The rhetoric on the Ukraine war emerging from Russian state media is becoming increasingly strident and apocalyptic. This week, in a monologue to a panel of talking heads on state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian news anchor, says there will be “no mercy” from Russia in its “war against Europe and the world”.
He says Russia’s “special military operation” is entering a new phase because NATO countries are supplying “de-facto their own weapons”, meaning that “de-facto, we’re starting to wage war against NATO countries.”
“Ukrainians alone are no longer enough,” says Solovyov. “There will be no mercy. Not only Ukraine will have to be-denazified. The war against Europe and the world is developing a more specific outline which means we’ll have to act differently and to act much more harshly.”
In a separate clip, Russian pundits laugh and joke about destroying New York in a nuclear strike.
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These warped framings and justifications for Vladimir Putin’s actions will be seeping into public consciousness. Three-quarters of Russians, over 100m people, watch state TV.
