”Humanity is on the brink of a Third World War because of Europe’s actions, as it is effectively waging war against Russia through Ukraine”, writes RT. The editor-in-chief of RT, Margarita Simonyan, was interviewed by Roger Köppel, a Swiss journalist, politician, and editor-in-chief of Die Weltwoche.
Simonyan emphasized that Russia’s patience is running out: if strikes using European weapons on Russian territory continue, Moscow will have to respond with strikes on, say, factories in the EU.
At the same time, Simonyan noted that Russia has no interest in European territories, and the objectives of the special military operation remain the same: the liberation of the Donbas and Ukraine’s neutral status, writes RT.
Interview by Roger Köppel, Weltwoche.ch | Translated (from Russian, English) and shortened by NewsVoice
Roger Köppel: What is the sense of an escalation? When it’s true what the Russian president is saying, that he’s achieving his military goals anyway? So what is the deeper logic of an escalation? Because as we see, Ukraine is escalating the war into Moscow, into Russia. But then the question is, what is the answer of Russia? How will they strike back and whom are they going to strike?
Margarita Simonyan: Ukraine is escalating, really?
There is a fundamental error lurking in your original line of reasoning. It is not Ukraine that is escalating the conflict. It is not Ukraine that is bringing the war to Moscow. It is Europe that is escalating the conflict. It is Europe that is bringing the war to Moscow. And that is why Moscow, sooner or later will be obliged to answer. Ukraine never had the missiles to target Moscow. Where did they come from?
They came from Ukraine? Is it Ukraine who made them? Is it Ukraine?
Is that the country that has Starlink, that has all the information?
So, is Ukraine supplying itself with intelligence, selling these weapons to itself, selling itself the ‘Flamingos’ that are already reaching us here, is it? Did it single-handedly arrange for our oil refineries to be destroyed, so that now there is no petrol in Moscow, the Moscow region, or practically anywhere else? Did Ukraine do this? This was done by Ukraine’s own hand. It is Europe that is doing this through Ukraine. And we understand this very well. And when we feel that our archangelic patience – and the Russian people, first and foremost, are incredibly patient, incredibly so – has come to an end, Europe leaves us no choice but to respond. For example, to strike those factories where the weapons supplied to Ukraine are manufactured. I cannot imagine – do you really still believe that it is Ukraine doing this? Can’t you see how Europe is involved in this, that it is Europe acting through them?
Why should Moscow escalate the situation? Because Europe has been at war with Russia all this time. All this time. It’s just that Russia isn’t engaging in this war. Russia continues to fight Ukraine, whilst Europe is fighting Russia through Ukraine. But sooner or later we’ll say: ‘Have you gone mad?’
You’ve been at war with us for five years now; now we’re at war with you too. What are we supposed to wait for? Until their missiles are fired at our nuclear power stations? Is that what we’re supposed to wait for?
We’re not going to wait for that. Europe needs to calm down, otherwise it’ll be heading for Europe. It will. It really will.
Roger Köppel: What do you expect? What will be the next steps?
Margarita Simonyan: It depends on Europe. If Europe continues to escalate the situation, if Europe continues to enable Ukraine to move the war inside Russia, we will have to respond to Europe.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in July 2026 on a broadcasting ban on the Russian channel RT. The ruling could lead to prison sentences for anyone who publishes or shares RT videos on public websites. Therefore, NewsVoice can no longer republish RT videos or translations of RT articles, but we can quote, refer to, and link to RT.
Related
- RT: An interview with Margarita Simonyan by the Swiss journalist Roger Köppel
https://russian.rt.com/world/video/1653492-intervyu-margarity-simonyan-shveicarskomu-zhurnalistu-rodzheru-kyoppelyu - Weltwoche.ch
