‘Military Victory In Sight In Ukraine’: Russia’s Ex-PM Says Moscow Must Think Of What Comes Next

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 22:53 IST

Dmitry Medvedev claims Russia's military victory in Ukraine is visible, urges focus on post-conflict plans, and praises Trump's peacemaker efforts and unique governing style.

Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev. (AFP file photo)

Moscow: Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday said a military victory in Ukraine was already “visible across a number of parameters", even as he stressed the need to consider what would follow once the conflict ends.

Speaking in interviews to several media outlets, including state-run agency TASS and military channel WarGonzo, Medvedev said the objectives of Russia’s so-called Special Military Operation (SMO) would be achieved as soon as possible.

“It is absolutely clear that the fact of a military victory is very important. And it is visible across a number of parameters," Medvedev said, adding that he hoped this would happen “as quickly as possible".

As the war in Ukraine approaches four years since Russia launched the SMO on February 24, 2022, Medvedev said military success alone was not sufficient.

“Military victory is very important, but it is no less important to think about what will come afterwards. After all, the goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts," he said.

Medvedev also commented on the role of Donald Trump, saying the US president was “genuinely trying" to position himself as a peacemaker as Washington seeks to prevent further escalation of the conflict.

“Trump, it is obvious, wants to go down in history as a peacemaker, and he is trying. In some cases, it works, in others it doesn’t, but he is genuinely trying to do this," Medvedev said.

He rejected claims that Trump’s actions were chaotic, arguing instead that there was a deliberate strategy behind them. “He is an emotional person, but the chaos people often talk about is not quite so. Behind it lies a fully calibrated and deliberate line of action," he said.

Describing Trump’s governing style as “original" but “quite effective in some ways", Medvedev said the US leader was unique among presidents he had interacted with for using social media as a primary tool of governance.

In a lighter remark, Medvedev referred to Trump’s threat last September to deploy two nuclear submarines closer to Russian waters, saying, “We are still looking for those two submarines."

The comments come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and military developments as the Ukraine conflict continues with no clear end in sight.

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