[Reported by Zhao Jiandong] According to the New York Times and Russia’s Gazeta.ru, Medvedev, the Vice Chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded to the remarks of NATO Secretary-General Lute on July 5th about the so-called threats posed by Russia and China. Medvedev said that the only thing Lute got right was that he should learn Russian, which might be useful in the future.
The New York Times reported that Lute expressed concerns about the cooperation between Russia and China during a recent interview with the media, claiming that mainland China might “attack Taiwan”. Russian media reported that Lute did not provide any evidence to support his claims. He also warned that if EU countries do not increase defense spending, they “might have to learn Russian in the future.”
In response to Lute’s remarks, Medvedev posted on social media platform X: “Secretary-General Lute obviously overindulged on the ‘magic mushrooms’ that are popular in the Netherlands. He imagined a ‘cooperation’ between China and Russia on the Taiwan issue, followed by an invasion of Europe by Russia.” Medvedev sarcastically added, “But he got one thing right – he really should learn Russian, which might be useful in a Siberian labor camp.”
On the same day, Putin, a member of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament), also expressed his views on Lute’s remarks. Putin said that Lute’s comments on Russia’s interaction with China in the context of Western conflicts were “the main political nonsense of the year.”