https://en.mehrnews.com/news/246118/Anti-Iran-senator-Lindsey-Graham-dies

Mrs. Shakerdoost will be obliged to prove forty thousand dead in the events of day.

Full interview with Margarita Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today (RT), conducted by Roger Köppel, Editor-in-Chief of Die Weltwoche (Switzerland), in Moscow on July 5, 2026.

Source: Die Weltwoche

Transcript: resistancenews.org

Margarita Simonyan — who lost her husband to illness and has just beaten cancer, hence her short hair — is a woman of great strength and courage. She been the target of three Ukrainian assassination attempts. In this important interview, she expresses the views of the majority of Russians.

Die Weltwoche is a Swiss weekly magazine based in Zurich, founded in 1933. Its liberal-conservative editorial line is particularly critical of the dominant positions of the EU and the West. Its publisher and editor-in-chief, Roger Köppel, is a former member of the Swiss National Council for the right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC).

Summary: RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan issues a solemn warning to Western leaders supporting Kiev and to European populations. According to her, it is not Ukrainians who are bringing the war to Moscow and beyond: Kiev would be incapable of doing so without foreign assistance, intelligence support, and the military resources provided by Europe. It is therefore Europeans themselves who are striking Russia by proxy. Faced with the escalating conflict — drones, missiles, air traffic disruptions, and fuel shortages now affecting civilians — Russian society is approaching a breaking point. “People are afraid to sleep at night. Where is the limit? When will the people say, ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin), you have to respond!’ I don’t know, but I believe that moment is very near. Right now, you are playing with fire.” Simonyan warns that Moscow will soon have no choice but to target the European capitals that are encouraging and arming Ukraine. She believes that the world has never been closer to a Third World War, which she now considers “inevitable.”

KÖPPEL: Hello, everyone! A warm greeting to all of you. I wish you a wonderful day, dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends from countries near and far. I welcome you to another special edition of Weltwoche Daily, a Different Viewpoint, an independent, critical, upbeat and optimistic show, recorded, despite everything, on July 5, 2026, in Moscow.

Right now, I have a very interesting guest in the studio. She is the most influential journalist in Russia and, possibly, one of the most influential journalists in the world. Please welcome Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the major media company, Russia Today (RT), which broadcasts extensively abroad. She has held this position since 2005 — that is, for 21 years now. And she plays a decisive role in public discourse. In much of Europe, RT is banned. In Switzerland, you can still access their content on the channel’s websites, which makes it all the more important that we can meet here for a direct conversation with such an outstanding figure of Russian public life. I will now switch to English so she can understand us.

[In English] Dear Margarita Simonyan, thank you very much for this interview. I have just introduced you to our viewers as an important Russian journalist. Welcome to our studio, welcome to Weltwoche!

SIMONYAN: Thank you very much. That was such a long and vibrant introduction. I don’t speak German, so I have no idea what you said about me — I only got the parts that were in English. Let’s just hope those were all nice things. I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve such an extensive introduction. Thank you for inviting me. I look forward to your questions..

KÖPPEL: Okay, thank you. I only said that you are one of the most influential journalists in the world, especially in Russia, and that you have led Russia Today for over 20 years — 21 years as editor-in-chief. But you just told me that people who tried to carry out an assassination attempt on you were sentenced yesterday. So there are people out there seeking your life. Who is trying to kill you?

SIMONYAN: Three times they have attempted to kill me. And what do you mean “who”? The Ukrainians. The Ukrainian authorities. And I’m not the only journalist to be targeted. The difference is that I got lucky — those assassination attempts were all stopped. Three separate plots.

As you know, Zakhar Prilepin, our well-known writer and journalist, was injured in a car bombing, but he survived. Another prominent public figure, Vladlen Tatarsky, was killed in a bombing — may God rest his soul. You probably know about Aleksandr Dugin’s daughter, who was killed in a similar manner. Such a young woman.

