Russian State TV Host Demands Moscow Troops Take Over US Bases Dec 25, 2023 at 3:36 PM EST
By Gabe Whisnant
Deputy Weekend Editor
Kremlin propagandist and television presenter Vladimir Solovyov issued a demand to the United States military during a recent broadcast.
In a clip shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Nexta, an Eastern European media outlet, Solovyov demanded that the U.S. hand over its military bases in Europe to Russia. Solovyov, the host of Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, said Russia should, specifically, take control of U.S. bases in Germany, Italy and Portugal.
"I believe that all American occupation troops should be withdrawn from Europe, and Russian military bases should be located deep from the territory of the Russian Federation," he said. "For example, it is perfectly possible to occupy part of the military bases that have been prepared by the Americans in Western Europe. Ramstein could be our base. We could very well be stationed at a number of bases in Italy.
"Then, no questions arise. Then, we will be sure that Europe will behave very decently and no threat to our state will come from the territory of Europe."
Vladimir Solovyov in Moscow
Russian propagandist and television presenter Vladimir Solovyov during President Vladimir Putin's annual meeting with the Federal Assembly on February 21, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. Solovyov demanded that the U.S. hand over its military bases in Europe to Russia.
AFP/GETTY IMAGES
According to U.S. Department of Defense data, about 70,000 U.S. troops are permanently stationed in Europe, and Germany hosts about half of them. The U.S. military's unified European Command is headquartered in Stuttgart, and the Army oversees five garrisons in Germany. The Air Force's European operations are headquartered at Ramstein Air Base.
Newsweek reached out to NATO and the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
The comments come on the heels of Solovyov saying that cooperation between NATO members shows that the West is preparing for war with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently reacted to U.S. President Joe Biden's claim that if it defeated Ukraine, Russia would "keep going" and attack an alliance member. Such a move would invoke Article 5 of NATO's charter, which says an attack on one is an attack on all.
Poster Comment:
We really should ask Mr. Solovyov what he has been smoking.
Solovyov seems to be reinforcing what George Patton thought in 1945 that, "We should fight them while we have the men and equipment here to do it."