Putin Ally Debates Nuclear Strikes on Four NATO Countries

Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov discussed with guests on his evening television show which NATO countries Russian nuclear weapons should target, even proposing a viewer competition to decide the city that should get hit first.

Solovyov, and his guests who appear on the Russia 1 channel, frame Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war with the West and over the two years of the conflict, have repeatedly called for nuclear strikes against Kyiv’s allies.

The segment posted on X by Russia watcher and journalist, Julia Davis, revisited the theme, starting with Solovyov, an ally of Vladimir Putin, saying that France was seeking the “destruction of Russia” as well as “the final solution of Russia.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, who once sought to negotiate with Putin over his full-scale invasion, has emerged as one of the West’s most hawkish leaders against Moscow, refusing to rule out Western boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Last week, French newspaper Le Monde said Macron had told French political leaders that regarding support for Ukraine, “there are no more red lines, there are no more limits.” He had earlier walked back comments that “nothing should be excluded” when it came to backing Kyiv against Russian aggression.

This prompted Solovyov on Sunday to muse about where Russia should strike first against the West, asking Andrey Sidorov, a deputy dean of world politics at Moscow State University, for his opinion.

“The issue is not whether or not to use nuclear weapons, the question is against whom,” Sidorov said. “You often talk about France or Great Britain.”

Solovyov interrupted to list four NATO countries: “France, Germany, Poland or Great Britain, yes?” before Sidorov continued: “There is another country that presents a danger…I mean the United States of America” because unlike other European countries, “it poses an existential threat to Russia.”

With the levity of TV pundits predicting who might win the Super Bowl or the World Series, Solovyov then mused about which French cities Russia should target first.

“I just can’t decide, Paris or Marseille?” Soloyov then mentioned Lyon, as a guest chimed in to say that it is a “nice city, they have a festival of fire there.”

Solovyov continued: “What should we destroy in Germany for their Taurus (missiles)?” prompting laughter from Sidorov, who said “Hamburg,” adding that the small size of the Bavarian town he had studied in—Garmisch-Partenkirchen—meant it “was not worth a missile.”

“Maybe we should have an audience vote,” said Solovyov. “Which cities are they willing to spare.”

In sharing the video, Jake Broe, a former U.S. nuclear and missile operations officer, posted on X: “Solovyov and all their military experts agree that Russia can nuke whoever they want in a first strike against any NATO country.

“Just another day on Kremlin State TV where they casually talk about killing hundreds of millions of people.”