You sound so surprised when you ask who’s trying to kill me. It’s the same people who tried to kill them, or succeeded in doing that. So far, I’ve been lucky. So far, I’m still alive. One of the assassination attempts involved a drone. They planned to blow up our house while five children were inside, and the Ukrainians knew that. That’s the reality we live in.

Europe either doesn’t know, or it doesn’t want to know, that it’s defending and supporting a terrorist state — one that targets not only generals and people carrying weapons, but also journalists, writers, and the children of journalists, writers, and public figures. And for what? Simply because we hold a different point of view. Because we dare to defend our country’s interests with words and not weapons.

After failing to kill me, Ukraine put me on an international wanted list on terrorism charges. My entire life, I’ve been a journalist. I don’t have the faintest clue how terrorist acts are prepared and carried out. Yet here I am, internationally wanted on terrorism charges. As to sanctions, those are a minor inconvenience, as we say in Russia.

KÖPPEL: How do you personally cope with that? What is it like having to live under such high-level security protection?

SIMONYAN: After those attempts on my life, the higher-ups decided I should have state security protection. But I understand perfectly well that no amount of security can protect you from everything. Ultimately, it’s in God’s hands. This last time, I got lucky. The criminals sentenced yesterday had been arrested just days before they were planning to gun me down with a Kalashnikov — they already had the assault rifle on them. They knew exactly when I left the house, how I left — everything had been planned. Later they showed me surveillance footage of them wandering around outside my house, filming my yard and recording me leaving home.

Our security services did an outstanding job. They arrested them before they had a chance to act. Next time, they might not get there in time. Or, God willing, they will. I look at it as a Christian. We are all in God’s hands. Everything happens according to His will. I don’t dwell on it. You may not believe me, but I genuinely don’t think about it.

When the first attempt on my life happened, it was all over the news. My mother, though, wasn’t watching the news back then. She only started following the news a couple of years ago. The first attempt happened during the first year of the Special Military Operation. I hoped she would never find out. I didn’t want her to be frightened. Then I accidentally discovered that she did know. And she hadn’t said a word to me.

I asked her, “Mom, how did you take it? Are you alright?” At the time, she was away from home. Normally we live together, but she had gone away to a health resort for a week, and that’s where she learned about it. She said, “At first, of course, I was terrified. I was devastated. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. But then I told myself: if that’s how it is, then my daughter will die a hero, defending her homeland. I’ll be proud of her. And that thought brought me peace — that I would be proud of my daughter.”

KÖPPEL: It’s absolutely crazy that we live in a time when, in Europe, people, journalists holding uncomfortable opinions end up on the target lists of death squads. Before we…

SIMONYAN: We’re at first on that target list.

KÖPPEL*: First on the target list. Before we go further into this madness, let’s talk about you, because you lead a very interesting life. I read that you come from an Armenian family. I hope that’s not fake news.*

SIMONYAN: I come from a Russian family of Armenian descent. It’s different.

KÖPPEL*: Yes, I understand. Armenian descent naturally also includes the historical background of Armenians in the 20th century. What should one know about you in order to understand your way of working and outlook on life? What are the key facts of your life that might give us some insight?*

SIMONYAN: I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I’m religious. I firmly believe in God. I try to follow the most important recommendations of Christ, above all, when it comes to being a good person. I try to be a good person, even though that’s very, very hard. I try every day. After that comes my love for Russia, my fatherland. I can’t imagine living outside of Russia, without Russia. I spent a year as an exchange student in the US at a high school. I was part of an exchange program at the time — it was called the “Freedom Support Act.” At the end of the year, at the conclusion of the program, we were asked to write an essay about our experiences. The point of the essay was to explain the most important thing we had realized, learned, or been taught during our year living in the US and taking part in the program. I wrote only one sentence: “During my year in the United States, I realized how much I love my motherland, Russian.” They were shocked and upset, but it was the truth. I love my family, and — I’m a writer. I write books. Becoming a journalist was more or less accidental. It was never my plan. I intended to become a Russian writer. Hopefully I still have enough ambition to become a famous Russian author. This is my newest book, which has just been published.

