The ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev has been prolonged due to the continuous supply of Western arms to Ukraine, according to Russian former president Dmitry Medvedev. In an interview with TASS, Medvedev stated that if NATO, particularly the US and its allies, had stopped providing weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, the Russian military operation would have ended within a few months. However, he emphasized that the conflict could still come to an end in a matter of days if the deliveries were ceased.
Medvedev further argued that any war, regardless of its scale, could be swiftly resolved through the signing of a peace treaty or by utilizing a strategy seen in the US bombings of Japanese cities in 1945. He acknowledged that the American strikes did manage to halt hostilities at the time, but at a significant cost of 300,000 civilian lives.
The former president highlighted Russia’s determination to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, even if it meant engaging in a “permanent” conflict. Moscow has repeatedly expressed concerns regarding NATO expansion and demanded that its security concerns be respected. Medvedev emphasized that Russia’s existence was at stake and that it would not hesitate to confront this threat through any means necessary.
In addition, Medvedev criticized the potential deployment of US nuclear weapons to Poland, warning that such a move could potentially trigger a nuclear conflict. This statement came after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for NATO to include Warsaw in the bloc’s Nuclear Sharing Program.
The US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were referenced by Medvedev to illustrate the devastating consequences of nuclear war. These attacks claimed the lives of up to 80,000 people in each city, with the long-term effects, including radioactive contamination, possibly resulting in as many as 166,000 deaths in Hiroshima and 140,000 deaths in Nagasaki.
Medvedev’s comments serve as a reminder of the complex and ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. They highlight Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s alignment with NATO and its concerns about Western arms supplies to Kiev. The former president’s reference to historical events emphasizes the devastating consequences of armed conflicts and the urgent need for peaceful resolutions. Ultimately, the resolution of the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev requires a comprehensive diplomatic approach that takes into account the concerns and interests of all parties involved.
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