Russian state media figures and Kremlin‑aligned ideologues are increasingly using claims of Western “moral collapse” to justify calls for extreme military escalation, including the use of nuclear weapons.
Several prominent Putin allies have seized on renewed attention around the Epstein files, portraying them as evidence that political elites in the United States and Europe are fundamentally corrupt and unfit to lead. According to this narrative, Russia should abandon any hope of diplomatic engagement with the West including potential negotiations involving Donald Trump and instead exploit what they describe as a historic moment of Western weakness.
One of the loudest voices pushing this line is Vladimir Solovyov, Russia’s most influential television propagandist. Speaking on his Kremlin‑funded nightly program, broadcast across multiple Russian time zones, Solovyov openly embraced his reputation for extremism, describing himself as a “nuclear maniac” and arguing that Russia should deploy tactical nuclear weapons against its enemies.
An even more sweeping call came from Alexander Dugin, a long‑time ideologue associated with Putin’s worldview. Dugin claimed that the West is “collapsing before our eyes” and framed the Epstein revelations as proof of systemic rot among Western leaders. In his view, Russia and China now have a rare opportunity to benefit from what he described as the breakdown of the entire Western political order.
Dugin argued that Russia has already paid a heavy geopolitical price in recent years, citing setbacks or losses in regions such as Syria, Iran, and parts of the Middle East and Latin America. He insisted that Moscow should stop attempting to reach understandings with Western leaders altogether, asserting that Trump would never treat Russia as an equal partner and instead views it as a subordinate power.
Going further, Dugin called for immediate preparations for nuclear conflict, urging the Kremlin not to delay. He also demanded unconditional Russian backing for Iran, describing it as a final defensive line against Western military pressure and warning that Russia itself would be next if Iran fell.
Both Dugin and Solovyov framed the West in absolutist terms, portraying it as irredeemably hostile and morally corrupt. Dugin used extreme rhetoric to describe Western elites, while arguing that Russia must abandon compromise and prepare for direct confrontation.
These statements were made as Russia continued its military campaign in Ukraine. Overnight strikes targeted energy infrastructure in the Odesa region, causing further power outages. In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian attacks wounded several civilians, including a one‑year‑old child.
While such rhetoric does not necessarily reflect immediate policy decisions, it highlights how increasingly radical language has become normalized in Russian state media particularly when domestic and international pressures on the Kremlin intensify.
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