MUNICH, Germany -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised the specter of a third world war and a global Islamic caliphate in a combative speech at a security forum.
Medvedev responded to rebukes over Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria by blaming the West for a series of regional and global problems.
He accused the West of conducting a "dangerous" policy of "containment" against Moscow, and warned that problems like the war in Syria and the threat from Islamist militants could get worse unless there is more cooperation between Russia and the West.
"The danger of this approach is that in 10 to 20 years" Russia and the West may still be discussing the same issues, he said.
"That is, if there is anything to discuss," he added. "In a global caliphate, discussion is not welcome."
Medvedev said relations between Russia and NATO had "slid into a new period of Cold War."
"Almost every day we are accused of making new horrible threats either against NATO as a whole, against Europe, or against the United States, or other countries," he said.
In a remark clearly meant to prompt listeners to imagine World War III, he asked, "Do we really need...a third world shake-up to make us understand that what we need now is cooperation and not confrontation?"
