We may not have a lot of strength showing from the White House when it comes to dealing with Russia, but it looks like we have some in Alaska.

Russian Duma member Oleg Matveychev, whom some have referred to as the Kremlin’s “spin doctor,” went on Russian state media and said they want reparations for the sanctions that the U.S. imposed upon them.

Matveychev then said he wants “the return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on.” As we noted earlier, that included Alaska and even Fort Ross, California, both of which the Russians sold off in the 1800s.

He continued:

That was my next point. As well as the Antarctic… We discovered it, so it belongs to us… Also, the return of all medals that have been unlawfully taken from our sportsmen during all Olympic games, as well as the extradition of [Grigory] Rodchenkov, along with the extradition of multiple other criminals we’ll want. I think we should start voicing all of that, so they understand what will be on the table. You didn’t want to talk to us about something small, like Ukraine’s neutrality, here’s what you get. And that’s not even all of it,” the lawmaker said.

Either they’re getting pretty desperate and/or they’re spinning to seem tough at this point,after an incredibly embarrassing showing of how badly they are fighting in Ukraine.

Yes, Ukraine is doing remarkably well with fierce resistance with the help of the West. But also Russia has been awful, right from the start. They hadn’t planned out what the needs might be if they met resistance so they immediately had food or fuel issues. But even beyond that, their strategic ability leaves much to be desired – such as having all their tanks bunched up in a convoy right on a main road near Kyiv, practically begging to be hit by artillery. So, it was, and they had to flee with their tail between their legs.

But,if Russia thought that the demands would save their reputation, it didn’t go over well. People mocked them on social media.

Russia sold Alaska for 7.2M USD. Your country doesn’t have that many rubles to buy it back

— OSFP (@Marcin_TS) March 14, 2022

But Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has a perfect response that they need to hear.

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. https://t.co/ji0Hiza1TE

— Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) March 15, 2022

“Good luck with that!” Dunleavy said in response to Matveychev’s demands. “Not if we have something to say about it,” he added. “We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently.”