Russian officials and allies have escalated criticism of King Charles following his recent address to the US Congress, where he called for strong support for Ukraine’s defense. Chechen MP Adam Delimkhanov threatened to raise a Victory Banner over Buckingham Palace, echoing Soviet triumphs in World War II.
Delimkhanov’s Fiery Rhetoric
Delimkhanov, a close associate of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, shared an AI-generated image depicting Buckingham Palace under siege. He declared, “England is not a country that can dictate terms to the world.”
The MP accused the king of attempting to rewrite history by claiming credit for the Allied victory in World War II. “But the Soviet soldiers won it, who, at the cost of huge sacrifices, reached Berlin and raised the Victory Banner over the Reichstag,” Delimkhanov stated. He highlighted Chechen hero Abdul-Khakim Ismailov among those victors and added that Chechens stand ready to follow orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, potentially raising the banner over Buckingham Palace.
Delimkhanov labeled King Charles “a madman who called for the Third World War.”
British Fighters Join the Fray
British national Ben Stimson, currently fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine for a six-month stint, amplified the message with an AI image of the king wearing his crown. The image bore the slogan “I want YOU to die for Ukraine!” Stimson commented, “King Charles wants your sons. His brother [Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor] wants your daughters!!!” The image circulated widely, including shares by George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain.
Another British fighter, Bradley Townsend from Barnsley, explained his involvement as repaying a historical debt. During the 1984-85 UK miners’ strike, workers from Ukraine’s Donbas region—specifically Horlivka, twinned with Barnsley—donated a month’s wages to support the strikers. “As a man from a Yorkshire mining family, I’m here to repay that favour,” Townsend said. Horlivka has been under Russian control since 2014.
Context of King’s Speech
In his US Congress address, King Charles emphasized, “Unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.”
Russian media outlets quickly interpreted the speech as a direct call to prepare for war with Russia and invoke NATO’s Article 5. Multiple similar claims emerged in a apparent coordinated response from Moscow, shortly after the king’s remarks.