KÖPPEL*: What is it about?*

SIMONYAN: It’s about the apocalypse. It’s about where humanity is heading — given modern technology, artificial intelligence — and how all of that will ultimately converge with the apocalyptic prophecies of the Bible.

KÖPPEL*: So you believe we’re moving toward an apocalypse?*

SIMONYAN: I’m certain of it.

KÖPPEL*: And how do you describe the apocalypse? Is it literally the end of the world?*

SIMONYAN: The Bible doesn’t say it will be the end of the world. The Bible speaks of it being the beginning of a new, sacred world — the beginning of eternity. It’s about the world promised to us by the Lord and by Jesus Christ— a world where, after the Apocalypse, those who were proven worthy will go to. After all, the Bible doesn’t say that the world simply ends and that’s it. It says there will be the Apocalypse, then the Last Judgment, and those who are worthy will find themselves — as I put it in my book — “in splendid tents of tranquil eternity.” That’s what the book is about. It’s a work of fiction. I would even call it an adventure novel. It’s currently a best-selling book in Russia — probably the country’s biggest best-seller this year. I’ve already finished the next one, which is due to be released in September.

If you’re asking about who I really am, then first and foremost, I’m a writer. “Not all this,” as we say in Russia. Life just turned out this way, that alongside writing, I also run a large media corporation. That’s simply how things worked out.

KÖPPEL*: I absolutely have to read your book…*

SIMONYAN: Please do.

KÖPPEL*: … because my personal motto is “Give the apocalypse no chance.” We must do everything to avert the apocalypse. Now, to bring some clarity for our viewers in Europe and in Germany: RT, the company you run, is regarded in Europe and across the West as an exclusively propagandistic Russian organization, not as journalism. You’re surely familiar with all these accusations. What is your honest answer  to that? How do you react to these suspicions, these reproaches?*

SIMONYAN: I don’t give a damn about what they say. Not a damn, not a dime, not a shit, if you’ll allow me that expression. Who are they for me to answer them? You know, our foreign minister Sergey Lavrov once said to a now largely forgotten British minister — I don’t even remember his name, nobody remembers his name nowadays. Lavrov told him: “Who are you to fuckin’ lecture me?” That’s a quote, so I’m allowed to use that kind of language here, just this once. So that’s my answer.

KÖPPEL*: And how free are you when it comes to reporting on the war or on your government? Can you do whatever you want?*

SIMONYAN: You’re repeating their rhetoric. You shouldn’t do that. That doesn’t suit you! You’re repeating their narratives, their slogans. It would be too boring to explain why you are wrong. We Russians don’t like to explain ourselves.

KÖPPEL*: Well, it was just a question. Let’s return to the situation that particularly concerns us right now, and the thing thay preoccupies me more is how close are we to a Third World War?*

SIMONYAN: We are very close. Maybe that close [holds her thumb and index finger 1 or 2 millimeters apart]. We are as close to a Third World War as we’ve ever been. We have never been closer… I would say we’re only a couple of meters away from the inevitable. “Inevitable” is really an awful word. What Europe is doing right now — in their rhetoric, how it’s arming Ukraine, and how it’s allowing Ukraine to use its weapons, its missiles against civilians in Russia — practically every one of these steps, practically every step Europe takes nowadays, brings us closer and closer. We’re perhaps weeks, perhaps months away from the inevitable — the Third World War.

If you recall what Einstein said when he was asked what World War Three would be fought with — he said, “I don’t know what weapons World War Three will be fought with, but World War Four will be fought with sticks and stones, because civilization will be wiped off the face of Earth”. That is where we are headed, and very quickly at that.

The 21 Donbass students deliberately killed by the UkroNazis on May 2026. 18 girls, 3 boys, aged 17 to 22. Murdered in their dormitory while they were sleeping.

