Medvedev parodies US State Department post with 'don't play games' warning

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has engaged in a direct public riposte to the United States, mimicking the visual style and wording of a U.S. State Department social media post. The digital exchange underscores the escalating rhetorical tension between Moscow and Washington in the wake of the American military intervention in Venezuela.

A mirrored graphic and message

On Tuesday, Medvedev posted an image on X featuring Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour with bold red text overlaid that read: "DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH RUSSIA." The post explicitly mirrored a graphic previously shared by the U.S. State Department's Russian-language account, which featured a photo of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with the text "DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP." The American post had described Trump as a "man of action."

Context of the Venezuela operation

The exchange comes days after a large-scale U.S. military operation in Caracas resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who now faces U.S. narcoterrorism charges. Washington has framed the action as a necessary law enforcement measure, while Caracas and its allies, including Russia, have condemned it as a blatant violation of sovereignty and international law.

Digital diplomacy as geopolitical signaling

This instance of mirrored social media propaganda highlights how major powers now use digital platforms for immediate, symbolic geopolitical signaling. For observer nations like Türkiye, which navigate complex relationships with both Washington and Moscow, such public posturing exemplifies the deteriorating communication and increasing brinkmanship between nuclear-armed rivals, where even graphic design is weaponized to convey threats and assert perceived red lines in an increasingly volatile international environment.