Putin Ally Threatens to 'Erase' NATO Ally 'Off the Face of the Earth'

Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian state TV host and key ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow could "erase" Germany "off the face of the earth" during a recent broadcast.

Newsweek reached out to the German embassy for comment via email on Thursday.

Why It Matters

Trump's latest round of comments about the Russia-Ukraine war, including calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and suggesting Ukraine is to blame for the Russian invasion, have stirred criticism in the U.S. His comments are out of step with many more traditional conservatives, as well as most Americans, who view Russia as the aggressor in the war, which passed its three-year anniversary this week.

Solovyov's recent remarks shed light on how Russia may be interpreting Trump's latest remarks and apparent shift in foreign policy.

What to Know

During Solovyov's recent broadcast, a video of which was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by journalist and Russian Media Monitor founder Julia Davis, Solovyov and his guests discussed the shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump, as well as the recent German elections.

Andrey Sidorov, dean of the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, noted that Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be Germany's next chancellor, plans to continue the European nation's support for Ukraine. He said that Merz has been more open to providing medium-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine than acting current Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Solovyov said Russia may act if Germany provides the missiles to Ukraine.

"So now we can strike them," he said. "We will erase Germany off the face of the earth

His comment sparked pushback from Sidorov, who noted that Russia is "yet to erase anything."

"If Merz makes this decision, despite the fact that America said it's against this and wants peace, if Merz chooses an escalation, Trump will say, 'I'm washing my hands of this.' He will say 'I warned you,'" Solovyov predicted.

Throughout the conflict, Solovyov has frequently made inflammatory remarks about member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Just last month, he said Russia would put London "underwater." His comments often go further than those of Putin and other Kremlin officials.

What People Are Saying

Davis, in a post to X: "The Trump admin is delivering what Russia wants."

Trump on Wednesday when asked about the "concessions" he would like to see to end the war: "Oh, I don't want to tell right now. But I can tell you that NATO you can forget about. I think that's probably the reason the whole thing started."

John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, on X on Tuesday: "It is a huge embarrassment that Trump has effectively switched sides in the Russo-Ukraine war, joining Russia. The U.S. has aligned itself not with our allies in NATO, but with the longstanding, principal threat to NATO: Moscow. It's unthinkable that an American president would do this."

What Happens Next?

Negotiations are expected to continue over the coming days and weeks, though it's unclear at this point how successful peace talks will be.