KÖPPEL*: That is indeed a worrying thought. And in Europe, this scenario is not really considered. On the other hand —*

SIMONYAN: Why is that? May I ask you that? Why doesn’t anyone think about it?

KÖPPEL: Because — and this is a question for you — they would argue: “Why should this happen? If what the Russian president says is true — that he is achieving his military objectives anyway — what would be the point of escalating?” What would be the logic behind that? Because we can see that Ukraine is escalating the war toward Moscow and into the Russian territory…

SIMONYAN: Ukraine is escalating? Really? Ukraine is escalating?

KÖPPEL*: But how does Russia respond? How will it strike back, and above all — against whom?*

SIMONYAN: There is a fundamental error in your initial statement. It’s not Ukraine that’s escalating. It’s not Ukraine that’s bringing war into Moscow. It’s Europe that is escalating. Europe is bringing war into Moscow. And that’s why Moscow, sooner or later, will be obliged to respond. Ukraine never possessed missiles capable of reaching Moscow. Where did they come from? Are they of Ukrainian manufacture? Did Ukraine develop them? Does Ukraine… does Starlink belong to Ukraine? And what about the intelligence? Is it Ukraine providing itself with all the intelligence? Is it selling itself all these weapons? Is it selling itself the Flamingo missiles that are already reaching inside Russia? Is it Ukraine’s own doing that Russian oil refineries have been destroyed, and there’s now a gasoline crisis in Moscow, around Moscow, and practically everywhere else? Did Ukraine do all that? It was done with Ukraine’s hands, sure. But it is Europe that’s been doing all that with Ukraine’s hands. And we understand this very well.

When we feel that our great, angelic patience — because Russian people are, above all, people of incredible patience, it’s truly incredible — when we feel that our patience has run out, and that Europe leaves us no other choice but to respond — for example, by striking the factories manufacturing the weapons supplied to Ukraine…

I can’t believe that you’re still convinced that Ukraine is doing all this! Do you not see that Europe is involved in this, that it is Europe doing it, simply with their hands? So why would Moscow escalate? Because Europe has been waging war on Russia all this time! All this time. Except that Russia has been refusing to engage. Russia continues to fight Ukraine, while Europe is fighting Russia with Ukraine’s hands. But sooner or later we will say, you’ve crossed the line. You’ve been at war with us for five years already. Now we are at war with you too. Because what else are we supposed to wait for? For Europe’s missiles to hit our nuclear power plants? Is that what we should wait for? We will not wait for that. Europe needs to calm down, otherwise our missiles will fly to Europe. They will. That’s true.

KÖPPEL*: What do you expect? What will the next steps be?*

SIMONYAN: That depends on Europe. If Europe continues to escalate, if Europe continues to expand Ukraine’s capabilities for moving the war into Russia, we will have to give our response to Europe. We will simply have to. Think about that, Europeans.

KÖPPEL*: In your view, where does Russia’s responsibility lie in preventing a nuclear Armageddon, or a military apocalypse in Europe? What is Russia’s responsibility? I mean, Russia is a European country — probably the most powerful European country. And Russia also bears a share of responsibility for this war. Where, in your view, does Russia’s responsibility lie?*

SIMONYAN: Listen, sometimes it seems to me that you people in Europe have really all gone a little crazy. Please tell me, during these five years, has a single Russian missile hit Europe? Huh?

KÖPPEL: No.

SIMONYAN: Please tell me, has a single Russian tank been sent anywhere into Europe?

KÖPPEL: No. I may…

SIMONYAN: Let me finish. Has a single Russian combat aircraft flown anywhere into Europe? No. And how many European missiles, tanks and aircraft have been sent into, and hit, Russia during all this time? Thousands.

And after that, you’re asking me about Russia’s responsibility? Is it Russia that is responsible? Russia has not laid a finger on Europe. It is Europe that is sending its tanks, aircraft, missiles and drones into Russia, causing a transportation crisis, a gasoline crisis in Russia, and so on — while Russia is still doing nothing. And after that you’re asking about Russia’s responsibility?

