Russia's Medvedev calls for tougher stance on Ukraine's EU membership

The EU can be worse than NATO

Medvedev stressed that the European Union is no longer just an economic bloc.

"It can transform, and ⁠rather quickly, into a full-blown ​military alliance, one overtly hostile to ​Russia, and in some ways worse than NATO," he said.

According to him, Moscow should abandon its "tolerant attitude" toward neighboring countries joining the "military-economic" European Union. At the same time, the Kremlin had previously stated that it does not oppose Ukraine’s association with the bloc.

On NATO

Medvedev also said that the United States is unlikely to withdraw from NATO, but may take symbolic steps, such as reducing the number of American troops stationed in other member states.

At the same time, in his view, internal divisions within NATO could push the EU to evolve into something more than just an economic union.

On the same day, April 3, Moscow opposed a UN Security Council resolution on the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, effectively undermining efforts by the United States and its allies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said such a move would "legitimize aggression against Iran."

Also on April 3, Yale University published evidence linking Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft to the abduction of at least 2,000 Ukrainian children.

The companies financed and provided logistics for the illegal transfer of children to camps for pro-Russian education.

The Kremlin, in turn, denied setting a deadline for Ukraine to withdraw troops from Donbas, while continuing to demand this as a condition for a peace deal.

In addition, analysts from the ISW reported that Russia has launched a covert forced mobilization campaign — "volunteers" are being taken directly from workplaces amid catastrophic losses on the front and a decline in voluntary recruitment.