Russian State TV Calls To 'Teach Sweden a Lesson'

A top Kremlin propagandist called for Russia to "teach Sweden a lesson" during a state TV appearance.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the state-controlled media organization RT, made the comment during a live broadcast on channel Russia-1. An excerpt was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs.

"Attention, Sweden! Russian propagandist Simonyan wants to "teach Sweden a lesson," and, it looks like, annex it. Praising [President Vladimir] Putin and [new Defense Minister Andrei] Belousov is also included," Gerashchenko wrote on Tuesday in a post alongside the video.

Threats are regularly against members of the NATO military alliance on state TV. Kremlin propagandists have floated the possibility of Russia striking NATO member states over aid and weapons provided to Kyiv amid the ongoing war. Sweden joined the alliance in March in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Simonyan began by praising the newly appointed Belousov, who served as Russia's economy minister from 2012 to 2013 and was an aide to Putin from 2013 to 2022.

"Thanks, God bless him, to Belousov, who, God willing, will bring order to the finances in the army, to the new government, which God willing, will bring order to the fairness of revenues, to our, first of all, president, who will never give up those goals, who will never give up the Russians who are in those regions," she said.

"And, of course, thanks, first of all, to our people, who are united now as they have not been for a very long time. Perhaps there has not been such unity since the Great Patriotic War," said Simonyan, using a term used in Russia to describe World War II.

"We must use this moment to teach Sweden a lesson, so that 200 years from now they will still collectively say, 'Thank you very much, we are not going anywhere else,'" she said.

Simonyan added: "Let them drink their Tuborg beer, fry their meatballs, which they were also taught to fry by the Turkish Sultan Karl. They'll sit quietly and peacefully and mind their own business. Wouldn't that be great?"

In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that the Nordic country had been safeguarded from Putin's "evil" by gaining NATO membership.

"It is important to note that one more country in Europe has achieved greater protection from Russian evil," Zelensky said. "When the security of one country is guaranteed and when that country is able to truly strengthen common security, everyone wins. This rule has worked consistently throughout NATO's existence. And I believe it will work in the future."

"Ukraine has always supported Sweden in its pursuit of NATO membership, and I thank Sweden for its support of our country—there will be a day when Sweden will be able to congratulate Ukraine on joining the alliance as well," he added. "Together, we are always stronger."

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