Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has since put a lot of Russia’s resources into the ensuing war. Documents reportedly leaked from Russia show that Putin is planning a massive increase in the country’s defence spending in 2024. This suggests that he is prepared to carry on the fighting for a long time.
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Europe has supported Ukraine during this conflict and imposed sanctions on Russia in an attempt to weaken the attacking country. Russia has repeatedly stated that support for Ukraine will be viewed as a declaration of war by the west against Putin’s country. War maps have also been released by Russian military enthusiasts that show how Russia would divide up Europe after initiating and winning World War III.
The UK and Russia
Putin lashed out at the UK and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month during a long rant at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday 12 September. He claimed that the British secret service was behind a recent (failed) attempt at sabotaging a Russian atomic facility.
According to the Russian President, the saboteurs admitted - under interrogation - that they had been trained by British agents. He went on with his terrifying speech:
Do [the British] understand what they are playing with, or not? Are they provoking our response at Ukrainian nuclear sites, nuclear stations, or what? Does the British leadership, or the Prime Minister know what their special services are engaged with in Ukraine?
WWIII and the UK’s fate
There has been speculation over the course of the war about how it could expand, with Russia frequently threatening to target western European countries.
Many pro-Russia channels share news and views about the war on social media channel Telegram. One, called Обыкновенный царизм or Ordinary tsarism shared a terrifying map last year. It’s called Decolonisation of Europe and it details how Russia would carve up Europe if given the chance.
Most of continental Europe is split into republics, empires, kingdoms and ‘free cities’, but the UK has undergone a particularly interesting reformation. The map showed an England that had been chopped into several parts: the Kingdom of Northumbria, the East-Anglian Republic, Lancaster, the Emirate of London and the Kingdom of Wessex.
Scotland and a united Ireland are left as their own stand-alone countries.
Russia’s soft spot for Wales
As for Wales, well, it would be given independence and a chunk of England: the new kingdom would extend up to Nottingham and be named Королевство Уэльс.
This is not the first time that Russia has demonstrated a certain soft spot for Wales. Just days before this map was posted, the Russian TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov ran through a simulation missile attack on the UK. The odd part: the missile was not to harm Wales.
He went on to explain that after an attack like this, both Scotland and ‘quiet’ Wales would be free to become independent. Professor Andrei Sidorov asked him whether ‘the Union Jack will be thrown away’ and he Solovyov’s response was crystal clear:
The Union Jack will be over.
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Sources used:
Express: Putin's bizarre plan to shrink England and give Wales independence after 'WW3 victory'
The Independent: Ranting Putin threatens Sunak and makes wild claim UK ‘backed nuclear plant raid’
