'Despised' by the Kremlin — 5 things you might not know about Dmitry Medvedev

An international war of words erupted on July 30 when U.S. President Donald Trump squared up on social media to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"(...)Tell Medvedev, the failed former president of Russia, who thinks he's still president, to watch his words," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He's entering very dangerous territory."

This particular spat was sparked by Medvedev's July 28 statement that Trump's "ultimatum game" with Moscow amounts to a threat to Russia, further escalating tensions between the two countries as the White House loses patience with the Kremlin over its refusal to end its war in Ukraine.

"Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war," said Medvedev, currently deputy chair of Russia's Security Council.

"Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country."

Medvedev is known for his aggressive, apocalyptic rhetoric and frequent threats of nuclear escalation, gaining a reputation in the West as a man who never misses an opportunity to gain some attention.

"Having Medvedev play the 'bad cop' in Russia's dealings with international adversaries has the advantage of getting those statements expressed by a senior official without (Russian President Vladimir) Putin having to do it himself, giving Putin room to play down or backtrack from Medvedev's comments, or reiterate them if he chooses," Jenny Mathers, a Russian political expert and lecturer at the U.K.'s Aberystwyth University, told the Kyiv Independent.

But he hasn't always been like this. Here are 5 things you might not know about Russia’s former president.

1. He's spent decades in Putin's shadow

After studying law at the Leningrad State University in the 1980s, Medvedev first came into contact with Putin in 1990 when both men were hired to work for Anatoly Sobchak, who would become mayor of the renamed city of St. Petersburg in 1991.

Medvedev worked as a consultant in a department headed by Putin, setting the stage for the power dynamic that would define them for decades to come.

When Putin became acting president on Dec. 31, 1999, Medvedev was appointed deputy head of the presidential staff, and served as his campaign manager during the 2000 Russian presidential election.

For the next 25 years he would undertake various roles given to him by Putin.

2. He wasn't always so… vitriolic

The Dmitry Medvedev of previous decades was a very different figure to the apocalyptic firebrand of today.

When Putin reached the two-term limit of the Russian presidency in 2008, it was Medvedev who took his place, approaching the role as a modernizer and reformer of Russia, sensing a chance to finally make it out of Putin's shadow.

He undertook several domestic agendas, seeking to reform everything from the economy and Russia's reliance on oil and gas, the police, and, ironically given future revelations, launched a comprehensive plan to tackle corruption.

Western nations briefly saw him as a liberal reformer they could get along with.

Though the 2008 Russo-Georgian War spiked U.S.-Russian tensions, there were positive developments during his tenure, most notably the "historic" New START nuclear arms treaty which he signed with then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2010.

But it was not to last — temporarily relegated to the role of prime minister, Putin was still pulling many of the strings in the Kremlin and he was back in the president's seat in 2012.

A leaked 2008 U.S. cable telling of a joke doing the rounds in Moscow hints at the actual roles of the two men while Medvedev was president.

Medvedev sits in the driver's seat of a new car, examines the inside, the instrument panel, and the pedals. He looks around, but the steering wheel is missing. He turns to Putin and asks: 'Vladimir Vladimirovich, where is the steering wheel?' Putin pulls a remote control out of his pocket and says: 'I'll be the one doing the driving.

With Putin back in the Kremlin in 2012, Medvedev then embarked on what would be a humiliating stint as prime minister.

3. He's reportedly made a lot of money from the war in Ukraine

A June investigation by Systema, Radio Free Europe’s Russian investigative unit, discovered that foundations linked to Medvedev had amassed around $850 million since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The investigation claims much of the money was spent on military equipment including drones, night-vision goggles, generators, and medical equipment, for Moscow's forces.

It also found evidence that some of the funds "directly or indirectly support real estate projects with apparent links to Medvedev," of which he reportedly has quite a few.

A 2017 investigation by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation claimed Medvedev's foundations received "donations" from oligarchs which he then spent on luxury properties, yachts, and even vineyards.

Navalny was poisoned by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) with a Novichok nerve agent in 2020. He soon returned to Russia after being cured in Germany, and died in prison in 2024.

The revelations were a humiliation for Medvedev, coming at a time when living standards for ordinary Russians were dropping precipitously after Western sanctions imposed after the country's annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.

Not to mention the fact that much of his political career had seen him rail against the very corruption he was indulging in himself.

It was the beginning of the end of Medvedev's time as prime minister and he was fired by Putin in 2020.

Medvedev claimed he had voluntarily resigned along with the rest of the government in order to allow Putin to carry out constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power indefinitely. But state newspaper Kommersant later reported he had in fact been forced out.

4. He has his reasons for his reinvention

In his new role as deputy chairman of the Security Council, observers say there's an obvious reason for Medvedev's transformation into a harbinger of apocalyptic doom — he's just trying to stay relevant.

Medvedev appears to have seen Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to show his loyalty to Putin and assume the role of Kremlin attack dog.

Gone are any notions of a liberal reformer, and since 2022, Medvedev has spewed nothing but hate and vitriol.

But former U.K. Defense Attache in Moscow, John Foreman, told the Kyiv Independent that inside Russia, his attempts to stay relevant have failed.

"He’s not in the inner circle, he doesn’t represent Putin’s views, the real Kremlin power players despise him, and he has little or no influence," he said.

"Some journalists think he still matters. He doesn't. Rather, his ravings are an attempt to attract Putin’s attention and to prove his loyalty out of fear of the consequences," he added.

Regardless, he keeps on trying — here are some of his more notable recent outbursts:

Some of his more notable recent outbursts include:

'Sad assholes'

Now the sad assholes who hide drug napkins on trains will squeal again about Russia’s disproportionate strikes on military targets in Kiev, calling for a 30-day truce and sanctions. First, destroy the vile blood-sucking nits on your filthy body!

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 24, 2025

'The Kiev freak'

The Americans rolled
out an excellent draft commodity deal to the Kiev freak. If the Kiev regime approves it, the drug addict and co. will then be hanged on the Maidan, like Mussolini. And if it rejects it, the United States will reset the Bandera regime. Checkmate.

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) March 28, 2025

'Frigid spinster Europe'

Frigid spinster Europe is mad with jealousy and rage. It wasn’t warned of the Putin-Trump call or consulted about its content or later statements. It shows its real role in the world and chances of snagging a husband. No wonder. Europe’s time is over. It’s weak, ugly and useless

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) February 13, 2025

'Cruisin' for a bruisin'

Those Polacks are cruisin’ for a bruisin’. They’re shutting down our consulate and considering expelling our ambassador. In the 1920s, justice was swift for envoys from enemy countries. Andreyev, Blyumkin and poor German ambassador von Mirbach are examples.
Bóbr kurwa! pic.twitter.com/OXAaGOnn8v

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) October 24, 2024

'You just wait, bastards'

We will avenge each and every one. And those who are involved, regardless of the country of origin and status, are now our main and legitimate target.

You just wait, bastards.

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) March 24, 2024

5. He was a meme

And just so it's not all doom and apocalyptic gloom, Medvedev has occasionally made headlines for something other than his social media outbursts — most notably his very, very awkward dancing.