Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a stark warning to Western countries, saying they should not wait for the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” but instead try to find a diplomatic solution to dealing with Russia.
Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, made the remarks during a recent interview with Al Jazeera TV when responding to a question about his May Telegram post listing 10 dire consequences of anti-Russian sanctions for the world, according to a report from the Russian state news agency TASS.
“One can have different attitudes to it, one can believe that the horsemen of the Apocalypse are already on their way and all hope is in Almighty God. However, one can still try to tone down this international situation,” the Kremlin insider said.
Medvedev, who served as prime minister in Vladimir Putin’s administration from 2012-2020 following a single four-year term as president, argued that Russia is ready to negotiate with other countries.
The country is facing an economic downturn from sanctions that have been imposed on its companies, banks and oligarchs by Western countries in a bid to force Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine, which has been raging for 100 days now.
“We are ready to have a dialogue on all issues, but a respectful one that takes into account our sovereignty, our concerns, and is aimed at creating indivisible security, not in the interests of individual countries, but indivisible security,” Medvedev told Al Jazeera.
After a series of military setbacks at the start of the invasion, Russian armed forces continued trying to capture Ukraine’s Donbas region, where they have been making incremental gains in recent days, despite encountering stiff resistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in recent remarks that Russian occupiers currently control about 20 percent of the country, but he has repeatedly rejected the idea of giving up territories in exchange for peace.
