"In the process, it is hurting its own economy and ordinary Europeans with masochistic lust," the invective, likely a lashing out against remarks made last week by French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow has "already lost geopolitically," Medvedev continued in his social media post, according to Euronews.

Apparently, "all of the NATO member states go to bed at night, and wake up in the morning thinking of Russia," Medvedev added in his post, and "some of the especially cowardly are suffering from phantom pains, like temporarily occupied Poland and 'our' Baltic provinces (editor's parenthesis)."

"So, if there has indeed been a loss, it is that of the primitive NATO politics, with its underlying ambition to play the exceptional role in the 21st century," he continued.

Emmanuel Macron had stated that Russia has "entered a form of subservience with regards to China and has lost its access to the Baltic," not least as the result of Finland's joining the NATO alliance and Sweden's accession pending.

Like all propaganda, Medvedev's statement did contain grains of truths – the Ukraine war has indeed fueled high inflation across Europe, particularly with relation to energy and food prices – but this does not seem to have dampened most of democratic Europe's resolve in support for Ukraine according to a recent Eurobarometer poll, Euronews noted, albeit with some variation between country to country.

The original Euronews article is here.

Medvedev was once Vladimir Putin's right-hand man and undertook a job swap for several years – with him as president while Putin took the prime ministerial role, in order to get round a constitutional bar on more than two consecutive presidential terms – but he has long since been somewhat of a non-entity.

He was prime minister 2012 to 202 and president 2008 to 2012, and was often pictured with Putin in both formal and informal settings, prompting the late talk show host Larry King to inquire whether he was playing Robin to the president's Batman.

Medvedev represented Russia at the 2009 marking of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; ironically this and the reunification of Germany was in part a quid pro quo for the former West Germany propping up the Soviet Union, via loans, during the latter's sunset days.

On at least one occasion appearing in public seemingly under the influence of alcohol or other substances, Russia's invasion of Ukraine starting February last year seems to have brought a new lease of life, of a sort.

Medvedev reportedly used Twitter, a U.S. firm, to broadcast his thoughts.

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