Firebrand Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that the Baltics belong to Russia. Writing on Twitter, the former Russian Prime Minister referred to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as "our" provinces, saying they had "soiled themselves" over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The incendiary comments were made in response to remarks made by Emmanuel Macron last week that Moscow had "already lost geopolitically". “De facto, it [Russia] has entered a form of subservience with regards to China and has lost its access to the Baltic, which was critical, because it prompted the decision by Sweden and Finland to join NATO,” the French President told the Opinion newspaper.The three small Baltic States were occupied by the USSR until it collapsed in 1991.
The Soviet Union is viewed negatively by large swathes of the population, who have embraced their future within the EU and NATO.Worries have grown in the Baltics about the threat posed by Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February.
They are vocal supporters of Ukraine, providing aid, arms and hosting significant populations of Ukrainian refugees. Medvedev, who served as Russian PM between 2000 - 2004, has emerged as a virulent anti-West, pro-war voice within the Kremlin.