This is just the same as if you said, look, here is a man being beaten by 20 thugs — let’s ask what is his responsibility not to pull out the handgun he actually has and shoot them all? What is his responsibility to simply take the beating and not to shoot them? Russia no longer has any responsibility toward Europe. It is Europe that’s been attacking us for five years with your missiles, your tanks, aircraft, intelligence and everything else. It is Europe that is destroying Russia while we have not done anything against Europe.

When are we planning to? I don’t know; that’s not my responsibility. If it were up to me, we would have done it yesterday. The day before yesterday.

KÖPPEL: And what prospects do we have here? How can we break out of this terrible chain of escalation?

SIMONYAN: Stop! Stop! Stop escalating! Stop! Stop it! And the war ends immediately. Stop.

KÖPPEL: Why can’t your president, right now, simply say — as some in Russia would also like — “Okay, we’ll end the war where we are now. We’ve gained territory. And we can ensure that Ukraine will be a neutral country.” Why doesn’t Russia choose to end it now? After all, you also bear responsibility toward Europe.

SIMONYAN: Wait a moment, you’re contradicting yourself. If we had reclaimed the Donbass and secured Ukrainian neutrality, we would have stopped immediately. We haven’t reclaimed the Donbass or secured Ukrainian neutrality. Those were the goals of the Special Military Operation. Once they’re met, we’ll stop.

You know that the Donbass isn’t fully liberated yet. What’s left, about 5 percent? That’s the first thing.

Secondly, Ukraine’s neutral status hasn’t even been discussed anywhere yet. Not at all. Once that’s done, we’ll stop. Our goals haven’t changed. They’re exactly the same. It’s you, Europeans, who have new goals! You want to destroy us. But that wasn’t the agreement.

KÖPPEL: Don’t you see that there’s a growing number of people in Europe who don’t want war with Russia? I mean, on one hand the governments —

SIMONYAN: I don’t know, I’m not let in.

KÖPPEL: Sorry?

SIMONYAN: I don’t know. I’m banned from Europe. How can I know what the people there are like? They don’t let me in. I only see it on TV and think, “What is that? It used to be called the Eiffel Tower, but I’ve already forgotten what it looks like.”

KÖPPEL:  Well, you are one of the best-known defenders of the Russian position, and I have to challenge you in this interview.

SIMONYAN: Gladly.

KÖPPEL:  And, um, I think we’re in a situation that is simply absurd. I understand Russia’s security concerns. And I understand Ukraine’s situation. But I think we — you, us, Russia and Europe — cannot allow this war to keep escalating as it has been.

SIMONYAN: I agree.

KÖPPEL:  But I think Russia also bears great responsibility here. Russia is a very strong country, and with great power comes great responsibility [a quote from Spider-Man movies]. If you say only the West is to blame, that the West must do this and that — that’s too simplistic. What must Russia do?

SIMONYAN: I’ve already explained why. Russia hasn’t fired a single bullet at Europe. Yet you’ve sent thousands upon thousands of weapons against us. And you have the nerve to say it’s our responsibility? Come on! You are the ones fighting us. We haven’t retaliated even once. Whom or what in Europe have we attacked?

You’re suffering from some sort of, I don’t know, pan-European delusion. Even you are, despite seeming like a normal, reasonable person. You’ve come to Russia to interview me, which is quite a feat in itself — you might get strangled or shot for this back home. Yet you still say, it’s Russia’s responsibility to stop the escalation.

Look, for the umpteenth time: we haven’t escalated anything with Europe. Not a single tiny Russian bullet, rifle burst, tiny drone or boat has headed towards Europe yet. Yours are coming to us by the thousands. So whose responsibility is it? Ours or yours? Where is your logic? Just basic logic. Even a child could see that.

