A deranged ally of Vladimir Putin today warned “World War 3 is getting closer” as NATO leaders signed off on a security package for Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev – one of Putin’s closest supporters – claimed the world was hurtling towards an all-out conflict over the “completely mad” West’s fresh backing of Ukraine at the NATO summit.
But Medvedev, who serves as the deputy secretary of the Kremlin’s powerful Security Council, insisted aid would not stop Russia from achieving its goals in the war-torn country.
Taking to Telegram as the first day of the NATO summit in Lithuania wrapped up, Medvedev said: “The completely mad West could not come up with anything else.
“In fact, it’s a dead end. World War 3 is getting closer. What does all this mean for us? Everything is obvious. The special military operation will continue with the same goals.”
But in a defiant move, G7 countries today signed a joint declaration at the NATO summit in Vilnius – pledging to stand by Ukraine for “as long as it takes” yet stopping short of a NATO invitation.
Leaders from the UK, US, Japan, Canada, France, Germany and Italy set out a pact promising security assistance and modern military equipment, prioritising air defence, artillery and long-range fires, armoured vehicles and other key capabilities, such as air combat.
Ukraine’s military equipment will increasingly be brought into “interoperability with Euro-Atlantic partners”.
The UK’s side of the bargain will see more Ukrainian pilots trained in Britain.
No 10 said the precise offer for each country will be set out in their bilateral agreements.
In a joint declaration signed by G7 leaders, they said: “We will stand with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, for as long as it takes.
“We stand united in our enduring support for Ukraine, rooted in our shared democratic values and interests, above all, respect for the UN Charter and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The group said the mission was to “ensure a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future”.
Plans are also in place to boost Kyiv’s defence industry, commit to more training exercises and provide support for cyber defence and resilience initiatives.
G7 countries are also pledging to help Ukraine meet the reforms asked of it to become a NATO member.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it marked a “new high point” in international support for Ukraine.
He thinks it will send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has the potential to bring an end to the conflict in Eastern Europe.
The security pledge comes after Volodymyr Zelensky was warned the UK wasn’t an “Amazon delivery service for weapons”, Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace said.
Wallace said last summer he drove 11 hours to Ukraine only to be presented with a list of requested supplies – and told them: “I’m not Amazon.”
“There is a slight word of caution here, which whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude.”
He said Zelensky was fighting a “noble war” but had to persuade uneasy American congressmen and “doubting politicians” that it was worth helping him.
Shortly afterwards the Ukrainian leader sent a gushing tweet saying he was “grateful” for the UK’s support.
It follows a heated discussion on Tuesday, where Zelensky slammed the “absurd” dithering over Ukraine joining NATO and accused Western leaders of freezing him out of talks.
The wartime President rocked the first day of the alliance’s annual summit with furious claims that there was “no readiness” for his country to become a member.
Mr Sunak insisted he wanted to see “demonstrable progress” on a pathway for Ukraine to join the security pact.
But other premiers including Joe Biden have appeared more hesitant and hinted that Ukrainian membership would be far into the future.
Zelensky’s outburst failed to move NATO allies to agree on an accelerated timetable for membership.
Western leaders talked about membership progression – agreed in principle in 2008 – during the gathering in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.
Meanwhile, Medvedev has repeatedly threatened nuclear war amid rising tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine war.
Just weeks ago, he warned the risk of nuclear oblivion is edging closer as humanity stands on the brink of World War 3.
He told an audience in Moscow the West was to blame for taking the world to the brink of Armageddon.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has doubled down on Medvedev’s latest threats – insisting that providing Ukraine with help would have “very, very negative consequences”.
He said: “By providing any security guarantees to Ukraine, these countries are actually ignoring the international principle of the indivisibility of security.
“That is, by providing security guarantees to Ukraine, they encroach on the security of the Russian Federation.”
