Relations worse than during Cold War
Mr Medvedev said that relations between the West and Russia were now worse than even during the Cold War.
“The state of relations between the Russian Federation and the Western world, the Anglo-Saxon civilisation in the broad sense of the word, led by the United States of America, is worse than, probably, in 1960-1970, this is beyond any doubt,” he said.
Mr Medevedev is one of Mr Putin’s closest and most trusted advisers. He has previously served as Prime Minister under Mr Putin and stepped in to act as president in 2008-12 when Russia’s then-constitution demanded that Mr Putin stand aside.
Ukrainian military intelligence assessment of Russian army manoeuvres around Kyiv also show that the Kremlin wants to continue its invasion rather than retreat.
“Russian forces continue taking measures to restore the combat capability of their units, replenish ammunition, petroleum, oil and lubricants in order to prepare for the resumption of the offensive operations,” the Ukrainian military said.
Mass mobilisation
Russian men have also told The Telegraph that military recruitment centres in Russia have started to make contact with them ahead of a possible mass mobilisation of forces.
Separately, General Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, appeared in a video briefing his top military advisers for the first time in two weeks.
The normally media-friendly defence minister’s unusual absence from TV had triggered speculation that he was ill. Ukrainian ministers have been fuelling this speculation by suggesting that he had had a heart attack.
In his briefing to his advisers, Gen Shoigu urged them to keep up the steady supply of weapons and ammunition to frontline soldiers in Ukraine.
He also highlighted Russia’s eagerness to remain in the fight and to keep its nuclear arsenal at the front of its enemies’ calculations.
“We continue ahead-of-schedule delivery of weaponry and equipment by means of credits,” he said, referring to the impact of the Western sanctions. “The priorities are long-range, high-precision weapons, aircraft equipment and maintenance of engagement readiness of strategic nuclear forces.”
