Joe Biden is “trying to start World War Three”, Russia’s former President and PM Dimitry Medvedev has claimed as Nato missiles are set to be placed on the Russian border.
Biden opened his State of the Union address on Thuesday by drawing a direct comparison between himself and his forebear in office, Franklin Roosevelt – as well as between Vladimir Putin and Hitler.
The president said: “I address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union: Hitler was on the march. War was raging in Europe.
“President Roosevelt’s purpose was to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary moment.
Medvedev's claims are the latest in an ongoing verbal spat over Nato missile deployments
Reuters/Nato
“Now it is we who face an unprecedented moment in the history of the Union… Putin of Russia is on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond.
“If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not.”
Biden was keen to stress his goal to keep American boots off the ground in Ukraine, but pushed lawmakers to pass a bill for extra assistance to the country.
But Medvedev had strong words for the Potus, and took to social media to voice his displeasure with the address.
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Joe Biden compared himself to Roosevelt and Putin to Hitler in his State of the Union address
ReutersHe said: “In the State of the Union address, Biden compared himself with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That’s a so-so comparison. Obviously, not in his favour.
“First, even though Roosevelt was an infirm man in a wheelchair, he raised America from the Depression; Biden, on the other hand, is a mad, mentally disabled individual who set his mind on dragging humanity to hell.
“Second, Roosevelt together with allies including the USSR, was fighting for peace; yet, Biden is actively and persistently trying to start WWIII.
“Third, Roosevelt was fighting against fascists, but Biden is fighting for them. He is the United States’ disgrace!”
Medvedev also took aim at French President Emmanuel Macron online
ReutersMedvedev’s condemnation of Biden came as Nato member Lithuania formally announced its deployment of the bloc’s “rotational air defence system” – the first for a Baltic state, the three of which are pressed against the Russian border.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas confirmed the move in a press conference in capital city Vilnius – where it was planned in 2023 – but did not specify which fellow Nato allies would be providing the missiles.
Anušauskas said: “This year, the rotational air defence system will finally become operational – at least part of it.
“Our goal is to have a rotation similar to the air policing mission. Countries change countries, things move, things come to Lithuania, things go out of Lithuania.
“The expectation is that this principle would not be a one-off thing for several months, but would cover all of our calendar months and significantly increase our air defence capabilities.”
The announcement comes after a prolonged period of verbal sabre-rattling between Nato and Russian officials on weapons provision to Ukraine.
In another social media outburst, Medvedev issued a chilling threat to Emmanuel Macron, who had said “there are no more red lines, there are no more limits” to supporting Ukraine against Russia.
The former Russian leader retorted: “Russia has no more red lines left for France. In hostem omnia licita [against the enemy, everything is legal].”