The former Russian president was responding to suggestions of such a deployment floated recently by the UK and France
The deployment of “peacekeepers” from NATO member states to Ukraine would trigger an all-out war between the military bloc and Moscow, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned.
In recent weeks, the leaders of the UK and France have ramped up discussions about such a mission.
In a post on X on Sunday, Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, stated that French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “are playing dumb.”
“Time and again they are told that peacekeepers must be from non-NATO states. No, we will send tens of thousands – just lay it out – you want to give military aid to the neo-Nazis in Kiev,” Medvedev charged.
“That means war with NATO. Consult with [US President Donald] Trump, scumbags,” he concluded.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously similarly argued that the deployment of NATO military personnel to Ukraine, even under the guise of peacekeepers, would be tantamount to the “direct, official, undisguised involvement of NATO countries in the war against Russia.”
Earlier this month, Starmer announced that Britain and France were ready to lead a “coalition of the willing” to provide military support to Kiev, including the deployment of troops and aircraft. Speaking following an emergency summit in London, he said that “not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency.”
“The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others,” Starmer further clarified.
Macron said Western troops would arrive in Ukraine only if and when the situation on the ground was safe for them.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attended the meeting along with several other leaders, stressed that “the presence of Italian troops in Ukraine has never been on the agenda.”
In contrast, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that Ottawa was considering all possible options and was not ruling out sending troops to Ukraine.
Reiterating his readiness to deploy British military personnel to the conflict zone, Starmer told Parliament earlier this month that this effort would be contingent on securing US backing.
On Monday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told DR radio that “if it comes to the point where a European presence is needed for a ceasefire or peace agreement to be reached, then Denmark is in principle prepared for that.”
Commenting on the prospect of NATO troops arriving in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last month that such a development would be “completely unacceptable to us,” citing the ramifications it would have for Russia’s national security.
Russia to insist on Ukraine’s neutral status, NATO’s non-admission to achieve peace deal
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, concrete security guarantees should be the part of the agreement
MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russia will be insisting on the provision of security guarantees in order to ink a peace treaty and they include the neutral status of Ukraine and its refusal to join NATO, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
“If we speak about a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, then it will definitely have an external contour,” Grushko said in an interview with Russia’s daily Izvestia. “We will be insisting that concrete security guarantees should be the part of this agreement.”
“It is because that only through their formation it will be possible to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine and generally strengthen security in the region,” he continued. “Ukraine’s neutral status and NATO member states’ refusal to admit this country as a member of the alliance must be the part of such guarantees.”.
Moscow invites Musk to collaborate on Mars exploration
Sovereign wealth fund head and economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev has proposed a joint Russia-US Mars expedition to Elon Musk
Russian sovereign wealth fund head Kirill Dmitriev has pitched a US-Russia partnership for Mars exploration to Elon Musk. In a post on X on Saturday, Dmitriev, who has also taken on the role of chief economic envoy in the US-Russia talks, noted the importance of space collaboration between the two countries “for the glory of humanity.”
Dmitriev’s remarks came in response to Musk’s announcement of a planned 2026 Mars mission. The SpaceX founder stated that the company’s Starship spacecraft is set to depart for Mars next year and will be carrying a Tesla humanoid bot called Optimus. Musk also suggested that human landings on Mars could begin as early as 2029.
“Shall 2029 be the year of a joint US-Russia mission to Mars, @elonmusk? Our minds & technology should serve the glory of humanity, not its destruction,” Dmitriev wrote. He also noted that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first crewed international space mission carried out jointly by then-spaceflight rivals, the US and the Soviet Union, in July 1975.
Musk has not yet publicly responded to Dmitriev’s proposal, but the idea has garnered a slew of positive reactions from X users.
The proposal comes amid a thaw in relations between Moscow and Washington following years of tensions over the Ukraine conflict. Dmitriev was part of the Russian delegation at the high-level US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia last month, which marked the first direct diplomatic contact between the two states since 2022. The meeting ended with both sides signaling a readiness to restart economic and diplomatic cooperation and join forces in resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Despite the conflict and Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, space cooperation between the US and Russia has not been severed. For instance, NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos recently extended their agreement on cross-flights to the International Space Station through 2026.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that domestic companies should collaborate with Musk once the billionaire shifts his focus back to science from government reform. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has appointed Musk as an adviser leading the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) charged with cutting wasteful spending, bureaucracy, and corruption in US government.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Russian envoy in conversation with Hamas urges release of Donbass native Kharkin
“The conversation focused primarily on the evolving situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated
MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov emphasized the necessity of releasing hostages in Gaza, including a Donbass native, Maxim Kharkin, during a meeting with Hamas leadership in Doha, as stated in a news release from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“On March 16 in Doha, the special representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and African countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, met with Mohammad Ismail Darwish, the chairman of the governing council of Hamas, as well as with deputy chairmen of the Hamas Political Bureau, Khaled Mashal and Mousa Abu Marzouk,” the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.
