Kremlin propagandists digest Trump’s sanctions threats

Russia eagerly awaited President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, believing he would lift sanctions and hand Ukraine to the Kremlin on a silver platter. The honeymoon was short-lived.

Trump’s social media posts on January 22 threatening Russia with further sanctions and criticizing its economy sent shock waves in Moscow.

Trump wrote: “I will do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big favor. Make up your mind now and STOP this ridiculous war! IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”

The same propagandists who cheered Trump’s return were left scratching their heads, perhaps remembering the old expression, “Be careful what you wish for.” Ironically, the January 22 broadcast of The evening with Vladimir Solovyov started with a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin talking about inflation that had exceeded the levels that the government had forecast and predicted. A segue to Trump’s criticism of Russia’s struggling economy fit into the show like a missing piece of the puzzle.

Decorated state television host and leading propagandist Vladimir Solovyov – who often referred to the US president by the affectionate diminutive Trumpushka and repeatedly claimed him as one of Moscow’s own — was grim-faced as he recited Trump’s threats to impose additional sanctions if Russia rejects his proposal to end its invasion of Ukraine.

The US president had threatened: “If we don’t make a ‘deal’ and soon, I have no choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on everything sold by Russia to the US and various other participating countries. “

The rest of the experts seemed equally horrified. The same was probably true of the editorial, which titled the segment: “Trump resorts to blackmail and threats against Russia.”

Member of the State Duma Andrey Gurulyov noted: “Any commander will tell you, we will not be able to achieve anything without an economy.” With anger and frustration boiling over, he said: “Look what Trump is doing! Let’s be honest, today he stepped out, not as the President of the United States, but as the owner of the world. . . . He’s acting like a hooligan who hasn’t got thrashing for a long time. What is he doing? Here we have been saying ‘Trump,’ but he is threatening us with an ultimatum!”

Gurulyov was just getting started. “Will he impose sanctions? Will he isolate Russia?” He loudly accused Trump of throwing feces at the fan, complaining: “You can’t talk to Russia like this!” He urged Putin to start responding to Trump’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), or better yet, to resort to nuclear tests and nuclear strikes. Solovyov chimed in eagerly, once again urging Russia to destroy London, the propagandist’s choice of choice when things look bleak. But even this time-honored tactic failed to improve the atmosphere in the studio.

On his radio show Full contact On Thursday morning, Solovyov reversed his stance from previous years with a complete 180-degree turn, where the beloved Trumpushka was suddenly a sworn enemy.

He started his show sternly: “I want to be very harsh and direct about what Trump wrote. I have said this, we must not entertain any illusions. Trump is without a doubt our systemic enemy. He has no basis to have any kind of positive contacts with us.” A grimacing Solovyov said Trump’s remarks made him clench his fists, asking: “Can you really talk to Great Russia like this? Are we losing this war? Is the enemy at our gates?”

He urged Moscow to escalate the war, arguing: “We don’t need their love, we need their fear. Our enemies will never love us – neither the Ukro-Nazis nor the Europeans nor the Americans.”

A similar approach was recommended by the Chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma Andrey Kartapolov. Speaking about Trump’s ultimatum during his appearance on the state television program 60 minutessaid he: “We lived fine without their all-consuming love, and we will continue to live without it. Let them lose their way with these statements.”

He added: “We should not forget that Trump is a poser. He is performing for the public. Who knows what he is really thinking?” Instead, Kartapolov insisted that the conflict would be resolved “by (our) commander-in-chief, our president, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. No matter what they say, it will be decided on the battlefield.”

A day earlier, appears on The evening with Vladimir Solovyovfilmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov warned everyone to temper their expectations about Trump’s efforts to end the war. He warned that when Russia rejects American proposals, America may increase its military support for Ukraine.

Julia Davis is a columnist for The Daily Beast and the creator of the Russian Media Monitor. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild and Women In Film.

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