A top Russian official on Tuesday offered a grim warning to the West, firing back at U.S. and European economic sanctions on Moscow and saying such moves could spark a full-scale war.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded on Twitter to comments from French officials who said their country had essentially declared economic war on Russia.
“Today, some French minister has said that they declared an economic war on Russia. Watch your tongue, gentlemen! And don’t forget that in human history, economic wars quite often turned into real ones,” Mr. Medvedev said.
The U.S. and its NATO allies in recent days have unleashed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine, sparking a steep decline in the value of the ruble and fueling fears of a broader economic collapse across Russia.
The U.S. and European Union have ramped up weapons deliveries to Ukraine but have rejected calls to send troops to the front lines.
Russia’s assault has been met with stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces during the first six days of fighting, but a massive Russian military convoy is nearing the country’s capital, Kyiv.
And Russian forces on Tuesday reportedly launched a major attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.