Russian State TV Host Issues Ominous Warning to US

Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov, nicknamed 'Putin's voice' due to his ideological conformity with the Kremlin, has said there are no good scenarios for Moscow's relationship with the United States, except those "written by the winner's army."

Solovyov, an enthusiastic supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, made the comments on Friday during his show Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, which is broadcast by the Russia-1 channel.

Russian troops have been largely fought to a standstill in Ukraine, though Moscow is continuing to launch brutal assaults on the Donbas town of Avdiivka, situated in territory that Putin annexed in September 2022. However, a Ukrainian counteroffensive over the summer and fall made only mild gains, and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is blocking an additional $61 billion in American support for Kyiv.

Speaking on his show, Solovyov said that U.S.-Russian relations would likely remain hostile, regardless of whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the November 2024 presidential election.

Solovyov said: "Certainly, what is happening is extremely complicated. The U.S. has suddenly realized that the situation has become different, that the new players are not going to accept certain rules of the game. But, even if something does not work out, the Americans still act consistently, their icebreaker does not change its course."

Solovyov added: "So, don't think that something will change after the elections in America. There are no good scenarios for us there, except those that we will write ourselves. And they will be written by the winner's army."

A clip of Solovyov's comments was translated and posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs and a self-styled "enemy of Russian propaganda."

Solovyov's words mark a break from the influential commentator's position ahead of the November 2022 midterm elections. Then, he said that Republican success would be good for Russia because "there are obviously shared values and common understanding" between Trump and Putin.

However, earlier this week, Solovyov reversed his position, saying: "The United States is our enemy. And the last name of the president is not important; it's a nuance."

Solovyov added: "Let me remind you that, after Trump came to power, he imposed even heavier sanctions than those who came before him. There are no fans of Russia and Putin there [in the U.S.]. They perceive us as enemies. Right or wrong, this is no longer a geopolitical question. And we are not talking about the American people, but about the American political establishment."

On Saturday, the Russian city of Belgorod was struck by drones or missiles, with local authorities saying 14 people had been killed. Newsweek has not independently verified this figure.

It came after one of the most-intense Russian aerial attacks since the war began took place on Friday, targeting a number of Ukrainian cities. The mixture of missiles and drones killed 39 people, according to an update given by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.