Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Europe could not afford a war against Russia but that if its leaders made the mistake of triggering one then it could escalate into a conflict with weapons of mass destruction.

Russia, Medvedev said on Telegram, does not need such a war, including with "frigid old Europe."

"They simply cannot afford a war with Russia," Medvedev said of European powers, adding that "the possibility of a fatal accident always exists."

"And such a conflict has an absolutely real risk of escalating into a war using weapons of mass destruction," Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said.