Russian State TV Launches Patriotic Kids Show Featuring Toddler Trump
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov is launching a children's show featuring animated toddler versions of world leaders—including President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—which he claims will instil patriotism in young viewers from an early age.
Solovyov, a prominent Russian state TV host and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced show's debut on social media Wednesday.
Why It Matters
The show will air on Russian state TV and will therefore mirror the Kremlin's talking points and agenda. Solovyov himself is known for his hawkish views of the West and for repeatedly threatening that Russia could strike NATO member states.
What To Know
Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov's SolovyovLive project says it is launching SolovyovKids, a children's propaganda TV service where "patriotism is instilled from an early age, and analytical thinking develops even before the first year at school" pic.twitter.com/EGNeOwtVrx — Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) May 15, 2025
Solovyov, one of the most prominent figures in Kremlin-backed media, announced the launch of the kids show on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, describing it as "an ambitious step into the future, where political awareness starts in infancy."
It "opens the door to the world of big politics for young audiences," the propagandist said.
The show, he said, is "not just a program, it is a master class on the current agenda in a format understandable to children."
"Where else can kids discuss geopolitics with the same ease as conflicts over a shovel in the sand?" he wrote. "SolovyovKids is when patriotism is instilled from an early age, and analytical thinking develops even before first grade. It's time to rethink children's television."
Solovyov's announcement was accompanied by an animated video in which characters resembling the toddler versions of world leaders, including Putin, Trump, Kim, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, participate in a group video call.
The clip also features a baby version of SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, seen playing with a toy Cybertruck—one of Tesla's flagship vehicles.
In the animation, mini Erdogan invites the group to "vacation in Istanbul," while toddler Macron is told that he will not be invited because he is "always with his grandmother"—a thinly veiled jab at Macron's wife, who is 24 years his senior.
What People Are Saying
BBC journalist Francis Scarr posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: "Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov's SolovyovLive project says it is launching SolovyovKids, a children's propaganda TV service where 'patriotism is instilled from an early age, and analytical thinking develops even before the first year at school.'"
X user Tetiana wrote: "Solovyov launched SolovyovKids — because why wait till adulthood to rot your brain? First show is "Pesochnitsa"(Sandbox): cartoon putin cracks jokes, Kim Jong-un dunks on Macron. It's like day care in North Korea with russian flavor."
What Happens Next
It's unclear when the new show will launch on Russian state TV.
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