Russia's Medvedev Threatens Nuke Strike Would Turn Kyiv Into 'Gray Spot' On The Map
According to RFE/RL, the Russian officials have threatened that a possible decision by the West to allow Kyiv to use donated weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory would result in a major escalation of its war against Ukraine that could include the use of nuclear weapons.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, warned on September 14 that Kyiv could be turned into a "gray melted spot" if restrictions against Ukraine's use of Western weapons were loosened.
Kyiv has repeatedly said it needs to be able to conduct longer-range strikes into Russian territory to defend itself against invading Russian forces.
The idea has gained traction in recent weeks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made his case, with some European leaders taking up the argument for giving Ukraine longer-range capabilities and Britain reportedly nearing a decision to let Ukraine use its Storm Shadow missiles against Russian territory.
U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were expected on September 13 to discuss the issue during their talks in Washington.
However, the White House made no mention of the topic in its statement following Biden's meeting with Starmer.
The statement said only that the two leaders had discussed a range of issues and "reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend against Russia's aggression."
In an apparent reference to the meeting, Medvedev wrote on September 14 that "the Anglo-Saxon imbeciles" do not want to admit that there is an end to Russia's "patience" and that experts who have suggested Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons against Ukraine would be proven correct if that patience is exhausted.
"What do Western leaders and their political establishments, playing at war, think our country's reaction to probable missile strikes 'deep into the territory [of Russia]' would be?" wrote Medvedev, who has frequently used his position to voice threats against Kyiv and the West since Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Medvedev said a nuclear conflict is a "very bad story with a very difficult outcome," claiming that is why Russia has not decided to use "nonstrategic or strategic" nukes to this point. However, he said, if it came to that there would be a "giant gray melted spot" on the site of Kyiv, which called the "mother city of Russia."
Such rhetoric has increased from Moscow as Zelenskiy has increasingly lobbied for greater strike capabilities against Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 12 said any change in policy that would allow Western weapons to be used for long-range strikes would mean the NATO alliance would be "at war" with Russia.
