Russian Lawmaker Calls for Wiping U.K. off the Face of the Earth

Andrey Gurulyov, Russian State Duma deputy, recently called for wiping the United Kingdom off the face of the earth, arguing that Britain is the "main instigator" in the Russia-Ukraine war.

His remarks came as part of a televised segment posted to Twitter with English subtitles by Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs.

"Attention, Great Britain! Russian propagandists see the U.K. as the 'main instigator' and want to end the war by 'inflicting a critical defeat on Britain'" tweeted Gerashchenko on Thursday as he shared part of the TV segment showing Gurulyov, who is also a retired Russian military leader.

Gurulyov has been outspoken on the war, as he often criticizes Ukraine's allies. He also recently predicted that the battle will not end before 2027.

"... The first thing to do is to tear Britain down, to wipe it off the face of the earth. And in fact, after that, everything will be over. It will be over, because it's Britain that's the main bastard. And the territory behind the puddle [the U.S.] itself as its masters," Gurulyov said in the clip posted by Gerashchenko.

The former Russian commander continued: "The main instigator here in Europe is Britain. By inflicting a critical defeat on Britain, essentially the whole war will be over. And then they'll start listening to what our president says. Right away, off the bat. They'll start to listen to what the president of the People's Republic of China is saying. Sooner or later it will come to that, and that's probably how it will end."

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Moscow, showing a sense of Russian-Chinese unity in the face of Western pressure. The leaders agreed during their meeting to cooperate on a number of business and economic fronts.

The fight between Ukrainian and Russian forces has extended through major cities, including Kyiv, Odesa and Kherson. Most recently, battles have intensified in Bakhmut, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which has been the site of a months-long battle between Russian and paramilitary forces against Ukrainian troops.

Though Putin's war still has no end in sight, Ukraine has been receiving humanitarian and military aid from Western nations. The U.K. has been one of Ukraine's top allies, providing the eastern European country with tanks and additional artillery systems earlier this year. Additionally, the British defense ministry has been providing daily intelligence assessments of the war, which have often revealed the Russian troops' shortcomings.

Putin has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) this month, accusing him of war crimes. The warrant is the first formal international charge since his invasion of Ukraine.

The ICC, which Russia does not recognize, charged Putin with unlawfully abducting and transporting Ukrainian children to Russia, where many have been adopted by Russian families.

Newsweek has reached out via email to Russia's foreign affairs ministry for comment.