Putin Ally Wants to Make NATO Member Part of Russia
An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin recently floated the idea of making a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) part of Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a recent airing of Russia 1, a state-run TV show in Moscow, host Vladimir Solovyov spoke about Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and said "there's a reason" why the country should be apart of Moscow. Solovyov's translated comments were posted to X, formerly Twitter , on Monday morning by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs.
Portugal was one of the founding members of NATO as many Western countries have continued to warn Moscow against engaging with the military bloc's allies amid its conflict with Ukraine when Putin invaded the Eastern European country in February 2022.
"You don't need it but I like it very much," Solovyov said when he was questioned by his co-hosts and guests about why Russia would want Portugal. "You have to start somewhere, I'd even choose Hawaii. I'm not a military man, but, I reason the way I was taught by outstanding Soviet military commanders, you have to go for natural obstacles."
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen with Vladimir Solovyov in Moscow on December 25, 2013. Solovyov recently floated the idea of making a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) part of Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/AFP/Solovyov added that "the Portuguese would live just fine as part of the Russian empire."