During the discussion, the urgent need for the swift release of all hostages in Gaza, including Donbass native Maxim Kharkin, was reaffirmed.
“The conversation focused primarily on the evolving situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. In particular, the issues surrounding the implementation of the ceasefire and detainee exchange agreement concluded between Hamas and Israel on January 15 were examined in detail,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. “In this context, the Russian side once again stressed the importance of both parties adhering strictly to all their commitments during the current and subsequent phases of this agreement.”
Bogdanov also highlighted “the illegality of the Israeli authorities’ decision to cut off electricity supply to the Palestinian enclave, which constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
“During discussions on restoring Palestinian national unity, the Russian diplomacy reaffirmed its readiness to assist in unifying all Palestinian political forces and movements under the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization,” the news release added.
In his conversation with Hamas, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister also reiterated “Moscow’s unwavering support for a just resolution to the Palestinian issue based on universally recognized international legal standards, which call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”.
Russia, Qatar have opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy
Denis Manturov also noted that Russia is open to discussing joint projects in the peaceful application of atomic technology, especially in the medical field
DOHA, March 16. /TASS/. Russia and Qatar have significant opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, according to Denis Manturov, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister. He made these remarks during the 5th meeting of the joint Russia-Qatar commission on trade, economic, and technical cooperation.
“I would like to emphasize the potential for collaboration in the renewable energy sector, particularly given the strong capabilities of Russian companies in wind and solar generation,” Manturov stated. “Today, Russia has developed a modern production line for photovoltaic converters with a remarkable efficiency rate of approximately 25%.”
He also noted that Russia is open to discussing joint projects in the peaceful application of atomic technology, especially in the medical field.
“Overall, this industry represents one of the most promising avenues for trade and economic cooperation between our countries,” Manturov concluded.
Lavrov urges to halt use of force in Red Sea during talk with Rubio
The parties also “discussed specific issues regarding the implementation of the mutual understanding reached during the meeting of high-ranking Russian and US officials on February 18 in Riyadh.
MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov and informed him about the US decision to launch a military operation against the Houthis in the Red Sea region; Lavrov responded by indicating the need to cease the use of force, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“On March 15, at the initiative of the American side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the talk, the US reported its decision to launch a military operation against the Houthi forces in the Red Sea region,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“In response to the reasoning presented by the American side, Sergey Lavrov emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force and the importance of all parties engaging in political dialogue to find a solution that prevents further bloodshed,” the ministry stated.
The parties also “discussed specific issues regarding the implementation of the mutual understanding reached during the meeting of high-ranking Russian and US officials on February 18 in Riyadh. Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio agreed to maintain contact.”
On Saturday night, the Al Masirah TV channel, controlled by the Houthis from the Ansar Allah movement, reported that Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, had come under airstrikes. Later, US President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered military operations against Ansar Allah. According to the Al Hadath TV channel, the strikes targeted the headquarters of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, as well as weapons warehouses and rebel command centers in Sanaa. The US also carried out strikes on Yemeni rebel targets in the Saada, Dhamar, and Al Bayda governorates.
According to the latest figures from Al Jazeera, the number of victims of US airstrikes on Yemen has reached 24, with at least 13 people injured.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Almost 400 people evacuated from Sudzha district of Kursk Region
The Russian Emergencies Ministry press service emphasized that evacuees are receiving all necessary support, including food, medical examinations, and aid
MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. A total of 395 residents from the Sudzha district of the Kursk Region have been evacuated in accordance with the regulations of the counter-terrorist operation regime, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported to TASS.
“The evacuation of residents from the Sudzha district of the Kursk Region is ongoing. As of 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (3:00 p.m. GMT) on March 16, 395 individuals have been evacuated from the border area by the Emergencies Ministry, Defense Ministry, and other agencies,” the news release stated.
The press service emphasized that evacuees are receiving all necessary support, including food, medical examinations, and aid. Psychologists from the Emergencies Ministry are providing assistance to survivors of the Ukrainian incursion at temporary accommodation centers.
Some 30 Officers From NATO Countries Surrounded in Kursk Region
DONETSK (Sputnik) – About 30 officers from NATO countries, who have been providing coordinates for Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia, are surrounded in the Kursk Region, the coordinator of the pro-Russian underground network in Nikolayev Sergey Lebedev told Sputnik.
