Russian State TV Issues Ominous Warning to US Ally

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an ominous warning to the United Kingdom on state TV.

Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most prominent figures in Kremlin-backed media, discussed with a guest on state TV the possibility of Russia attacking the U.K. during an appearance on Russia-1.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, shared a video of the exchange on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: "Attention, Great Britain! Threats of destruction from Russian propagandists."

State TV hosts and guests have routinely warned that Russia may strike NATO territory over aid and weapons provided to Kyiv by the Biden administration and members of the military alliance.

The U.K. is one of Europe's top suppliers of military assistance to Ukraine in the war. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to continue supporting Kyiv "for as long as it takes."

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Solovyov was joined by Yevgeny Buzhinsky, a retired Russian lieutenant-general, who said he thinks "it's time for us to [climb] the escalation ladder a little bit."

"The British defense minister says they're at war with us. Destroy them completely then, and that's it," suggested Solovyov.

"And there's no need for euphemisms like 'hybrid warfare,'" Buzhinsky responded.

"If it's war, then face the music. Goodbye, Little Britain," Solovyov went on. "What are the options? Besides, I'm under sanctions there anyway. So it doesn't hurt. If you declare a war on Russia, you get a beating."

Buzhinsky said that the use of weapons from the U.K. by Ukrainian soldiers in the war suggests the nation's direct participation in the war.

"So to say that they're not at war until they kill our soldiers directly—they are. They kill with their weapons, with their direct involvement. Missile guidance is...," he said.

Solovyov added: "That's direct participation in the conflict. So why be so soft with Sunak and others?"

Sunak, on April 24, declared that the U.K. was putting its defense industry on a "war footing" as he pledged a fresh military package worth 500 million pounds ($620 million) for Ukraine that includes 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition.

"In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent," Sunak told reporters during a press briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Poland. "As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests and our values."

"We will put the U.K.'s own defense industry on a war footing," Sunak said. "One of the central lessons of the war in Ukraine is that we need deeper stockpiles of munitions, and for industry to be able to replenish them more quickly."

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