On Tuesday evening, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened NATO, according to the Reuters news agency. Medvedev says that if NATO provides Ukraine with the Patriot air defense system, as well as sending personnel to manage it, NATO will become a legitimate target for Russian military forces.
Along with hawks such as Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, Medvedev is considered one of Russia’s most prominent hardliners, often making far more extreme statements than Russian President Vladimir Putin. .
For the moment, most Western military experts believe that there is no indication that Russia would benefit from NATO involvement in the war, when Russia is already experiencing significant difficulties in Ukraine.
Patriot Talk
The Patriot air defense system became particularly relevant when Germany offered to send the relevant system to Poland after the recent missile strike, believed to be Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles. However, Poland replied that Germany could send the system to Ukraine instead.
The issue was then raised with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who said Germany’s sending of Patriots to Ukraine should be based on a national decision. In addition, he said that there are ways to conduct training in the system without sending NATO personnel to Ukraine. Stoltenberg mentioned, among other things, the Norwegian NASAMS air defense system, in which Ukrainians also received training outside Ukraine.
