(MENAFN) Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ridiculed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for suggesting that China might ask Russia to launch an attack on NATO territory in Europe as a distraction during a potential move on Taiwan.

In an interview with The New York Times, Rutte speculated that Chinese President Xi Jinping could hypothetically ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to “keep [NATO] busy in Europe” if China were to act against Taiwan. Rutte warned that without stronger defenses, Europeans might end up “learning Russian.”

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, responded on X (formerly Twitter) by joking that Rutte must have consumed “too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch.” He dismissed Rutte’s scenario as absurd but quipped that Rutte should take his own advice and learn Russian, adding that it might be useful “in a Siberian camp” — an allusion to harsh Russian prison conditions.

China, which views Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory, has repeatedly criticized Western arms sales and diplomatic support for the island. Russia backs Beijing’s stance and similarly denounces foreign interference in Chinese domestic matters.

Moscow has consistently rejected claims that it plans to attack NATO, arguing that such narratives are fabrications by the West designed to justify militarization and increased defense spending in Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously labeled these warnings as part of an “old horror story” used to distract from internal European challenges like economic stagnation and declining living standards.

At the latest NATO summit, leaders discussed potentially raising defense spending targets to 5% of GDP. However, no consensus was reached, as some member states expressed concern over the financial strain such a measure could place on national budgets and public support.

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