Russia’s latest propaganda stunt didn’t spread cheer — it spread menace.
Just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago for a high-stakes U.S.-brokered peace negotiation, a Russian government channel dropped a chilling AI-generated Christmas video. Rather than goodwill, the clip delivered taunts, threats, and a stark warning to the West.
🎁 Christmas season is the time of giving, when Russia makes sure that all of its friends get something nice and are well and merry.
— Russian Embassy in Kenya/Посольство России в Кении (@russembkenya) December 28, 2025
As for the naughty ones, they too will get what is coming for them. pic.twitter.com/NqRnm0v3BG
The digital provocation quickly ignited outrage online, amassing hundreds of thousands of views and sparking fierce debates in Washington.
“This isn’t satire. This is psychological warfare,” one senior Democratic strategist told us. “And the timing is no accident.”
A “Holiday Video” With Dark Intent
The Kremlin-linked video opens with a sinister Santa — Russian President Vladimir Putin in full red suit, grinning with a bag slung over his shoulder. A distorted version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” plays in the background.
World leaders then unwrap gifts that reveal Moscow’s worldview:
- Donald Trump beams as he unwraps a framed photo of him and Putin from their controversial Alaska summit, a moment widely criticized for ceding leverage to Moscow.
- Volodymyr Zelensky receives handcuffs. The image quickly cuts to him behind bars — a clear symbolic threat.
- Xi Jinping is shown with ornaments shaped like foreign currencies, while a U.S. dollar ornament crashes to the floor.
- Other global figures — from India’s Narendra Modi to Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — are shown with carefully curated “presents,” from a Russian fighter jet model to a glowing snow globe tied to Moscow’s nuclear investments.
The unmistakable message: Russia controls the narrative — and the outcomes.
One viral repost on X (formerly Twitter) had topped 240,000 views within hours of release.
“Peace”? Russia’s Actions Tell Another Story
The timing is striking.
President Trump had invited Zelensky to Mar-a-Lago this week to discuss a new U.S. peace initiative aimed at ending the grinding conflict in Ukraine — a war that has now stretched into its fourth year.
Inside the White House, officials played down the video’s impact. A senior National Security Council aide told reporters:
“We expected information ops from Moscow. We will not be swayed by AI theater.”
But Democratic lawmakers weren’t so calm.
Senator Chris Murphy, a longtime Ukraine supporter, blasted the video as “nothing less than a brutal intimidation tactic.”
“Russia is not interested in peace,” Murphy said. “They want to rewrite the rules of global order — and this video makes that painfully clear.”
On the Ground, War Continues
While the Kremlin broadcasts pixelated threats, Russian forces intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities this week. Missile barrages on Kyiv killed at least one civilian and injured dozens, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes came just days after U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff publicly declared Moscow’s “full commitment” to peace — comments critics say now ring hollow.
Zelensky, ever defiant, responded with a message of resolve:
“We want peace, but not at the cost of surrender. Ukraine will never bow to fear or intimidation.”
Zelensky also called out Trump’s Alaska summit — a meeting where Trump claimed “great progress” was made with Putin — as “a missed opportunity to hold Russia accountable.”
In Kyiv on Friday, one local resident told our team:
“They send videos. They send missiles. But we still stand.”
AI Warfare: The New Front
Experts warn that this video is more than propaganda — it’s a blueprint for how authoritarian states will wage psychological war in the digital age.
Dr. Emily Kramer, a security analyst at a Washington think tank, said:
“AI allows adversaries to craft narratives that feel real and targeted. This is not just embarrassing political theater — it’s strategic messaging designed to destabilize democracies.”
Within hours of its release, the clip was partially taken down — but not before dozens of avatars and bot accounts began amplifying it. U.S. cyber officials are now monitoring the spread.
In Trump’s Backyard, Tensions Peak
The Mar-a-Lago negotiations are now underway, but the mood has shifted.
Inside the meeting room, aides describe a tense exchange, with Zelensky pushing back on peace terms he says “reward aggression” and Trump stressing “America first outcomes.” Outside, protests have erupted, with activists demanding stronger U.S. support for Ukraine.
One Democratic activist in Palm Beach told us:
“This isn’t Christmas cheer. It’s coercion, and the U.S. must not let Russia set the terms for peace.”
The Kremlin has not responded to requests for comment.
But as world leaders grapple with the fallout, one thing is clear: Russia’s holiday video was no joke — and its implications may be felt long after the season ends.
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