One of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has delivered a stark warning to European countries supporting Ukraine, cautioning them against deploying troops to eastern Europe as part of any future peace arrangement.
Dmitry Medvedev, who previously served as Russia’s president and prime minister and now holds the post of Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, issued the warning in a post on X (formerly Twitter). His comments were aimed at European leaders, including those in the UK and France, who have discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine under a post-war security framework.
In his post, Medvedev accused European governments of deliberately pushing the continent toward war. He reiterated Moscow’s long-standing position that it will not accept the presence of European or NATO troops in Ukraine under any circumstances. Using mocking language to single out French President Emmanuel Macron, Medvedev suggested that Russia would respond forcefully if such plans move forward. Alongside the post, he shared a video that he claimed showed CCTV footage of an Oreshnik missile strike in Ukraine’s Lviv region, reportedly filmed late on January 8, according to Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
This is not the first time Medvedev has issued inflammatory warnings in recent weeks. Just days earlier, he directed sharp comments at Finland, accusing the country of “Russophobia.” The remarks followed a New Year’s address by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who said Finland’s relationship with Russia had been permanently altered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Stubb described Russia’s actions as illegal, immoral, and aggressive, and questioned whether the Kremlin was genuinely interested in peace.
In response, Medvedev posted that he agreed Finland’s relationship with Russia had changed forever, adding that he hoped Russia would never repeat what he described as the Bolsheviks’ mistake of 1917. That reference pointed to the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, when Finland then a Grand Duchy under Russian rule declared independence during the resulting power vacuum.
Medvedev has a long record of issuing aggressive rhetoric toward NATO countries. Last year, he warned that states which recently joined the alliance had automatically made themselves targets for Russian military action, including the possibility of retaliatory strikes involving nuclear weapons.
His latest comments come amid renewed diplomatic moves by Western powers. On January 6, the UK and France announced a joint declaration pledging that they could deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the proposal as a key element of a long-term commitment to Ukraine, following a meeting of what has been called the “Coalition of the Willing” in Paris.
According to the declaration, a proposed “multinational force for Ukraine” would function as a security presence to support Ukraine’s stability after the war, help enforce security guarantees, and assist in rebuilding the country’s own armed forces.
Russia has reacted angrily to these ideas. Shortly after the announcement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the declaration was incompatible with a genuine peace settlement and warned that any Western troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate military targets.
Together, these statements underline how sharply opposed Moscow remains to any Western military role in Ukraine, even in a post-conflict scenario, and highlight the continued risk of escalation as diplomatic efforts and security planning move forward.
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