The collapse of the Soviet Union is gnawing away at the Russian leadership’s self-image. Not only Kremlin leader Putin, but also former President Medvedev dream of campaigns of conquest and a reunited Greater Russia. But first, Kiev must be liberated.
Former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has hinted on Telegram at a possible annexation of Georgia and Kazakhstan. Eastern European media project Nexta reports that in one post he referred to the two countries as “artificial states” and that “all the people who lived in the once great and powerful USSR will soon live together again in friendship.” According to Nexta, Medvedev deleted the post a short time later, claiming that his Telegram account had been hacked.
- Pelosi in Taiwan, Chinese warplanes in Taiwan Strait
- Compared to the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro will feature a far superior OLED screen.
- With the most recent upgrade, ExpressVPN now functions natively on Apple silicon Macs.
- China charges the US of provocation
According to a translation, Medvedev began his post with the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the independence movement of its former member states. “The fatal mistake of the early 1990s will be corrected,” Medvedev threatened. “There is no doubt about that. We will spare no expense or effort.”
Dmitry #Medvedev published a post in which he calls #Kazakhstan and #Georgia "artificial states" and says that "all the peoples inhabiting the once great and mighty #USSR, will once again live together in friendship".
Medvedev later claimed that his account had been hacked. pic.twitter.com/TgR2l4iG2E
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 2, 2022
“Do not intend to cede these territories”.
In his eyes, the unification of the USSR has already begun. “After the liberation of Kiev and all the Little Russian territories from the nationalist gangs that have made up Ukrainian culture, Russia will be reunited, powerful and invulnerable. Just as it was 1000 years ago in the times of the ancient Russian state.”
After that, according to Medvedev, “the next campaign will begin to restore the borders of our Motherland. And these borders, you know, do not end anywhere.”
Accordingly, the Motherland includes all territories “soaked with the blood of Russian ancestors and conquered in quite a few battles over many centuries,” he further writes. “We have no plans to cede these territories.”
Medvedev then cites as an example present-day Georgia, which “did not exist at all” before Russian annexation in the 19th century, but was created within the Russian empire.
At the end of his contribution, the former Russian president turns to Kazakhstan. The Central Asian country was created in the 17th century solely through Russian settlement. This lasted for more than 300 years, Medvedev writes. “Kazakhstan is an artificial state,” he explains. But now, he says, the population of Russian origin is to be displaced by resettlement. “This can be considered genocide of Russians. We will not accept that.”
Medvedev was Russian president from 2008 to 2012 and then Russian prime minister until 2020. The 56-year-old was once seen as a liberal hopeful in the Kremlin. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, however, Vladimir Putin’s loyal henchman has attracted attention primarily with martial threats. Just two weeks ago, Medvedev threatened Ukraine with the “Last Judgment” and repeatedly fantasized about its annihilation.
