Russia must be ready to strike West if it escalates Ukraine war, Medvedev says

By Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said connected Thursday that Russia had nary plans to onslaught NATO oregon Europe but, if the West escalated the Ukraine warfare immoderate further, past Moscow should respond and, if necessary, motorboat preemptive strikes.

The remarks by Medvedev, reported successful afloat by the TASS authorities quality agency, bespeak that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West implicit Ukraine escalating aft U.S. President Donald Trump demanded a bid woody wrong 50 days.

Both Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Trump person repeatedly cautioned implicit the escalatory risks of the war, which some Moscow and the Trump medication formed arsenic a proxy warfare betwixt the world's 2 biggest atomic powers.

Medvedev dismissed repeated NATO and Western European claims that Russia would 1 time onslaught a subordinate of the U.S.-dominated subject alliance, but besides said that Russia needed to beryllium acceptable to respond "in full" should the West propulsion immoderate further.

"The statements of Western politicians connected this taxable are implicit nonsense," Medvedev said, adding that Western officials were intentionally seeking to ratchet up tensions.

"We request to enactment accordingly. To respond successful full. And if necessary, motorboat preemptive strikes," Medvedev was quoted arsenic saying. He said that galore successful the West had "treachery successful their blood" and an outdated presumption of their ain superiority.

The Kremlin, asked astir Medvedev's remarks, said that helium had expressed his sentiment and that his concerns astir the "confrontational" situation of Europe were justified.

Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, was analysing Trump's menace to slap 100% secondary sanctions connected the purchasers of Russian exports unless Putin agreed to a bid woody successful 50 days.

Medvedev, lawman president of Russia's Security Council, formed himself arsenic a wide moderniser erstwhile helium was president from 2008 to 2012. But helium has since emerged arsenic an anti-Western Kremlin hawk. Diplomats accidental his remarks springiness an denotation of reasoning among immoderate wrong the governmental elite.

WAR RHETORIC

The United States says 1.2 cardinal radical person been injured oregon killed successful the war, Europe's deadliest struggle since World War Two.

Trump, who has repeatedly stated helium wants to extremity the war, said connected Monday that helium was "very unhappy" and "disappointed" with Putin, though helium formed his determination to nonstop weapons to Ukraine arsenic intended to jolt Russia towards peace.

Reuters reported connected Tuesday that Putin intends to support warring successful Ukraine until the West engages connected his presumption for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands whitethorn widen arsenic Russian forces advance.

Russia and the United States are by acold the world's biggest atomic powers, with astir 87% of each atomic weapons, followed by China, France, Britain, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

"What is happening contiguous is simply a proxy war, but successful essence it is simply a full-scale warfare (launches of Western missiles, outer intelligence, etc.), sanctions packages, large statements astir the militarisation of Europe," Medvedev said, according to TASS.

"It's different effort to destruct the 'historical anomaly' hated by the West - Russia, our country," helium said.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn successful Moscow; Editing by Joe Bavier)