A Statement Made by a Russian Lawmaker Misattributed to the Russian Government
The Claim
Russia demanded the return of Alaska from the United States and threatened nuclear retaliation if their demands were not met.
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Emerging story
Social media users are circulating a claim that Russia has demanded that the United States return Alaska and Antarctica, and threatened a nuclear strike if their demands are not met.
Misbar’s Analysis
The Misbar team investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. According to the Anchorage Daily News, the remarks were made by a Russian lawmaker on a television program. Oleg Matveychev, a member of the Russian parliament, was being interviewed about the effects of the sanctions on Russia. In the interview, Matveychev said, “Let’s think about reparations. The harm these sanctions caused us cost money. Return of possessions, including possessions of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and even parts of Russia that are now occupied by the United States.” The interviewee then asked him about the return of Alaska and Fort Ross, which are former Russian outposts. Matveychev then responded, “This is my next point – recognizing Alaska, Fort Ross, and Antarctica,” he said. “We actually discovered it, so it rightfully belongs to us.”
According to credible sources, the Russian government made no official demand to the U.S. to return Alaska or any other American territory. One Russian parliament member exaggerated his belief that the US should give Russia land as compensation for economic damage caused by sanctions. Furthermore, no nuclear or other threats were made if the demand was not met.
Despite the claim being misleading, it still drew a response from the Governor of Alaska, who tweeted, “Good luck with that! Not if we have something to say about it. We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently.” The tweet can be seen below.
However, the Misbar team confirms that the claim is misleading based on the investigation. This was a statement made by a Russian lawmaker and not an official Russian government request, nor were any nuclear threats made.
