Putin ally warns ‘mad West’ is boosting the prospect of World War III

The ‘completely mad West’ risks a third world war by supporting Ukraine, the former Russian president has claimed.

Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a Putin ally, said ‘World War III’ was ‘fast approaching’ and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would ‘continue’.

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed new G7 security commitments to the country but warned it could not be a substitute for NATO membership.

Mr Medvedev said: ‘The completely mad West has failed to invent anything else. In fact, it is a dead end. 

‘World War III is approaching. What does all this mean for us? Everything is obvious. The special military operation will continue with the same goals.’

The ‘long term’ security package for Ukraine to help ‘end the war’ will be announced by G7 countries later today at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

In a statement echoed by the White House, the UK Government said: ‘The joint declaration, expected to be signed by all members of the G7, will set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: ‘As Ukraine makes strategic progress in their counteroffensive, and the degradation of Russian forces begins to infect Putin’s front line, we are stepping up our formal arrangements to protect Ukraine for the long term.’

Speaking after talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Zelensky said the G7 promises should be seen ‘not instead of NATO, but as security guarantees on our way to integration’.

‘We can state that the results of this summit are good, but should we receive an invitation, then that would be the optimum,’ he said.

On Tuesday, Zelensky blew up the early professions of unity at the NATO summit after he blasted allies for failing to set a firm timeline for his country to join the alliance.

He issued his complaints on Twitter after saying Ukraine would be ‘represented’ at the summit – amid indications that he would meet with President Joe Biden here, saying the presence would be about ‘respect.’

‘But Ukraine also deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine.

‘And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine’s membership,’ he said.

‘It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. 

‘While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine,’ Zelensky said.

‘And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine’s membership,’ he said.

‘It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. 

‘While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine,’ Zelensky said.

‘This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine’s membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia,’ he said. ‘And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror.’

Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hit back in a thinly-veiled warning to Kyiv after Zelensky’s tirade.

He angrily dismissed claims from Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Daria Kaleniuk that the president ‘was afraid of Russia’ by not setting out a timeline for Ukraine to join the Brussels-based military alliance.

Speaking at a side event at the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, top Biden aide Sullivan dismissed her critcism, saying ‘there has been a lot of conspiracy theorising that simply is not based on any reality whatsoever.’

‘The United States of America has stepped up to provide an enormous amount of capacity to help ensure that Ukraine’s brave soldiers have the ammunition, air defense, the infantry, fighting vehicles, the mine clearing equipment and so much else to be able to effectively defend against Russia’s onslaught and to take territory back as well.

‘I think the American people do deserve a degree of gratitude from the United States government for their willingness to step up and from the rest of the world as well.’

And in a swipe at Zelensky’s criticism of his Western allies, Sullivan said some of the charges leveled against the U.S. were ‘entirely unfounded and unjustified.’

The United States is by far the largest donor of military support to Ukraine, offering more than $46 billion worth of hardware to Kyiv, according to data from a respected German think-tank.

Last week, Mr Medvedev claimed the West must stop opposing Russia‘s aggression in Ukraine – or face nuclear war, epidemics and famine which could wipe out millions.

He said Putin would not accept any solution short of total defeat or the ‘annihilation’ of democratic Ukraine.

‘You don’t have to be a visionary to understand that the confrontation phase will be very long,’ said Medvedev, who is now deputy head of 70-year-old Putin’s security council.

‘The confrontation will last for decades. One way to resolve it is the third world war. But it is obviously bad, because the victors are not at all guaranteed further prosperity, as was the case after previous world wars. Most likely, there will simply be no winners.

He also called for Russia to suspend diplomatic relations with the UK and other countries who are siding with Kyiv. 

‘It would be better to temporarily suspend diplomatic relations with Finland and similar countries (such as Poland, the Baltic states and, of course, the UK), or at least downgrade their level for a while.’ 

Medvedev, 57, is seeking to position himself to return to the Kremlin if Putin falters or is too ill to continue in power.

Medvedev was president of Russia from 2008 to 2012, and was also the country’s longest-serving post-Communist prime minister.