Inside the Kremlin's Megaphone: Why Medvedev is Howling
Dmitry Medvedev is back on our feeds with fresh nuclear threats and cryptic jabs at Washington. But behind the unhinged posts lies a highly calculated diplomatic script.
If you wander the corridors of European diplomacy right now, there is a singular, exhausting question echoing through the soundproof rooms: What on earth is Dmitry Medvedev up to this time?
Russia’s former president—and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council—has spent the last week saturating Telegram with a fresh barrage of apocalyptic warnings. (Yes, even by his standards, February 2026 has been a remarkably wild ride). He marked the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine war by accusing the UK and France of secretly preparing to hand over nuclear weapons to Kyiv. He chimed in on the recent US-Iran escalation by mocking the relatively short lifespan of the American empire. And he publicly stroked Donald Trump’s ego, calling him a "peacemaker" while simultaneously sneering at his relocated nuclear submarines.
But if you think this is just a rogue official losing his grip on reality, you are missing the entire plot.
"Medvedev doesn't speak because he has power. He speaks because the men with actual power need a lightning rod."
What is rarely said elsewhere is that Medvedev’s outbursts are perfectly synchronized with a terrifying geopolitical milestone. Earlier this month, the New START nuclear missile treaty quietly expired without a replacement. For the first time since the early 1970s, the world's two largest nuclear arsenals are operating with absolutely zero legal limits.
Why does this matter? Because the Kremlin is actively using Medvedev to test the diplomatic waters.
👀 [The Real Reason Behind the "Bad Cop" Routine]
Who is truly impacted by this rhetorical fallout? It is not necessarily Washington. (Trump, after all, seems perfectly content playing this bizarre game of diplomatic poker). The real victims are European capitals. They are caught in a vicious squeeze between a completely unshackled Russian nuclear posture and an American administration that often prefers bilateral backroom deals over traditional alliances.
Are we witnessing the prelude to World War III, or just the most dangerous bluff of the 21st century? The truth, whispered among defense attachés, is that even the Kremlin might not know the answer anymore.
