Analysts believe the Kremlin seeks to conceal Medvedev’s function in Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s information campaign aimed at the West.
ISW analysts drew attention to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov’s August 4 statement, where he claimed that Russian officials — including Medvedev — may differ in their assessments of the international situation, but that foreign policy is ultimately defined by President Putin.
However, Peskov’s attempt to distance Medvedev’s rhetoric from Putin’s own views is contradicted by the fact that Putin and other members of his inner circle have frequently issued similar nuclear threats to the West.
According to ISW, Medvedev does not make foreign policy decisions, but his public threats and inflammatory remarks are likely part of a coordinated Kremlin information strategy.
The analysts highlighted that if Putin wished to censor Medvedev’s statements, he easily could — but chooses not to, because Medvedev's aggressive tone serves a strategic purpose. His bombastic rhetoric makes Putin appear more “moderate” by comparison, giving the Kremlin leverage to issue more extreme demands or threats under the guise of restraint.
Peskov’s Aug. 4 comments were intended to obscure the fact that the Kremlin not only approves of but actively encourages Medvedev’s use of social media for anti-Western messaging, ISW concluded.
Trump vs. Medvedev: a clash on social media
On July 28, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russia had “10 to 12 days starting today” to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, suggesting a self-imposed deadline.
That same day, Dmitry Medvedev made a post on X claiming that Trump was “on the brink of war with Russia.”
“Trump is playing a game of ultimatums with Russia: 50 days or 10... He should remember two things: Russia is not Israel, and not even Iran. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war — not with Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t follow the path of Sleepy Joe,” he wrote then, referring to President Joe Biden.
Trump responded via Truth Social, telling Medvedev to “watch his words”:
“Tell Medvedev, the failed ex-president of Russia who still thinks he’s in charge, to be careful with what he says — because he’s stepping into very dangerous territory.”
Medvedev then took to Telegram, claiming that if the words of a “former Russian president” provoke such a “nervous reaction from a fearsome U.S. president,” then Russia must be right and “will continue on its path.”
He also responded to Trump’s earlier comments about Russia’s “dead economy,” by referencing zombie films and issuing a thinly veiled nuclear threat:
“Maybe Trump should revisit his favorite zombie movies — and remember how dangerous a dead hand can be.”
This was a likely reference to Russia’s nuclear retaliatory command system, known as Perimetr, or by its Western nickname: Dead Hand — a Cold War-era system designed to launch nuclear weapons automatically in the event of a decapitation strike.
On August 1, in response to Medvedev’s threats, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. deployed two nuclear submarines to “appropriate areas” as a show of deterrence.