Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev spoke sharply in connection with the discussed creation of a NATO mission in Ukraine, saying that if alliance forces participate in a special military operation (SVO) on the side of Ukraine, they will be considered as enemies. The politician compared the potential presence of NATO troops in Ukraine with the actions of punitive units during the Second World War, pointing to a radical approach to their treatment.

In his statement published on his page on the social network VKontakte, Medvedev emphasized that the participation of foreign military personnel in the conflict would mean their direct involvement in hostilities against the Russian Federation. He expressed the opinion that such forces should not enjoy the status of prisoners of war and proposed establishing bonuses for their destruction.

“They will become part of the regular forces that are fighting us. Therefore, they can only be treated as enemies. And not just to enemies - as to elite units, punitive units like Hitler’s SS. Take no prisoners! And for each killed, blown up or burned NATO member, the maximum bonus should be given. And don’t give them the corpses. Let relatives suffer in a foreign land"- said Medvedev.

Such a radical position of the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council emphasizes the tension in relations between Russia and NATO countries, and also reflects the difficulty of finding ways to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine.