He is considered one of the Kremlin’s most radical top propagandists: Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov (58) – often referred to as “Putin’s mouth” – has repeatedly attracted attention since the start of the Ukraine war with his radical and hateful war propaganda.
Not only does he regularly threaten the West and NATO with attacks, he also does not shy away from fueling the conflict and encouraging Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (70) to commit further war crimes. Only recently did he call for a response to the attack on the Crimean Bridge “by all means”. In short: the hardliner knows no mercy.
As can be seen from old recordings, Solovyov was not always as loud as “Bild” reports. On the contrary, the man who today appears as a terrifying warmonger on state television Rossiya 1 was a staunch opponent of war only ten years ago.
“No legal basis” for annexation of Crimea
Shortly before the Crimean War in 2014, the Russians advised against attacking and capturing the island. There would be “no legal basis” for a Russian annexation. And further: «Why the Crimea?»
Solovyov joked and said that you can take Finland or Poland in the same way. “Let’s start a Russian empire right away. In the limits of 1905. At what point in history do we determine what is allowed and what is not?”
War would be the worst crime
Solovyov took an even clearer course in 2008. At the time, he described anyone who would start a war between Russia and Ukraine as “criminal.” On the show, the contemporary hardliner even publicly warned of what became a bitter reality on February 24 of this year: “A war against Ukraine would be the worst crime imaginable.”
While for the propagandist the Ukrainians were then people who were “absolutely brotherly in spirit, in blood and in common history”, today he does not miss an opportunity to call the country a Nazi state.
A million dollars a month
But what’s behind this blatant turnaround? As reported by the Russian media, financial incentives would be responsible for Solovyov to take on the role of unscrupulous warmonger. The Russian apparently earns his living as a top propagandist: he reportedly earns a million dollars a month.
The numerous villas he owns in Europe also show that Solovyov is making real money. He owns two houses on Lake Como alone. (dzc)