Former Russian president raises specter of World War III as rhetoric ramps up over Ukraine

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev raised the specter of World War III connected Tuesday, arsenic the rhetoric betwixt the White House and the Kremlin ramped up implicit the war successful Ukraine.

Medvedev, present a apical information official, was responding to President Donald Trump's post connected Truth Social berating his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin arsenic Moscow continued to rainfall strikes down connected its neighbor.

“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t recognize is that if it weren’t for me, tons of truly atrocious things would person already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump, who appears to beryllium losing patience over the deficiency of a ceasefire deal, wrote, adding, “He’s playing with fire!”

Around 3 hours later, Medvedev took to X, writing, “I lone cognize of 1 REALLY BAD happening — WWIII. I anticipation Trump understands this!”

This successful crook drew an astir contiguous rebuke from Trump’s peculiar envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg who called Medvedev’s remarks “reckless” in a station connected X. Cautioning that Russia was stoking fears of different satellite war, Kellogg wrote that it was “unfitting of a satellite power.”

Trump, helium added, has been moving towards brokering a truce successful the warfare that entered its 4th twelvemonth successful February and has claimed tens of thousands of lives connected some sides.

While Putin has ne'er raised the specter of satellite war, helium has broached the usage of atomic weapons connected respective occasions since helium launched his penetration of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a code successful Moscow’s Red Square past May, the Russian person vowed to basal steadfast against attempts by Ukraine's occidental allies to incorporate Russia. “We volition not fto anyone endanger us,” helium said. “Our strategical forces are ever astatine combat readiness,” helium added referring to Russia’s arsenal of atomic weapons, the world’s largest.

Trump, who promised connected aggregate occasions to extremity the warfare wrong 24 hours of taking office, has recovered the world overmuch antithetic since opening his 2nd term, portion offering mixed messages astir Putin.

Trump has praised Putin arsenic a beardown person with whom helium tin bash concern with and the brace exchanged a friendly, if fruitless, telephone call past week. Shortly afterward, he announced that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately commencement negotiations towards a ceasefire.”

But arsenic Putin has stalled connected the bid talks, Trump's vexation appears to person grown with the Russian leader, who helium called “crazy” successful a station connected Truth Social Sunday aft Moscow launched wide strikes connected Ukraine. The Kremlin dismissed his comments arsenic “emotional overload.”

Russia antecedently said it was moving connected a memorandum of knowing outlining Moscow’s demands arsenic portion of the negotiations with Kyiv. But connected Tuesday, Kellogg said the U.S. was inactive awaiting “receipt of RU Memorandum (Term Sheet) that you promised a week ago.”

Earlier, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said successful a connection the Kremlin was continuing to draught that memorandum and it would see a timeline for a bid statement and imaginable ceasefire scenarios.

She added that this would beryllium sent to Ukraine, which has antecedently rejected Russian demands that it ne'er articulation NATO, judge imperishable “neutrality” betwixt Moscow and the West and cede its request for 4 territories successful the eastbound of the state that Russia illegally annexed months aft the warfare began.

Inside Ukraine, Russian forces proceed their dilatory grind guardant connected the battlefield. Ukrainian officials said 1 idiosyncratic was killed and much than 2 twelve injured by ballistic rocket strikes crossed the state overnight.

Elsewhere, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy volition conscionable with Germany's quality Chancellor Friedrich Merz connected Wednesday, his bureau said successful a statement.

The 2 leaders are expected to sermon Kyiv’s readiness to respond to Russian strikes and threats, including expanding the accumulation of drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said successful his overnight code Wednesday.

It comes aft Merz said Tuesday that his government would assistance each scope restrictions connected weapons it sends to Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to support itself by attacking subject positions heavy into Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Merz’s determination “extremely dangerous,” adding, “all this successful a large mode goes against the bid efforts, against the bid process that is opening and is inactive successful a precise fragile state.”