Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued a stark warning to former U.S. President Donald Trump, cautioning that reckless rhetoric about Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to World War III. This warning followed Trump's remarks accusing Putin of "playing with fire" amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump recently stated he would "absolutely" consider implementing new sanctions against Moscow in response to recent missile and drone attacks in Ukraine that resulted in multiple casualties. These attacks have escalated tensions as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict face challenges.
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Medvedev wrote, "Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia, I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!" Medvedev served as Russia's President from 2008 to 2012 and later as Prime Minister until 2020.
Trump expressed frustration over his inability to end the war swiftly, which he had previously claimed could be resolved within 24 hours. Following Russia's drone strikes that killed at least 13 people, Trump warned Putin of serious repercussions, although he did not detail the nature of these consequences.
Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal and CNN suggest that Trump is contemplating new sanctions against Russia as early as this week. Despite the rising tensions, the Russian government did not officially respond to Trump's recent comments but has blamed Ukraine for impeding peace negotiations, accusing Kyiv of increased strikes against Russian civilians and interference in diplomatic efforts.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow claims to have intercepted nearly 150 Ukrainian drones, including 33 targeting Moscow itself. The situation remains volatile as international pressure mounts to find a resolution.
