Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, warned that "Moscow's confrontation with the West will last for decades, and its conflict with Ukraine may become permanent." In an article for the government newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta," Medvedev stated that the tensions between Russia and the West are much worse than during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, when the world was on the brink of a nuclear confrontation.
Medvedev mentioned that "a nuclear war is very possible, but it is unlikely to yield any winners." He also emphasized that "Moscow is committed to preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, and our goal is to eliminate the threat of Ukraine's membership in the alliance, which we will achieve one way or another." He continued, stating that due to NATO's rules concerning the non-admission of countries involved in regional conflicts, the conflict with Ukraine may indeed become permanent, given the existential threat it poses to Moscow.
Medvedev pointed out that "the only way to ease tensions between Russia and the West is to engage in serious negotiations."
