Russia State TV Discusses Attacking Two NATO Nations

A guest on Russian state TV has proposed attacking two members of the NATO military alliance.

In a discussion on state TV channel Russia-1, Vitaly Tretyakov, a journalist and dean at Lomonosov State University, discussed launching attacks on both France and Italy.

Footage of the discussion was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs. "Attention, France, Italy! Russian propagandists want to 'save' you," he wrote in a caption accompanying the video.

Kremlin propagandists have routinely warned of a looming world war and strikes by Russia on NATO territory. Ties between Moscow and the West have become increasingly strained after Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian officials and guests on Russian state TV have called for strikes on both the U.S. and other NATO members over aid and weapons provided by the Joe Biden administration and members of the military alliance to Kyiv.

"Why Would Russia attack NATO and the European Union, and then what? To take control of Amsterdam, where cocaine is all over the place, not only in the pharmacies anymore? And what to do there?" Tretyakov began.

"What will the Russian occupation units do there? Are they going to come there to fight drug trafficking?" he asked.

Another guest interrupted Tretyakov by asking if he meant that Russia "we will not attack countries where hard drugs are legalized."

"I don't know, is it some kind of selective approach, like we would attack this one and this one we won't attack?" Tretyakov responded. "There's always something legalized somewhere, like pedophilia, LGBT. Why would we attack them? To bring them proper, decent moral standards because they've lowered them? Apart from all other aspects: economic, feeding them, watering them, etc."

The Kremlin propagandist suggested that Russia should attack NATO nations "for salvation."

"So if we have to attack someone for salvation, there are only two countries—France and Italy—where the main wealth of European, West-European, Central-European culture is concentrated," Tretyakov said. "This is where there is something you have to save."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

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Update 2/1/24, 9:50 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.