Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev claimed that the enemies of Russia are leading to the third world war and a major global catastrophe. He accused them of launching a full-scale hybrid war against Russia by pumping weapons and encouraging terror attacks on the country. Medvedev’s accusations came amid Russia’s intensified strikes against Ukrainian targets.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Legal Forum’s (SPILF) 11th meeting on Friday, May 12th, Medvedev said, “It is obvious that a full-scale hybrid war is being waged against our country. American and European benefactors pump our enemies with lethal weapons of all kinds, they encourage terror in Russia’s border regions, they carry out sabotage and political assassinations”.
He compared the present situation with that of the 1960s when the Cuban Missile Crisis triggered hysteria in the West after the Soviet Union had deployed missiles on the Caribbean island. Accusing the US-led western military bloc North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of bypassing that situation with its large-scale missile deployment in the Russian borders, he called out the West’s hypocrisy.
Medvedev said, “it would be appropriate to remember today, how many Soviet missiles were enough for the US to start a global psychosis during the Caribbean Crisis – on the one hand, and, on another hand – how many weapons were pulled to NATO-controlled territories near Russia’s borders in such a short time span”.
Citing the aggressive actions of Russia’s enemies in the West, Medvedev said they will “effectively lead the world to the third world war, to a global catastrophe, in which there can be no winners by definition, as we all know”.
Justifying Russia’s special military operation in West and NATO-backed Ukraine, the former Russian president said, “Today, we carry out a special military operation to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of millions of people”.
Earlier, the Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko read out President Vladimir Putin’s message to the SPILF. In his message, Putin criticised the West’s rampant use of illegitimate sanctions against states that defy its diktats. He said such sanctions ignore the principles of equality of countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries and cause serious damage to the international community, destroying its very essence.
“Russia has consistently advocated for building a mutually beneficial partnership in the political sphere and matters concerning security, the economy, science, culture, and sports. We firmly believe that the rule of law and respect for the sovereignty of states are precisely what creates a solid foundation for the fairer and more democratic multipolar world order that is taking shape”, Putin said in his welcome message to the SPILF.
The 11th SPILF meeting is taking place from May 11th to 13th and has been holding dialogue on different aspects, including politics, culture, security, sports, etc.
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