Russia's ex-president says Moscow 'has no limits' on kinds of weapons it may use

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday that Russia may pick up any kinds of weapons to thwart threats to its security.

Deliveries of US weapons to Ukraine, aiming to push Russia to peace talks with Ukraine, will lead to "retaliation strikes" instead of negotiations, the former Russian president and prime minister said in an interview with Zvezda TV channel.

"In this case (of deliveries of modern weapons to Ukraine), there will be no talks, only retaliation strikes. The whole Ukraine, remaining under Kyiv's rule will burn," Medvedev said.

He added that people in Pentagon are more adequate than their colleagues in the White House and in Capitol as they understand the consequences.

"If Washington really wanted to end the war that it provoked, he could do it with a snap of the fingers, ordering his drugged slaves to sit down at the negotiating table. But Washington's senile people in the US administration and hawks in Congress are simply not interested in this," he said.

If Kyiv starts sticking Crimea, a response may be of any kind, as Moscow has no limits and is ready to use any kind of weapons, depending on threats, he noted.

"I can reassure you, the response will be prompt, tough, and convincing," he warned.

Medvedev said he has no sympathy to the Europeans who experience energy crisis, and that they chose themselves "wretched leaders."

"We should sympathize with our people in the Donbas and other territories that are being attacked by the Nazis.

"Euroleaders don't care about their own citizens. To please the American overlord, these dwarf rulers are ready to do anything to stay in power. At the same time, ordinary EU citizens are paying in the literal sense of the word, for sanctions, arms supplies to the Kyiv regime, support for trade wars and blockades," Medvedev said.

In a separate statement, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said US delivers to Ukraine more and more powerful weapons, which is "a deliberate escalation of the conflict."

He added that the US "puts its international authority, American taxpayers' money and the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the Ukrainian card."

Antonov said he expects that if such a policy continues, Washington may "go as far as supplying fighters to Kyiv," which would be "absolute madness."

Antonov said the US is de facto pushing Ukraine to attack on Russian regions.

The US Department of Defense on Friday announced the allocation of another package of military assistance to Ukraine totaling $2.175 billion, including small-diameter GLSDB bombs launched from the ground with a target range of about 150 kilometers (93 miles).

According to the Pentagon, since the beginning of the war, the US has allocated over $29.3 billion for military assistance to Ukraine.