Russia’s Propagandists Express Outrage Over War Stance Accusations

Russian Propaganda Shifts as Trump Administration Sanctions Energy Companies

The Kremlin’s propaganda machine is experiencing a painful reckoning after months of misplaced optimism about former U.S. President Donald Trump. State-controlled media outlets, which had long predicted Trump would abandon Ukraine and lift sanctions against Russia, are now openly acknowledging their miscalculation.

“Last spring and summer, many of my colleagues often said, ‘Trump doesn’t need Ukraine, he will withdraw from this conflict, he has more interesting topics to deal with, and everything will be handed to us on a silver platter.’ It isn’t going to happen, let’s understand it at long last,” conceded Konstantin Simonov, head of the National Energy Security Foundation, during a recent appearance on the state TV program “60 Minutes.”

The show’s host, Olga Skabeeva, noted that during the first nine months of Trump’s presidency, Russia had developed a strange affection for the American leader. This sentiment stemmed from a belief in Moscow that Trump would effectively hand them Ukraine and remove consequences for Russia’s invasion. Despite this tactical optimism, Russian state media never showed genuine respect for Trump, consistently mocking both him and the First Lady.

What particularly devastated Russian propagandists was the October 22 announcement of sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s two largest oil companies. This move contradicted the narrative pushed by state media figures who had previously praised Trump as a brilliant businessman who would help realize Russia’s strategic objectives.

The disappointment was especially visible in the rhetoric of Vladimir Solovyov, one of the Kremlin’s most prominent media personalities whose show ranks among Russia’s top three most-watched television programs. Solovyov had repeatedly hinted that Trump remained in Russia’s pocket due to a supposed secret deal reached with Putin during their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The sanctions announcement left Solovyov’s credibility significantly damaged.

On his radio show “Full Contact” on October 23, Solovyov furiously declared that relations between Trump and Putin were now ruined, exclaiming “The bromance is over!” He then displayed an updated “Trump-o-meter,” a popular meme in Russia, where the American president was downgraded from “our elephant” (depicted in a Russian military uniform) to “their pindos,” a derogatory slur Russians frequently use to insult Americans.

With the façade of Russian-American friendship no longer sustainable, state TV propagandists have pivoted back to threatening the West with military force. This messaging aligns with Putin’s recent announcement that Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable Burevestnik missile and is preparing to deploy it.

The rhetoric has become increasingly alarming. Solovyov repeatedly asserted during broadcasts, “They have to fear us,” and “We don’t need their love, we need their fear. Fear!” On “The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov,” military expert Mikhail Khodaryonok—previously considered a more measured voice—proudly described himself and fellow panelists as “rabid warmongers” and “nuclear maniacs,” claiming the West is forcing Russia to use nuclear weapons.

Political scientist Sergey Karaganov, who heads the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, appeared on “The Right To Know” program with a similar message. He argued that Westerners, especially Europeans, have lost what he called a sense of “animal fear,” and that Russia must restore it.

“They have no intellectual functions, they have no sense of the Motherland, they have no sense of gender, they have no sense of love—they have nothing… they are the dregs of humanity,” Karaganov claimed. He asserted that by making Westerners fear Russia, Russians would be “saving them and the world,” calling it Russia’s “historic mission.”

The abrupt shift in Russian state media’s portrayal of U.S.-Russia relations underscores the Kremlin’s struggle to maintain a coherent narrative as its strategic objectives in Ukraine remain unfulfilled. The return to nuclear threats appears to be an attempt to reassert Russia’s relevance on the world stage after miscalculating Trump’s willingness to accommodate Russian interests.