Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger on Sunday at his residence outside Moscow, Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman, said Europe’s approach was driven by political ambition rather than strategic reality.

He said European powers wanted to “inflict a strategic defeat on Russia” but “have achieved nothing”, arguing that sanctions and energy restrictions have backfired on EU economies.

Europe ‘undermining the foundations of its existence’

“Europe has surprised me a lot,” Medvedev said. “Because through its own actions it is undermining the very foundations of its existence. It is just amazing.”

He said Europe may dislike Russia’s political system and leadership, but questioned why it would damage itself to punish Moscow.

“But when, in order to achieve some personal or narrow political goals, it destroys the foundations of its own economic well-being just to punish Russia, that is astonishing,” he said.

Medvedev pointed to rising costs across the bloc.

“We know what happened with energy, and with the supply of a whole range of other raw materials and agricultural products to Europe. Prices are rising, inflation is rising, and there are numerous problems,” he said.

“All of this is being done to spite Russia and, on the other hand, to show some sort of solidarity with Ukraine. They have achieved nothing. The situation is only getting worse.”

Medvedev also attacked EU leadership directly.

“Overall, I have the feeling that a gang of lunatics, those at the helm of the European Union, has seized power in Europe,” he said.

“Now it is a group of madmen, either completely inadequate and incompetent, including those responsible for international affairs and leadership of the EU, or those who are harming their own countries that put them in office.”

Trump ‘really trying’ to be a peacemaker

Medvedev said Trump was an effective and unconventional leader and that contacts between Moscow and Washington had become more productive under his administration.

“Trump wants to go down in history as a peacemaker - and he is really trying,” he said. “He is really trying to do that. And that is why contacts with Americans have become much more productive.”

He described Trump as emotional but strategic.

“He is an emotional person, but on the other hand, I would not agree with those who say that his actions create chaos. Clearly, there is a very deliberate and well-thought-out approach behind it,” Medvedev said.

Referring to Trump’s past claim that he had moved U.S. nuclear submarines closer to Russia, Medvedev added: “We still have not found them.”

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Russia expects victory ‘soon’

Medvedev said Russia would “soon” win military victory in Ukraine, but stressed that preventing future wars was just as important.

“Soon,” Medvedev said when asked when Russia would win the war. “I would like this to happen as soon as possible.”

“But it is equally important to think about what will happen next. After all, the goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts. This is absolutely obvious.”

Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory but has so far been unable to seize the whole of the eastern Donbas region, where Ukrainian forces still hold roughly 10% of the area, according to open-source maps.

Medvedev said the objectives of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” were set out by Vladimir Putin at the start of the war and “have remained largely unchanged”.

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News Politics Russia Ukraine Dmitry Medvedev Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman EU Donald Trump