Kremlin calls Zelensky “hysterical”; Medvedev says ballistic missiles and Gerans, not Trump’s words, bring victory

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in a state of “hysteria” and is unable to act rationally. On the same day, Sunday, October 11, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and president of the country in 2008-2012, commented on Donald Trump’s criticism of Zelensky, saying that victory is brought by missiles and not by the words of the US president.

Peskov: a rational Zelensky would want talks

“Zelensky, naturally, being in a state of hysteria, is hardly capable of taking any deliberate actions right now. If he were capable of doing so, he would show a willingness to engage in peace talks,” Peskov told Vesti reporter Pavel Zarubin, according to TASS.

Medvedev: “those who got overly excited, just pull yourselves together”

Trump had said that Zelensky, for one reason or another, does not want a peaceful settlement, and that he would have been in a much better position had he made a deal two years ago. Shortly before, the US president had said that it is time for Ukraine to get a new president.

Medvedev responded in a post on the Russian platform Max. “Trump? He never changes his position, and we know that well. So, those who got overly excited, just pull yourselves together. Only our ballistic missiles and our Geran [drones] are bringing us closer to victory,” he wrote, according to TASS. The Geran is the Russian version of the Iranian Shahed drone, which Russia uses to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure systematically.

Moscow bets on military pressure

The two statements show that Moscow is not changing its line after Trump’s criticism of Kyiv. The Kremlin presents Zelensky as an obstacle to peace, while Medvedev, who is known for his harsh posts, is reminding that Russia relies on its own weapons and not on moods in Washington.

The statements come as Trump has announced an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow has not confirmed. A Ukrainian delegation had traveled to the United States for talks on the energy ceasefire, with Moscow asking for sanctions relief. On the same day, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said Ukrainian forces had hit eight Russian ballistic missile launchers in September and early October.