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Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian official and ally of President Vladimir Putin, issued a warning on Friday after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv and announced increased military aid for Ukraine.

He stated on Telegram, “I hope that our eternal enemies – the arrogant British – understand that deploying an official military contingent to Ukraine would be a declaration of war against our country.”

This statement from Medvedev, known for his hawkish stance within the Kremlin, further questioned how the Western public would react if Sunak’s delegation were targeted in Kyiv, similar to what he claimed happened to Russian civilians in Belgorod with cluster munitions.

Belgorod, a southern Russian city near the Ukrainian border, has reportedly been hit by Ukrainian rockets and drones. Russia attributes the December 30 incident in Belgorod, which reportedly resulted in at least 20 deaths, including children, and over 100 injuries, to a Ukrainian “terrorist attack.” Ukrainian media, citing unnamed sources, reported that this was a retaliatory action against Russian military sites in response to Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

Once seen as a modernizer during his time as President of Russia (2008-2012), Medvedev has transformed into one of the Kremlin’s loudest anti-Western figures.