Dmitry Medvedev mocked French President Emmanuel Macron's warning that Russia poses a threat, saying that the French leader poses no danger to anyone and will not be missed by anyone once he retires from public life, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“Russia has become, as I speak, a threat to France and Europe in the years to come“, Macron said“, Medvedev wrote in an English-language comment on his profile on the social network “Ex“. “Micron itself does not pose a big threat. It will disappear forever no later than May 14, 2027. "And no one will miss it," the former president and current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council said, misspelling the French president's name.
Last night, in a nationally televised address to the nation, Macron said Europe must confront the threat posed by Russia and proposed a discussion on extending the protection provided by the Fifth Republic's nuclear arsenal to European partners.
"Russia has become a threat to France and Europe," Macron said, adding that "it would be madness to stand by and do nothing."
Medvedev was considered a liberal when he was president between 2008 and 2012, but has since become a staunch hawk on Russian foreign policy.
A Russian missile hit a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Krivoy Rog on Tuesday night, killing two people and seriously wounding 28 others, the regional governor said, as quoted by Reuters and BTA.
Sergey Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said on the social network "Telegram" that a child was among the injured. He added that several people were seriously injured.
Rescue services said that 14 people had been rescued from the rubble of the building. They posted on the social network "Telegram" photos of their teams making their way through the rubble around the hotel, part of which was badly damaged.
Olexander Vilkul, head of the city's military administration, said on "Telegram" that the rocket had made a direct hit on the building, causing a fire. He said more people may be buried under the rubble and warned of a possible new Russian strike in the same area.
Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the three-year war pitting Kiev against Moscow.
The European Council will discuss the changes in the international environment related to security, defense and Ukraine at its second extraordinary meeting in Brussels this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to join the talks, BTA reported.
The heads of state and government of the EU countries will discuss the European Commission's proposals for rearmament. They will exchange views on the possibilities for achieving peace in Ukraine and the differences in the positions of the EU and the United States. The meeting is not expected to discuss the proposal to send European peacekeepers to Ukraine.
The EU insists on achieving a just and lasting peace, the meeting documents note. It is added that the meeting will discuss options for additional support for Kiev and security guarantees, including with regard to the European contribution.
It is reported that so far the EU has provided nearly 135 billion euros for Ukraine, of which 50 billion euros for the Ukrainian armed forces. This year, European support is expected to reach another 30 billion euros.
The participants in the meeting will discuss specific options for financial support for European defense. Between 2021 and 2024, defense spending by EU countries increased by 30 percent, amounting to 326 billion. euros and make up about 1.9 percent of GDP, the documents show.
European Council President Antonio Costa will present the results of today's meeting to representatives of the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Turkey tomorrow.