Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has released what he calls "the soft Russian formula for peace" in Ukraine, which includes a mandatory declaration calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "Nazi."
Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, wrote in a post to Telegram on Thursday that his plan would provide the "basis" for reaching "a benevolent consensus with the international community."
The former Russian leader argued that the proposal was a "reasonable compromise," despite including a demand for Ukraine to agree to its "complete and unconditional surrender" and full "demilitarization." He claimed that Kyiv was controlled by a "neo-Nazi clique" headed by Zelensky, who is Jewish.
"[The] entire territory [of Ukraine] is the territory of the Russian Federation," Medvedev wrote, while claiming that peace could not be achieved without "recognition of the Nazi character by the international community of the Kyiv political regime and the forced denazification of all government bodies under UN control of 'Ukraine.'"
Medvedev went on to demand that Ukraine provide "payment of all required compensation to Russia, including payments to the relatives of the dead citizens of our country and payments for harm to the health of the wounded." He also suggested banning Ukraine from "joining military alliances" like NATO "without the consent of Russia."
Newsweek reached to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email on Thursday night for comment.
Zelensky has offered his own 10-point plan for peace, which includes items like a total withdrawal of Russian troops and returning territories Moscow claimed to annex to Ukrainian control.
Medvedev wrote on Thursday that he experiences "an irresistible feeling of disgust, which quickly turns into a feeling of shame from the bad surrealism" when considering Zelensky's plan.
Medvedev has become known for frequently making hyperbolic statements during the war, including repeatedly suggesting that Russia will launch nuclear strikes on NATO nations.
As a pretext for launching Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Putin claimed that the military assault was part of an effort to "denazify" Ukraine and protect the rights of Russian speakers.
Although some troops fighting in defense of Ukraine reportedly have neo-Nazi ties, such as the infamous Azov Regiment, no credible evidence links Zelensky's government to such groups. Meanwhile, neo-Nazi militias like Task Force Rusich have also fought in the war on behalf of Russia.
Last year, the British Defense Ministry argued in an intelligence update that Russia was "struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative" that Ukraine was controlled by Nazis, with most of the international community roundly rejecting the narrative.
Russia also cited concerns about the expansion of NATO as a reason for the invasion. The expansion has happened regardless, with the strategic alliance welcoming both Finland and Sweden as new members since the war began.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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