Putin Ally Threatens NATO Countries With 'Special Ammunition'

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has seemingly warned North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries on Friday that a response over statements made by United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary David Cameron will be delivered with "special ammunition."

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, tensions between the military alliance and the Kremlin have continued as NATO leaders have increasingly warned that direct conflict with Moscow is a realistic danger. This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials have repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation against Kyiv and its Western partners since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and close ally to Putin took to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday to respond to comments made by Cameron, who served as U.K. prime minister from 2010 to 2016, as he seemingly threatened to deliver a response with "special ammunition."

"A certain Mr. Cameron has called for fighting Putin to the bitter end...Bear in mind that those who handle the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles are not the halfwits dressed in embroidered shirts, but the British and French. Under certain circumstances the response will be delivered not only to Kiev, and it won't contain plain explosives but special ammunition as well," he wrote.

He added: "As for fighting Putin, in other words, fighting Russia...I don't have a printable response except maybe this one. David, you'd better watch what you say. Otherwise... No, I won't say that. It would also sound obscene ."

Although it's unclear which statements made by Cameron Medvedev is specifically referring to, the foreign secretary spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war on Thursday in a speech, stating that a tougher stance is needed against Putin's efforts.

"We need to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world. If Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late only spurs an aggressor on. This cannot go on. We need to be tougher and more assertive," Cameron said.

Meanwhile, in response to Medvedev's remarks a UK government spokesperson said in an email to Newsweek on Sunday evening that its government will continue to work with allies to "deter and defend" against all threats coming from Russia.

"Russia poses an acute threat to our national security. The Government takes its obligation to protect our people, places, and values, very seriously. We will actively deter and defend against the full spectrum of threats emanating from Russia, working in partnership with our allies," the spokesperson said.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

This is not the first time Russia has taken aim at Cameron's comments over the Russia-Ukraine war.

Last week, the Kremlin fired back at the U.K. over statements made by Cameron during an official visit to Kyiv in which he appeared to give a green light to Ukraine using newly-supplied British weapons on targets inside Russia.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Cameron said.

The U.K. is one of Europe's top suppliers of military assistance to Ukraine in the war. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also vowed to continue supporting Kyiv "for as long as it takes."

In response, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's press secretary, told RIA Novosti, Russia's state news agency, referencing Cameron's remarks, that it was "another very dangerous statement."

"We see such a verbal escalation on the part of official representatives. We also see at the level of heads of state—when it concerns France, and at a more expert level—when it concerns Great Britain. These are direct escalations of tension around the Ukrainian conflict, which potentially may pose a danger to European security, to the entire security architecture of Europe," he added.

Meanwhile, Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine, said on X, that Cameron's remarks on the use of British weapons in Russia "bolster our hopes."

Update 05/12/24, 5:37 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a UK government spokesperson.