Dmitry Medvedev said the United States is unlikely to be an effective mediator in international conflicts, citing U.S. actions abroad and pointing to a January operation aimed at Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. He conceded the Trump administration has shown efforts to address the Ukraine war and contrasted that with Joe Biden. Medvedev also warned of European militarisation and reported recruitment figures for Russia's armed forces, while Mediazona and the BBC reported at least 213,858 confirmed Russian military deaths.
Medvedev Says U.S. Lacks Credibility As Conflict Mediator, Cites Maduro Operation
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends an interview with Reuters, TASS and WarGonzo in the Moscow region, Russia January 29, 2026. Dmitry Medvedev's Secretariat/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
April 30 (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian security official and former president, said on Thursday that the United States is unlikely to serve as an effective mediator in international disputes given its conduct on the world stage.
Medvedev's remarks appeared to diverge from the Kremlin's official stance that the U.S. is playing a constructive role in efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.
"It is hardly possible to consider that a country which kidnaps presidents and starts conflicts just like that can act as an effective mediator in all situations," Medvedev told an audience at an educational forum.
In making the comment, he seemed to be alluding both to the conflict in Iran and to a January operation by U.S. special forces that, according to Medvedev, sought to seize Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the United States to face drug charges.
At the same time, Medvedev acknowledged that the Trump administration had shown an effort to help resolve the Ukraine conflict, contrasting that approach with that of the previous U.S. president, Joe Biden.
Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, is regarded as one of Moscow's most hawkish officials and frequently offers sharp commentary on international affairs.
During the same forum, he warned that Europe was undergoing a process of militarisation he likened to the run-up to World War Two.
Medvedev also said that 450,000 people had signed contracts to join the Russian armed forces for 2025, and that a further 127,000 had signed up so far this year. After an unpopular compulsory mobilisation in 2022, Moscow has shifted toward recruiting professional, paid soldiers and offering substantial incentives to new recruits to sustain its campaign in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine publicly disclose full casualty totals. Russian outlet Mediazona, in a joint investigative project with the BBC Russian Service, reported it had confirmed at least 213,858 Russian military deaths as of last week.
Reporting by Lucy Papachristou in Tbilisi; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones
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