Putin Ally Claims World War III 'Already Underway'

Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov name-checked Donald Trump as he claimed "World War III" has started.

The Vladimir Putin ally and anchor of the Russia 1 channel has frequently described on his nightly programs how Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a confrontation with the West, pushed Kremlin rhetoric and issued nuclear threats against Kyiv's allies.

Once again, Solovyov returned to this theme, warning that Russia was being "confronted with a formidable enemy—we are dealing with the collective West, so to speak, which means more than 50 countries."

"Some of them are not Western, the West is no longer a geographical term," Solovyov said in the clip posted by journalist and Russia watcher Julia Davis on Monday. "Either way, they will get the economy going and move it onto a war footing."

He said this meant that Russia had only a year and a half to two years to bring its economy "up to a level when it will be able to stand up to these countries with their economic potential."

"We are moving towards World War III. In my opinion, it's already underway. By the way Trump thinks so too," the Russian presenter added, as he tried to cut to a soundbite of the former president condemning U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

But Davis noted in her post that there appeared to be a technical glitch in getting the Trump soundbite on air and the video she shared shows Solovyov having to do a second take of the segment, with both versions in the clip shown side by side.

In the second version, Solovyov repeated the scripted comments and added, "Trump has said there is already World War III and that Biden caused it with his actions in Yemen."

He showed Trump being asked at a televised rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 13 about his opinion of U.S. strikes in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on shipping over the last two months, amid concerns the Israel-Gaza war could spread.

"I think we're closer to World War III than we've ever been," Trump said in the soundbite that Solovyov read out in Russian.

"This won't be a regular war," the former U.S. president added, "these are weapons of mass destruction."

Davis wrote next to the video: "Here is a little glimpse into the workings of Vladimir Solovyov's propaganda kitchen—a segment that aired live was re-edited in post to hide a glitch.

"This is yet another reminder that genocidal rhetoric could be just as easily edited out, but never is."

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