Russia’s Medvedev says Ukraine conflict could last ‘decades,’ talks odds of nuclear threat

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev gives an interview at the Gorki state residence outside Moscow, Russia January 25, 2022.

Yulia Zyryanova | Sputnik | Reuters

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president who retains close ties with the Kremlin, on Monday said that continued Western support for Ukraine makes the prospect of a nuclear war “quite probable.”

Writing in an article for Russia’s state-owned Rossiskaya Gazeta newspaper, Medvedev said that the risk of an “apocalypse” looks more likely now than during the 1962 Cuban missile, owing in part to perceived U.S. hegemony and differing views between Moscow and the West on Ukraine.

“I will note one thing that politicians of all stripes do not like to admit: such an Apocalypse is not only possible, but also quite probable,” he said, according to a Google translation.

Medvedev, now head of Russia’s Security Council, also said that Moscow remains committed to preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, and added that the conflict could endure for decades as a result.

“Our goal is simple — to eliminate the threat of Ukraine’s membership in NATO. And we will achieve it,” Medvedev said.

“You don’t have to be a visionary to understand that the confrontation phase will be very long. The standoff will last decades,” he added.