Russia Threatens West With ‘preemptive Strikes’ As Nato Looks To Deliver Patriots 'as Quickly As Possible'

Top information charismatic and erstwhile president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, said Moscow should see launching "preemptive strikes" against nan West arsenic nan U.S. and its NATO friends ratchet up protect support for Ukraine.

"The statements of Western politicians connected this taxable are complete nonsense," Medvedev, lawman chair of Russia’s information council, said successful an question and reply pinch authorities media outlet Tass, according to Reuters reporting. 

"We request to enactment accordingly. To respond successful full. And if necessary, motorboat preemptive strikes," he added. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and erstwhile President Dmitry Medvedev be a furniture gathering successful Moscow, Jan. 15, 2020. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Medvedev’s comments travel conscionable 2 days aft President Donald Trump announced secondary tariffs connected Moscow by slapping 100% tariffs connected nations that acquisition Russian lipid if nan Kremlin does not participate into a bid statement pinch Ukraine wrong nan adjacent 50 days. 

Reports besides surfaced this week claiming that Trump had mulled nan anticipation of Ukraine hitting nan Russian superior while successful a telephone pinch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month. Kyiv would not remark connected nan rumor and nan White House said nan mobility was taken "out of context" and was not an effort astatine "encouraging further killing."

Trump this week said nan U.S. would beryllium sending Patriot missiles to NATO nations that would past beryllium routed to Ukraine, and connected Wednesday he suggested nan blase weaponry was already en way to Germany.

"They're already being shipped," Trump told reporters from Joint Base Andrews successful Maryland. "They're coming successful from Germany and past replaced by Germany. And successful each cases, nan United States gets paid backmost successful full."

But nan timing of nan weapons transportation systems and wherever precisely they are being routed to remains unclear arsenic a spokesperson for Germany’s defense ministry connected Thursday told reporters he had nary knowledge of specified an incoming shipment. 

"I cannot corroborate that thing is presently connected nan way. That is not known to me," nan spokesperson reportedly told Swiss broadcasting outlet SRF, earlier noting that a virtual gathering of nan Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will beryllium held connected Monday, erstwhile transportation specifications of U.S. Patriot systems will beryllium hashed out. 

Ukrainian and German soldiers train connected nan Patriot aerial defense rocket strategy astatine a subject training area successful Germany successful June 2024. (Jens Büttner/picture confederation via Getty Images)

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But nan speedy transportation of nan U.S. rocket systems appears to beryllium a apical privilege for Washington and NATO arsenic Switzerland, which is not a NATO nation, besides announced connected Thursday that its anticipated receipt of 5 Patriot batteries, purchased from nan U.S. successful 2022 pinch a pledged transportation day to statesman successful 2026, had been delayed. 

"The United States Department of Defense has informed nan (Swiss Defense Ministry) that it will reprioritize nan transportation of Patriot systems to support Ukraine, focusing connected ground-based aerial defense," nan ministry said successful a statement.

"No connection tin beryllium made astatine this shape regarding nan nonstop timing and immoderate further implications for Switzerland," nan ministry added. "Clarifications are ongoing."

Medvedev connected Thursday said nan action by NATO amounted to a full-blown warfare against Russia by nan West.

"What is happening coming is simply a proxy war, but successful principle it is simply a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, outer intelligence, etc.), sanctions packages, large statements astir nan militarization of Europe," he told nan Russian media outlet. 

Though nan push to nonstop Patriot systems and threats to punishment Moscow are important arsenic it is nan first clip since Trump entered agency that he has looked to commencement actively countering Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warfare effort, not everyone is convinced it is beardown enough. 

EU leaders earlier successful nan week commented connected nan magnitude of time nan president allotted for Putin contempt months of diplomacy failing to output existent action connected nan battlefield. 

Soldiers of nan 30th Prince Konstanty Ostrogski Mechanized Brigade occurrence a rocket from a BM-21 Grad aggregate rocket launcher astatine Russian troops positions successful nan Donetsk direction, Ukraine, connected June 3, 2025. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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And Zelenskyy noted that 50 days of waiting intends different 50 days of decease for Ukrainian citizens. 

"Fifty days, for us, is conscionable – each time is scary," Zelenskyy said successful an question and reply pinch the New York Post released connected Thursday.

"Putin has wasted President Trump’s time," he added. "I would very overmuch for illustration to spot nan United States, nan Congress and nan president put immoderate unit connected this business pinch sanctions and truthful nan sooner, nan faster it tin beryllium done, nan better."

"We would surely for illustration to velocity up this process," Zelenskyy added. "We, for our part, will activity to supply much accusation [to Trump], much arguments for beardown sanctions against Russia."

Fox News Digital could not instantly scope nan Pentagon aliases Germany's Defense Ministry for comment.