A Kremlin insider has sensationally claimed Donald Trump has given Russia the “green light” to attack cities in Europe – including London.
The Kremlin mouthpiece also said Ukraine should not expect to return to its pre-2014 borders. Propagandist Sergey Mikheyev fawned over comments made by Trump’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Russian TV show ‘The Evening with Vladimir Solovyov’.
It comes as Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Donald Trump to discuss ending the ongoing war in Ukraine – a move viewed as controversial across much of Europe.
Mikheyev said: “Unless the US is bluffing, although what’s going on there domestically is certainly serious, we should make this thought clear for the Europeans. Now we can actually strike Brussels, London and Paris. We can forget about Article 5 and forget about Americans stepping up to help.”
His comments refer to the Article 5 security guarantee of NATO member states – which includes the UK – collectively agreeing to come to the defence of an ally should they be- preemptively attacked. Article 5 was a central pillar of the defence pact during the Cold War and was introduced as a way to contain the Soviet Union.
Others in the group also spoke favourably of Trump’s willingness to discuss peace terms with Putin, reports the Mirror. Trump appeared to be willing to exclude Ukraine from the talks.
The Director General of Moscow film studio Mosfilm, Karen Shakhnazarov, spoke about talks between global leaders, viewing them as favourable for Russia.
He said: “The president of the United States called the president of Russia. That alone is already a major success. The blockade has been broken. It means a lot to all of them that the president of the United States, the mightiest nation in the West, as great as the Roman Empire, made this call. It’s as if Julius Caesar himself telephoned a barbarian, a chieftain of some German tribe.”
America’s turn away from Europe upends the post-WW2 era and has forced leaders across the continent to consider significantly increasing the amount of GDP spent on military defence. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also committed the UK to sending British troops to Ukraine as a part of a peacekeeping mission.
Critics have blasted Trump’s stance towards Ukraine as a betrayal of a nation that was invaded.