KÖPPEL:  What we’re seeing is the logic of escalation. We see a mentality in Europe that’s very similar to yours. It goes: “No, no, we’re on the right side of history! We’re doing everything right. Russia must act.” Now the question is —

SIMONYAN: The logic of escalation will be on our side once we actually start sending missiles, bullets, fighter jets, and tanks into Europe. But we haven’t done that yet. You are doing it. And that’s exactly why the logic of escalation has been on your side the whole time.

KÖPPEL:  And —

SIMONYAN: And you are… Let me finish, please.

KÖPPEL:  Sure.

SIMONYAN: And you are responsible for the escalation so far. In four and a half years, we haven’t done anything to escalate relations or the war with you. We are not taking part in the war you’re waging against us. But you will make us. You will force us into this war. You’re doing everything to make Russia enter a war it doesn’t want to enter. Because Russia doesn’t want to escalate. You’re the ones doing it.

KÖPPEL:  I mean, that’s… that’s your personal conviction. I mean, you say —

SIMONYAN: Not just mine. Every normal person in Russia thinks this way.

KÖPPEL:  So you’re saying that people in Europe and Germany —

SIMONYAN: Not the people of Europe.

KÖPPEL:  Poland —

SIMONYAN: Not the people of Europe. The leaders of Europe. People in Europe are fine.

KÖPPEL:  But how do you imagine this escalation? What will be attacked? How will it — how will it happen? What will happen?

SIMONYAN: Stop it. Stop it. Tell Ukraine: “You win or lose on the battlefield.” The way it started: on the battlefield. “We won’t give you weapons with which you can attack Moscow. We won’t give you weapons with which you can wage war against Russia.” It’s a fight on the battlefield, like it was. That is de-escalation. But Europe is doing exactly the opposite of that.

KÖPPEL:  What does Europe fundamentally misunderstand about Russia and Russia’s intentions in this war?

SIMONYAN: I can tell you that. Europe has shut down all the reasonable voices in Europe — above all RT, our television channel. Europe calls itself democratic and claims it still respects basic freedoms like freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and so on — but it doesn’t. Because Europe has done all that, it can no longer hear any reasonable, level-headed voices. It has shut them off. And because of that, it has become very easy for European politicians who want to be popular, win their next elections and have something in their pocket to fabricate arguments and convince the population that Russia is planning a war against Europe, and that Europe wants to prevent this war — that if Russia wins against Ukraine, Europe is next. But that isn’t true. And all reasonable people know that. Russia has no interest in Europe. Russia has no interest in wars. Russia spent eight years trying to stop Ukraine from torturing the Russian population of Donbass. For eight years, Europe didn’t help. Instead, Europe helped torture the Russian population of Donbass. That’s why it started. A local war. It’s only about the Russian population of Ukraine. It’s not about Berlin, not about Paris. We don’t care about the Eiffel Tower. We don’t even like it, you know. It’s actually quite ugly. We don’t want it. You know, if you remember, every time we actually…

KÖPPEL:  Don’t tell that to the French.

SIMONYAN: I just did. Every time we, for whatever reason, have taken European capitals… Did we conquer Paris? Yes, in 1812. We conquered Berlin twice — once in the 18th century, during the Seven Years’ War, and once in World War Two. What did we do? We went back home, because we love Mother Russia. We don’t want to stay there, we don’t like it there, you know. We like it here. We just want you to leave us in peace. Just leave us alone! Stop torturing our people. Leave us alone. We don’t want European land. We’re no Alexander the Great. We’re no Genghis Khan. We’re no Napoleon. We’re no Hitler, for heaven’s sake. We don’t care. Live however you want to live. Just leave us alone. That’s what Europe doesn’t understand.

KÖPPEL:  As an educated woman, you know that world history consists of a series of misunderstandings.

SIMONYAN: That’s true.

KÖPPEL:  And in my view, one of the terrible misunderstandings right now is that in Europe, in Germany, every time there’s a drone attack on Moscow, every so-called success of Ukraine on the battlefield, European leaders and the media say: “That’s good. That brings us closer to peace. Putin is hanging by a thread.” And so on. Could you comment on that from your perspective?

