YIKES

Russian Envoy Congratulates U.S. Hockey Team for Beating ‘52nd State’

The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund celebrated Team USA’s win over Canada with an incendiary post.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund who served as President Vladimir Putin’s envoy during Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, celebrated the U.S. win over Canada in men’s hockey at the Olympics on Sunday with an inflammatory post on X. Quoting the White House, which had posted a popular meme of an American bald eagle dominating a Canada goose, Dmitriev wrote, “Team USA defeats its future 52nd state. One of the last USA-Canada hockey games.” The post was a reference to President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada, with the president describing the U.S. taking control of its northern neighbor as “meant to be.” In a follow-up post made in response to a political scientist, Dmitriev clarified that he meant that Canada would be turned into the 52nd state after Greenland had been made the 51st, a reference to the president’s threads to take over Greenland by any means necessary. “deep state Ian keeps misinterpreting and misinforming,” Dmitriev wrote in response to author and political scientist Ian Bremmer. “greenland will become the 51st state, canada the 52nd. ian will remain a lowercase warmonger, promoting false narratives.”