Russian state television just declared war on… Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s video calling on the Russian people has had a remarkable effect. The famous movie star and former governor of California posted it not only on Twitterbut also on Telegram, which is used almost exclusively by Russians. For days, Russian state media tried to ignore it – but millions of views across multiple platforms forced them to address Schwarzenegger’s powerful message.

“That face is the cover of American colonialism and imperialism,” declared TV presenter Vadim Gigin on state television. Sunday evening with Vladimir Solovievon, about Arnold Schwarzenegger and his video clip. “Not a caricature of Uncle Sam, but this Schwarz, in a Hollywood production.”

Gigin seemed particularly angry with the first remarks Arnold made in his video. In an attempt to sidestep the state media’s tendency to immediately dismiss any criticism as “fearful Russians,” Arnold opened his speech with a reminder of his fondness for the Russians. to the Russian people, with years of active interactions long before Vladimir Putin began his all-out war against Ukraine.

“He, in California, will tell us, the people who live here… the truth?! That’s their approach to us,” said Gigin.

Clearly furious, Gigin recounts the second half of Schwarzenegger’s video, where he mentions the trophy that champion weightlifter Yury Vlasov gave him, which Arnold continues to use to this day. Gigin argues that Schwarzenegger never understood Vlasov, who opposed the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

“Vlasov cannot transfer any of his brains [to Schwarzenegger] with his handshake and the trophy presented,” he sniped. Host Vladimir Soloviev later concurred by pointing out: “Schwarzenegger has twice been to Iraq to support American troops and has never tried to tell the Iraqi people why they were destroyed.”

It’s not just state media experts who are outraged by Arnold’s video.

Russian power champion Maryana Naumova, who has expressed her admiration for the likes of Syria’s notorious dictator Bashar al Assad, was very deliberate in reacting to the message posted by the newspaper. Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda in Monday. In her commentary, Naumova accused the American movie star of “living in an alternate fantasy reality”. When she baselessly accused the Ukrainian government of Nazism, she stated: “The fact that Mr. Zelensky, as you say, is a Jew, did not help them. Nazism has no state, Nazism is not based on the word ‘Germany’. And Russian phobia is no better than anti-Semitism.”

Referring to the famous Schwarzenegger films, Naumova stated: “Do you remember how in the second part of Terminator, your hero went back in time to prevent the creation of Skynet, which would bring to the death of all mankind? Russia’s special military operation is not aimed at destroying the Ukrainian people. It is aimed at the neo-fascist Skynet, which for many years has completely subjugated Ukraine and is about to turn into an uncontrollable monster, dangerous for all neighboring countries, not only for us … Don’t stand towards Skynet, The Terminator. ”

Zakhar Prilepin, a famous Russian writer who boasted of “killing many people” during the last war in Donbas, and who is wanted by Ukraine’s SBU security service for “participating in the activities of a terrorist organization”. dad”, also had harsh words for Arnold. Prilepin wrote on his Telegram channel: “In his video message, Schwarzenegger, who killed three million Russians in his movies, told the Russian people how much he loves us and how wrong we are about Ukraine… This Austrian, his son’s father, who served in the SS and was wounded near Leningrad, is trying to act like a good cop. “

Prilepin complained that the United States was “pumping Ukraine full of weapons to slaughter the Russians,” not mentioning that Russia was the aggressor in this war. He added: “Arnie, you are a predator and an enemy.”

As a guest on Soloviev’s Sunday program, Prilepin stressed that the Russians should not try to convince the West of their humanity and goodwill. He believes that Russia’s approach to the West should be as harsh as possible: “If they are really afraid of a conflict with Russia, of World War II, of nuclear war or an escalation of conflict, then they should be able to do that. we should convince them that we are ready for it, that we love it, that we want to make war. “