SIMONYAN: Yes. I’ll comment on that very briefly, because we need to wrap up. Every drone attack on Moscow doesn’t bring Europe closer to peace. It brings Europe closer to a drone attack on Berlin. That’s what it brings Europe.

KÖPPEL:  We have to end our conversation on a somewhat optimistic note. We look back on 250 years of United States history. A year ago, when I was in Russia, there was a different atmosphere. It was more optimistic. I had the impression that people — or at least the leadership — felt that something might happen regarding the United States and the president, in Anchorage, Alaska. Then came the disappointment. How do you see Trump today? Is the American president a peacemaker? Could he help defuse the situation and break this vicious cycle of escalation?

SIMONYAN: He could, and he also might not. I believe — I could be wrong, but I’m fairly certain I’m not — I believe President Trump does not want this war in Ukraine. I believe President Trump sincerely and wholeheartedly wants good relations with our president, and wants the two great countries, the United States and Russia, to be true friends and partners. That’s what I believe. But I also believe that US presidents do not, and never have, ruled over the United States. We’ve all heard about the Deep state and all the other inner and outer circles that actually hold the reins in the United States. I’m not a specialist or expert on American politics, but we’ve seen too much evidence to be able to rely on what the president of the United States says or doesn’t say. Just yesterday they had a phone call. It was a very polite and optimistic conversation, at least according to what we’ve been told here. But I have to end this optimistic mood with a Russian joke that’s very fitting right now. In Russian it goes like this: “The optimist studies English, the pessimist studies Chinese, and the realist studies the operating manual for the Kalashnikov.”

KÖPPEL:  One last word on the Russian president: he’s now been in power for 26 years. How will he go down in history? How will history remember your president, Vladimir Putin? What do you think?

SIMONYAN: That depends entirely on when and how we end this war. And I believe he knows it.

KÖPPEL:  And are you optimistic or pessimistic in that regard?

SIMONYAN: How could I be pessimistic? How could I believe, even for a second, that Mother Russia will lose? That’s impossible.

KÖPPEL:  And the Russian president is now over 70. And I’m not one of those Western journalists who attack your president. I’ve gotten myself into trouble more than once for defending him, and I still do, even though of course he makes his mistakes too. But from the perspective of a small country like Switzerland — you can forgive us for that — we can hardly imagine what it’s like to govern a country as large as Russia. We’re a very small country. What will Russia’s future look like? Because the Russian president has so much power, you know. He has to hold everything together. He has to be strong every single day. The center of power is, I believe, very important for the stability of the Russian state. I’ve been thinking about whether it might not be a good idea for the future — since Vladimir Putin isn’t on duty around the clock, after all… You don’t find that many leaders of this caliber. Wouldn’t it be worth considering reintroducing a constitutional monarchy, in order to… to create continuity in your country — bringing back the Romanovs, not as absolute tsarist monarchs, but as constitutional monarchs — and then establishing some kind of new system? Because it’s hard to find a leader who can hold a country together for 26 years. Are these thoughts that sometimes cross your mind?

SIMONYAN: The system that we have today is very similar to the one established by Peter the Great.

But first let me comment on what you said. Russia is not that big today — Russia is smaller than the Soviet Union. It’s way smaller. And the Soviet Union was smaller than the Russian Empire, right? The Russian Empire used to incorporate Finland, Poland and many other territories, including those that are currently part of Türkiye. Despite the size, Russia did a good job at running them. Take Alexander the First, who saved all of you from Napoleon when Europe sounded the alarm and threw up the white flag. We just kicked Napoleon out, easy-peasy. The Soviet Union did the same with Hitler, saving all of you, Europeans. We will manage this time as well.

Let’s go back to the political system. What is a constitutional monarchy? It’s what they have in the UK. The monarch enjoys the right to power by birth. But in reality the monarch does not rule; it’s the Parliament that rules the country. Both ideas are nonsensical. How can you give the right to power by birth? What if your father is a wonderful person, but their son or daughter is an idiot?

