Russian State Media Calls Trump Attack a Distraction From Russian War Failures

(KYIV) – Russian state television host Vladimir Solovyov has dismissed the gravity of an assassination attempt against US President Donald Trump, arguing that developments in Russia’s war against Ukraine are of far greater consequence.

During the 26 April broadcast of “Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov” on the Russia-1 channel, the presenter acknowledged that the attempt on Trump’s life had dominated global headlines. “Another attempt on the US president. And immediately the whole world is talking about it. This is the main news, including in our media. But for me it is not,” Solovyov stated.

The Kremlin propagandist instead listed a series of domestic military setbacks that he claimed were being overlooked. “For me, far more important news is that Sevastopol is under a very serious attack,” Solovyov said. “For me the news is that something reached Yekaterinburg and hit a residential building. For me the news is that it flew 1,000 kilometres. They saw it and did not destroy it.”

Solovyov further complained about continued Western support for Kyiv. “For me the news is that the pilgrimage to Ukraine is still continuing. Known who. And all sorts of European [expletive] are doing nothing but writing indignant letters after my speeches and summoning our ambassadors,” he said. He added that Moscow should expel all NATO ambassadors from countries that “directly declare their participation in the war against us and provide their production facilities. But we pretend that nothing is happening.”

The host contrasted what he described as media scandals with the concerns of Russian soldiers serving in occupied Ukraine. “I was just with the guys on the front, as usual. Not one of these media scandals worries the guys in the army at all. Absolutely not at all. They talk about completely different problems,” Solovyov claimed. He said soldiers inquire about when Russia will have a low orbit satellite constellation, reliable communications, drone superiority “on land, in the sky and in the air,” and when Moscow will begin “decisively destroying the leaders of the Nazi tourist regime.”

Solovyov also questioned why Ukrainian drones continue to strike deep inside Russian territory. “How does it happen that they reach us? Do we not know how to shoot them down? We do know how. But first we looked at Ust luga, then we looked at Tuapse, now we are looking at Yekaterinburg. Even further. Yes, in response we take out objects on the enemy’s territory. I understand, but this is not the category of a response game,” he said.

The presenter pointed to military cooperation with Pyongyang as a counter to Western claims that Russia faces manpower shortages. “The presence on the territory of our country of an additional contingent of 100,000 to 150,000 servicemen of the Korean People’s Democratic Republic instantly deprives Ukraine of any argument that the Russians will run out of soldiers. They will not run out,” Solovyov said, adding that a similar agreement with China would render the strategy of attrition against Russia obsolete.

Solovyov expressed bewilderment at economic policies he suggested were hampering the war effort. “It is clear that a war of attrition is difficult to wage when you are being exhausted by very strange decisions taken by people whose main task, it turns out, is fighting inflation. I cannot understand this. I have not seen a single person on the front who said a word to me about inflation. There are none at all,” he stated.

Returning to the Trump assassination attempt, Solovyov adopted a sardonic tone. “And Trump? Well yes, another attempt on Trump. I understand, of course. Well, of course, this is bad. Of course, this should not happen. Of course, all world leaders support Trump, say it is horrible. I agree that, of course, an attempt on the leader of a country is terrible,” he said.

He then requested a list of which national leaders may be targeted and which may not, “because I naively thought that nobody was allowed, except those who… Zelenskyy is not on this list, because he is illegitimate and a terrorist.” He added, “I am categorically against any aggressive actions against the leaders of countries. Somehow, though, it is different with this scum, right? It is different.”

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not publicly commented on the assassination attempt against Trump, with whom he has often expressed admiration. The Kremlin has previously denied allegations of state sponsored assassination plots against political opponents abroad.