“According to the information of the underground network, there are about 30 NATO career officers, who were engaged in commanding troops on the ground as well as handling incoming intelligence data from NATO satellites and adjusting strikes deep into Russian territory, are surrounded in the Kursk Region” Lebedev said.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said at a command meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this past Wednesday that Russian forces had liberated over 86% of the territory, or 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles), previously occupied by Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk Region. He said Ukrainian troops were encircled in the Kursk Region and were being gradually eliminated, while Russian forces advanced into Ukraine’s Sumy Region across several segments of the border.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said that he “strongly requested” Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers currently surrounded in the Kursk Region. Putin said he would guarantee Ukrainian servicepeople life and decent treatment if they lay down their arms.
Kiev rejects Putin’s offer of mercy for troops in Kursk
Ukraine’s forces in Kursk Region will continue fighting, FM Andrey Sibiga has said, despite the troops being largely encircled
Ukraine’s forces in Russia’s Kursk Region will continue their operations, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga stated in an interview on Saturday, despite the troops being largely encircled, according to both Moscow and Washington.
Speaking with Japan’s NHK, Sibiga claimed that Kiev had achieved its main objectives in the offensive but sees having a continued presence on Russian territory as providing leverage in future peace negotiations.
Ukraine launched its incursion across the internationally recognized Russian border into Kursk Region last August, capturing the town of Sudzha and numerous villages. However, the Russian military quickly halted the advance and has since been reclaiming lost ground. Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday that 86% of the land previously occupied by Ukrainian forces had been retaken, leaving the remaining troops “encircled” and “isolated.”
“As officially announced by General [Aleksandr] Syrsky, we are continuing the operation in Kursk Region and will continue to do so,” Sibiga stated.
“The operation in Kursk Region is an important factor and a key point of discussion in future peace negotiations,” he added.
The fate of the Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk was addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, he said that he was open to the idea of a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington and Kiev at their recent talks in Saudi Arabia but stressed that the issue of the incursion forces, among others, must be resolved before Moscow could agree.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that “thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military and in a very bad and vulnerable position” in Kursk Region and urged Moscow to “spare” their lives. In response, Putin offered the servicemen guaranteed safety and merciful treatment if they surrender.
Kiev, meanwhile, has staunchly denied that its forces in Kursk Region are surrounded. In a post on Telegram on Saturday, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged that the situation in the area is “difficult” for Ukraine but stated that “there is no encirclement of our troops.”
INSIGHTS
Why a ceasefire in Ukraine is easier said than done
Putin remains open to a Ukraine ceasefire but seeks clarity on certain issues; whether the West has answers remains to be seen
With the caveat that if everything the American and Russian negotiators are discussing behind the scenes regarding peace in Ukraine is not known, one can make a reasonable assessment of how things stand based on public statements made not only by the US and Russia, but also the Ukrainian and European leadership, as well as some inbuilt difficulties in reaching a peaceful settlement – because with regard to the end game in Ukraine, the views and interests of the parties involved differ deeply.
US and Russia officials met in Riyadh on February 18 following a conversation between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The meeting had a broader agenda that went beyond the issue of Ukraine, and understandably so, because the Ukraine conflict is rooted in US security policies in Europe which the Russians have viewed as a threat to national security. Inevitably, therefore, the search for a resolution to the conflict has to be embedded in efforts to improve US-Russia relations in general.
Accordingly, at the Riyadh meeting, the two sides agreed to take steps to normalize the operations of their respective diplomatic missions and lay the groundwork for future cooperation on geopolitical issues and for economic and investment opportunities following the end of the Ukraine conflict, for which high level teams will begin working on a path to achieve in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides.
After a meeting between Trump and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in the White House turned into a fiasco, US and Ukrainian delegations met in Riyadh on March 11. At the White House meeting, Zelensky maintained his hardline posture on fighting the Russians, refusing any recourse to diplomacy to end the conflict, instead insisting on obtaining security guarantees from the US. In Riyadh – after the US temporarily blocked arms supplies and intelligence sharing – Zelensky discarded his obstinate position and agreed to an immediate ceasefire for 30 days.
The joint statement issued on the occasion has nuances of interest. The intention is to “enact” an immediate ceasefire, which normally would mean that it cannot be ‘immediate’, as the details of what goes into the ceasefire arrangement would have to be clarified. The US, according to the joint statement, will communicate to Moscow that Russian reciprocity is the key to peace. But reciprocity in what time frame is the question?
