Russian state TV floated a conspiracy theory that Kremlin is working with Donald Trump

A host on Russian state TV has floated a conspiracy theory that the Kremlin is working with former President Donald Trump in preparation for his potential victory in the 2024 election, according to Newsweek.

The unsubstantiated allegation was presented by Ivan Kamenev, a host on the Solovyov live show, an excerpt of which was posted on X, by Julia Davis, the founder of the Russia Media Monitor watchdog group.

“Igor Pshenichnikov, an expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, says the rumor that Russia’s Foreign Ministry is working with Trump is most likely true,” Davis wrote.

In the clip, Kamenev mentioned Trump’s election bid: “Here’s what I want to ask. There was news, although it wasn’t officially confirmed, that Russia’s Foreign Ministry is working on a big deal for negotiations with Donald Trump.”

Responding to Kamenev’s suggestion, Igor Pshenichnikov, an expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said, “It would be logical to suppose that our Foreign Ministry is working with Trump’s team.”

Newsweek says that Russia has often sought to sow distrust and division via TV messaging.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 election, has said repeatedly that if reelected, he would swiftly bring an end to the war in Ukraine by speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin denied that talks were underway between Putin and Trump on possible conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.

In the video, Pshenichnikov said of Trump: “Seeing in him, just as the rest of the world does, the most likely winner in the election. If no one gets in his way, and if there’s even an election, if there is an election and if it’s honest, if Trump lives until November 5, then he will certainly win.” The expert added: “It would be stupid for us not to be working on potential dialogue with Trump. I think these leaks have a basis.” The U.S. presidential election, where Trump is likely to face off against Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is scheduled for November 5.