Dmitry Medvedev Warned US Attempts To Punish Russia For Ukraine War Risks Endangering Humanity

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reportedly warned the United States on Wednesday that attempts by the West to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine risked endangering humanity.

"The idea of punishing a country that has one of the largest nuclear potentials is absurd. And potentially poses a threat to the existence of humanity," Medvedev said on Telegram. He claimed that the attempts to bring the crisis to court hearings or tribunals to investigate Russia's actions in Ukraine would be futile and risk global devastation.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine resulted in the most severe problem in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when many people feared the world was on the edge of a nuclear war.

Medvedev currently works as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council. "The whole of American history, starting with the conquest of the Native Indians, is a bloody war of annihilation," he said. Medvedev claimed that the U.S. had killed millions of people across the world since World War II.

He also referred to the killing of Native Americans, U.S. nuclear attacks on Japan and a series of wars starting from Vietnam to Afghanistan, which proved the U.S. as a country that brought blood across the world. "The entire US history since the times of subjugation of the native Indian population represents a series of bloody wars," he added. "Was anyone held responsible for those crimes? What tribunal condemned the sea of blood spilled by the US there?"

According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia and the U.S. are known to manage about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, with around 4,000 warheads each in their military stockpiles. Medvedev was known as more liberal compared to his mentor, Putin. However, in recent months, he appeared tougher than before.

Russia began the Ukraine invasion on Feb. 24, referring to it as a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine. The country's attempt to take over Ukraine amis to root out "dangerous nationalists" and protect Russian speakers.

On Sunday, Ukrainian military forces stepped down from Luhansk province – considered Putin's biggest win so far. Russian forces then launched an offensive attack to take over Donetsk province. Russia reportedly wants complete control of Ukraine's eastern and heavily industrial region.