Kremlin propagandist and television presenter Vladimir Solovyov issued a demand to the United States military during a recent broadcast.
In a clip shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Nexta, an Eastern European media outlet, Solovyov demanded that the U.S. hand over its military bases in Europe to Russia. Solovyov, the host of Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, said Russia should, specifically, take control of U.S. bases in Germany, Italy and Portugal.
"I believe that all American occupation troops should be withdrawn from Europe, and Russian military bases should be located deep from the territory of the Russian Federation," he said. "For example, it is perfectly possible to occupy part of the military bases that have been prepared by the Americans in Western Europe. Ramstein could be our base. We could very well be stationed at a number of bases in Italy.
"Then, no questions arise. Then, we will be sure that Europe will behave very decently and no threat to our state will come from the territory of Europe."
According to U.S. Department of Defense data, about 70,000 U.S. troops are permanently stationed in Europe, and Germany hosts about half of them. The U.S. military's unified European Command is headquartered in Stuttgart, and the Army oversees five garrisons in Germany. The Air Force's European operations are headquartered at Ramstein Air Base.
Newsweek reached out to NATO and the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
The comments come on the heels of Solovyov saying that cooperation between NATO members shows that the West is preparing for war with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently reacted to U.S. President Joe Biden's claim that if it defeated Ukraine, Russia would "keep going" and attack an alliance member. Such a move would invoke Article 5 of NATO's charter, which says an attack on one is an attack on all.
Putin told state television on Sunday that Moscow had "no geopolitical interest, neither economic, nor political, nor military, to fight with NATO countries."
Biden issued the warning as he tried to persuade Republicans to continue to back military support for Ukraine, which is stalling in Congress.
But Solovyov still believes NATO countries want to fight Russia.
"Are they trying to tease us," he told viewers in a clip shared on X by Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko. "Even though Putin clearly explained for the 156th time we are not going to war with NATO...we won't be naïve anymore."
Solovyov isn't the only figure in Putin's orbit taking aim at the U.S. and European countries.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev slammed Europe's inflation rate as well as its support of Ukrainians in a Christmas Eve post on X. He pointed out Europe's economic woes when he wished the region a Merry Christmas.
"Persistently high inflation and absence of economic growth, boycotting energy supplies from Russia and its market altogether, crowds of Ukrainians idly roaming the streets of Europe, with allowances higher than Europeans' pensions, degenerate politicians screaming of war between Ukraine and Russia till victory... Europe, hello! What is wrong with you, are you totally sick? Merry Christmas!" Medvedev said.
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