman of the Security Council made the comments in response to questions from the state-run TASS news agency.

He claimed Western powers were guided by a "sick, very outdated idea of their own superiority" and insisted Russia must "respond in full" to any perceived threats. His remarks come amid simmering tensions between Moscow and NATO, with Russian officials increasingly framing the war in Ukraine as part of a broader existential conflict with the West.

Medvedev, once seen as a liberal reformer during his presidency from 2008 to 2012, has become one of the Kremlin’s most hawkish voices since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

He has repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation and has dismissed international efforts to isolate Russia as futile.

Western analysts believe such rhetoric is aimed at galvanising domestic support and deterring further Western military aid to Kyiv.

However, calls for "preemptive strikes" — whether conventional or nuclear — raise serious concerns about Moscow’s strategic intentions and risk further destabilising an already volatile security environment.

Medvedev’s latest threat underscores the Kremlin’s increasingly confrontational posture and its readiness to invoke the prospect of force in response to diplomatic or military setbacks.