Medvedev on Ukrainian success
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, says Russia might use nuclear weapons if the Ukrainian counteroffensive succeeds. While Medvedev plays the hawk (unconvincingly but with depressing regularity), Putin pretends to be a dove, saying a ceasefire is impossible because of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Both of them are as usual manipulating reality, which is that Ukraine is liberating territories occupied by Russia. Their remarks followed a drone attack on Moscow’s administrative buildings. Volodymyr Zelensky did not take responsibility but said the war is inevitably returning to Russia. After his address Russia attacked his home city, Kryvyi Rih, with two ballistic missiles, targeting a residential building and an educational institution. Not for the first time, Russia’s leaders betray their fear of Ukraine’s counteroffensive with nuclear rhetoric, knowing it cannot be responsibly ignored.
Photograph Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images