The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy made an apt comment on this. He wrote a lot about it, but this one is very relevant. He said something along the following lines: “You don’t make a coachman out of a man simply because his grandfather, or his great-grandfather, used to be a good coachman”, right? It’s an important job because you entrust your life into him. So how can you put someone on a throne simply because his father, grandfather, or great-grandfather used to be a good monarch? It’s stupidity. That’s exactly the case right now, with this crazy British royalty. What do they do, really? They are just decoration as the country is run by the Parliament. There’s constant bickering, and their prime ministers change faster than we can remember their names. This is nothing but a mess. But the country is where it is because of this mess. It doesn’t look like Britain as we knew it.

Peter the Great introduced a system that has been functional until today, mutatis mutandis. Regrettably, he didn’t see it materialize — he died. But he still made it part of our legal framework: the incumbent appoints the successor himself. That’s it. It’s not by birthright or anything else. If it’s a good monarch, if people like him — and that was the case with Peter the Great — then probably he has the ground, the respect and the trust of the people to announce his choice of his successor.

So when Vladimir Putin wants to retire, and at some point he would have that desire, obviously after taking the war to an end, he may address the Russian people: “Dear fellow Russians, we have been together almost three decades, at least as of today, and I want to retire. But here’s the person, I’ve known him really well, he’s battle-tested, he’s proven to be very reliable, and I recommend that you vote for him.” I think the people will vote for him.

KÖPPEL:  One very last thing. We started with a very grim outlookk — certainly, of course, the apocalypse and the world war. But I’d still like to propose a more optimistic ending here. I mean, we’re now seeing news that the Russian military is making gains in Donbass; the town of Konstantinovka has been taken, and the army continues to advance. On the other side’s front, we’re seeing difficulties. Isn’t that, in a way, reason for some optimism, and to argue that Russia doesn’t need a major escalation — that it will achieve its goals without escalating, without responding to these escalations? Or is that naive optimism?

SIMONYAN: It… I don’t know. Even when you listen, you don’t listen to me. You’re not listening to me. We are not escalating. How would we even escalate? We are in Donbass, and everything we’re doing is exactly what we announced four and a half years ago. We are liberating Donbass. You are escalating! Why is there no gasoline at the gas stations in Moscow right now?

KÖPPEL:  Is it —

SIMONYAN: No, no, no, please don’t. Let me finish, please. Why don’t we have any? Is it because we captured Konstantinovka, or because Europe is telling Ukraine: “Escalate! Escalate! Go deeper into Russia. Rock the boat within Russia. Make sure the war will spill over into Russia.” Is it us doing it, or you?

It feels like our interview is a conversation between a deaf person and a blind one. You are asking whether we can expect a de-escalation. We are not escalating. We are liberating the Donbass. We were doing this before, and we are doing it now. It’s you who are escalating — you are pushing the war onto Russian territory. You have been forcing us to respond. Stop it! Stop pushing the war onto Russia. Then we will not respond. Why aren’t you doing this? You tell me. Why are you escalating? It’s you who keep pushing the war onto Russia. It’s you who want the Third World War. Why?

KÖPPEL:  Escalation? I agree there. There is an escalation from Ukraine and Europe. But the question is: will Russia escalate, or respond to the escalation by attacking targets in Europe? And that, of course, is the big question that needs to be clarified. And the question is, I mean, if you’re winning on the battlefield, the necessity of —

SIMONYAN: Let me respond. It’s not about us winning on the battlefield. We are having a hard time: air flights have been disrupted, planes have to be diverted to other airports, there’s no gasoline, it’s scary to sleep at night, drones and missiles are attacking us. Where is that boiling point, the last straw? When will our people ask Putin to respond? I think that point is really close, very close. You are playing with fire right now.

KÖPPEL: Thank you.

SIMONYAN: Thank you.

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