Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently delivered a speech that raised eyebrows and concerns across Europe. Standing before a sizable map of the continent, Medvedev showcased what he claimed were the new borders of Poland, significantly encroaching upon Ukrainian territories. In a bid to sway his audience, the Russian figure attempted to assert that the country supposedly targeted by Putin’s aggression simply ceases to exist.
Addressing attendees at the Russian “Knowledge Marathon,” Medvedev asserted boldly, “Russia’s adversaries must recognize that any endeavour to annex territories integral to Russian borders is bound to fail,” as declared by the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
Medvedev’s controversial remarks did not stop there. He doubled down on his assertion that “Ukraine is essentially Russia, a mere extension of the motherland,” painting the citizens of Ukraine as inhabitants of a “collapsed state.” Furthermore, he rationalized Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine as a “unique circumstance,” rather than a blatant occupation of sovereign territory. He went as far as to label the invasion as a “necessary response to the policies of the Bandera regime and the Western bloc.”
Quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Medvedev echoed the sentiment that “Russia’s borders extend indefinitely.”
However, it was Medvedev’s presentation of a peculiar map that truly captured media attention, including that of the Ukrainian Independent News Agency. The map illustrated Ukraine post-“partitioning,” with a significant portion of its territory purportedly “allocated” to Poland. Additionally, the borders of neighbouring countries such as Romania and Hungary appeared expanded.
Remarkably, this map was not a novel creation but rather a reiteration of similar proposals put forth by Medvedev back in 2022. At that time, the former Russian president attributed such geopolitical visions to “Western analysts,” though he refrained from disclosing their identities.