Russian State TV Threatens to Attack Two NATO Nations

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with guests on state TV the possibility of Russia attacking two members of the NATO military alliance.

State TV host Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most-prominent figures in Kremlin-backed media, made the comments on channel Russia-1. A video of the discussion was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs.

Kremlin propagandists have routinely warned of a looming world war and strikes by Russia on NATO territory over aid and weapons provided to Kyiv by the Joe Biden administration and members of the military alliance. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

"Attention, France and Poland! Russian propagandists threaten with attacks - but no one will know who did it," Gerashchenko wrote in a caption accompanying the video.

Solovyov named NATO member France as a possible target. It's not the first time he has proposed an attack on the country since French President Emmanuel Macron declared there are "no limits" to Paris' support for Kyiv, and said "nothing should be excluded" when it came to providing Ukraine with assistance in the ongoing war.

"We must calmly say that if France deploys troops, we destroy the French headquarters on French territory," Solovyov said.

The Kremlin propagandist also suggested striking Poland, days after Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country would be prepared to host the nuclear weapons belonging to other NATO members in response to Moscow shifting its own to Belarus.

"We strike the territory of Poland, we sink the ships that carry the Bradley vehicles, destroy the storage bases. If we know these weapons are intended to hit Russia, we officially say, 'The whole route, no matter where it is paved, is a legitimate target,'" Solovyov added. Russia's "retaliation should be brutal," he said.

"The principle is very simple, like in diplomacy. There has to be a symmetrical response. They blew up our infrastructure. They don't know who? And we don't know who's going to blow up theirs" Solovyov added.

Putin in March dismissed any suggestions that his country could launch an attack on a NATO member.

"Their statements about our alleged intention to attack Europe after Ukraine is sheer nonsense," Putin said, noting that Washington's defense budget is more than 10 times Moscow's. "In view of that, are we going to wage a war against NATO? It's ravings."

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov separately warned on Friday that the Russians could strike Polish territory should Duda host nuclear weapons belonging to other NATO members. Facilities hosting the munitions will be a military target for Russia, Ryabkov told state-run news agency Tass.

Moscow is closely monitoring how Warsaw is "mulling this topic in their domestic discourse," Ryabkov said.

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