Kremlin chaos: Did Solovyov hint at Putin's resignation on air?

The chief Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, host of a popular talk show, spoke about the situation in the western regions of Russia. He said that Ukrainian "terrorist" attacks on Russian soil must have consequences.

He also suggested executing members of the "Navalny network" as traitors. This statement, especially what he said moments later, caused a wave of comments and genuine turmoil—even in the Kremlin.

"I do not care at all what color the cat is, it is important that it catches mice. So let's move on to concrete solutions. If it requires the resignation of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, well, as my friends say, (...) let's still take the best that we had in the experience of great epochs and deal using the methods that are necessary do do here and now," he said on air.

He thus spoke of President Vladimir Putin himself's resignation, allowing for the possibility of the resignation of the supreme commander—the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

This statement froze the program's participants; you could hear their surprise and fear. Duma Deputy Andrei Gurulyov was visibly irritated.

Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, shared a fragment of the program on platform X.

The words spoken in the TV program confused, especially in the Kremlin. The problem is that no one is entirely sure what Solovyov said. As "Newsweek" explains, citing Russian media, there could have been a misunderstanding. The guests heard the journalist say "otstavka," which in Russian means resignation.

Another version explains that the program host might have said "stavka." This was the high command of the Soviet Union during the war with Germany. In this case, the journalist was calling for establishing this body in connection with the foreign invasion of Russia.

Some observers see a larger plan by the Russian leader. Vladimir Solovyov is Putin's favorite among journalists. To him, Putin gives interviews and even sends birthday wishes, publishing them on the Kremlin's website.

There are speculations that Putin himself is involved in this intrigue. The idea is to introduce the topic of the president's resignation into the public domain to test who is loyal and who is not.