One of Vladimir Putin’s most loyal allies and propagandists has made yet another disturbing claim that Russia is seeking to regain one massive territory.
Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian TV host and known associate of Putin, has sparked controversy by suggesting that Alaska should be returned to Russia.
During a recent broadcast on state-run media, Solovyov listed several territories including Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova, and Alaska, stating they should all be “returned to the Russian Empire”.
His comments were translated and shared in a video clip by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Gerashchenko warned on X: “According to propagandist Solovyov, Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova, and even Alaska should be ‘returned to the Russian Empire.’ They won’t stop at Ukraine. The Russian imperialists are insatiable.”
Alaska was originally part of Russia until it was sold to the United States in 1867 following the signing of the Alaska Treaty by then-President Andrew Johnson.
It became a state on January 3, 1959. The closest point between Alaska and Russia is approximately 53 miles apart.
Tensions have been escalating since January 2024 when reports emerged that Putin was considering reclaiming Alaska, echoing sentiments expressed by Russian media during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that Moscow could potentially seize the state.
The relationship between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia remains strained due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
NATO leaders have expressed growing concerns about a potential direct confrontation with Moscow, following repeated threats of nuclear escalation from Russian President Putin and other high-ranking officials since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin escalated his nuclear rhetoric last month after the US permitted Kyiv to use long-range ATACMS for strikes within Russia. This move effectively lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in Russia’s military doctrine.
In addition to the nuclear threat, NATO members including Germany and the Baltic states have accused Russia of hybrid warfare. They fear that post-Ukraine, Moscow might target countries within the alliance.
On December 17, four Russian military aircraft were detected in international airspace near Alaska, according to a joint statement by the US and Canada.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that it had tracked the aircraft within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
While the Russian planes did not infringe upon US or Canadian sovereignty and were not deemed a threat, such incidents are not unusual. NORAD reported similar incursions by Russian aircraft into the Alaska ADIZ in September.