The approach taken suggests that Zelensky is now genuinely wedded to peace, but that if Russia wants to discuss the conditions associated with the ceasefire and the next steps required to achieve peace that is “enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all sides,” Putin would be rejecting peace.
Without waiting for a Russian response, the US has announced in this joint statement that it will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. This means once again buttressing Ukraine’s capacity to fight and wielding a stick against Russia. The US has also legitimized in principle the Ukrainian demand for the “return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children,” which is a way for Ukraine to claim sovereignty over the people in the regions in the east now claimed by Russia following referendums. This is also a loaded issue as it was used by the International Criminal Court to egregiously declare Putin a war criminal.
On the issue of long term security for Ukraine, the American and Ukrainian delegations will hold negotiations and the specific proposals that emerge will be discussed by the US with Russia. What these specific proposals are is unclear, as Trump has repeatedly rejected the idea of Ukraine joining NATO or receiving security guarantees from America, as this would open the door to a direct clash with Russia in the future. Trump believes that a deal on mineral resources with Ukraine will guarantee its long term security. The Ukrainians are determined to use Europe as a counterbalance to US pressure on them, and hence in the joint statement, the Ukrainians have insisted that the Europeans should be involved in the peace process.
The course of peace in Ukraine is beset by many problems. The issue extends beyond Ukraine’s security – it is equally, if not more, about Russia’s security, which ultimately drove its decision to take military action. At the heart of this has been NATO’s eastward expansion, the regime change in Ukraine provoked by the US, the capture of power in Ukraine by what Russia sees as forces wedded to a Nazi-like ideology and hostile to anything Russian, and so on. The declared goals of Russia’s military operation are the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.
These goals are unlikely to be met. On the contrary, Zelensky is seen as an embodiment of Ukrainian resistance and continues to be lionized. If he was rebuffed by Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, the European leaders collectively embraced and honored him immediately after his US visit, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arranging for him to be received by King Charles, which could be interpreted as a snub to Trump. If Trump has called Zelensky a dictator and advocated for elections in Ukraine, the Europeans do not question his democratic credentials and see him as fully legitimate.
Peace in Europe, and durably in Ukraine, cannot be achieved if Europe is preparing for a long term confrontation with Russia. In early March, the EU decided on a massive €800 billion re-armament program, a five-part plan to bolster Europe’s defense industry and increase its military capability and help provide urgent military support for Ukraine The member states would be given more fiscal space for defense investments, as well as €150 billion in loans for those investments.
On March 11, in a meeting in Paris of 34 countries, French President Emmanuel Macron called on European and NATO military chiefs to draw up a plan “to define credible security guarantees” for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire and throw their full weight behind Ukraine. Macron has joined with Starmer to lead efforts to form a “coalition of the willing” to enforce an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine and give security guarantees to Ukraine that, according to the Elysée, should be “credible and long-term, and should be accompanied by unfailing support for the Ukrainian army.”
Earlier, the French defense minister stated that any form of demilitarization of Ukraine would be rejected. Starmer ratcheted up his rhetoric against Russia, saying on March 13 that “Putin’s appetite for conflict and for chaos is already there, and it will only grow,” and that Russia “is already menacing our skies, our waters, our streets and our national security.”
Differences between the US and Europe on NATO could mean less pressure on Russia on the NATO front. Whatever its defense plans, it will take many years for Europe to build its defense capabilities. Europe does not have a standing European army with a single command structure and collectively defined war plans or strategy outside of NATO.
On the other hand, with the US unable to discipline Europe, the security headaches for Russia will take a new turn. The EU leadership is profoundly hostile to Russia, whether it is the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas, the EU commissioner for defense and space, Andrius Kubilius, etc. This will make peace understandings with Russia that much more difficult in the European framework.
Trump himself is a problem as he is wont to air his views publicly on sensitive matters rather than leaving his emissaries to conduct talks discreetly away from media glare, often contradicting himself, and being accommodating and threatening at intervals. He is constantly doing this on the Ukraine issue. He is a player, commentator, and umpire at the same time. Russia’s challenge is to keep him engaged, as he seems to genuinely want to end the conflict, and not alienate him, but at the same time protect Russia’s fundamental interests, even if means dissonance with Trump’s expansive positions.
Putin has tailored his approach as well as possible by remaining open to a ceasefire while seeking clarifications and answers to obvious questions that arise, which he has spelled out to the press. The uniform statement coming from the West is that the ball is in Putin’s court. Putin has to put the ball right back in the US and Ukraine’s court. Hostile forces in the West will promote a narrative against him, with Zelensky already claiming that Putin does not want peace. Let’s see how this plays out. Bridging the differences in interests and perspectives between the various sides will not be easy.
