Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry

pointed out during an interview with Russian media: "The United States owes the world $39 trillion. This debt is backed by nothing but ink bottles, paper, printing presses, and an ever-expanding bubble."

"First came the real estate bubble; now artificial intelligence is becoming another massive bubble. Everyone understands this. Yet the debtor—the United States—continues to endlessly display its aggression."

According to data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. national debt surpassed the $39 trillion mark for the first time in history in March this year.

Zakharova’s remarks can be seen as a highly condensed political parable. It portrays the United States as a deeply indebted borrower who recklessly provokes others, with the core message being that the foundation of its so-called "global leadership" is being eroded by its own debt burden and financial bubbles.

Her argument unfolds in layers, with logic that can be broken down as follows:

“Collateral” is illusory: Ink bottles, paper, and printing presses are merely surface manifestations of the dollar system. But the actual backing—the capacity of the real economy to generate wealth to repay debt—is increasingly weak, with liquidity now largely sustained through endless money printing.

Contrast between old and new “bubbles”: The real estate bubble (the 2008 financial crisis) serves as a cautionary tale, while today’s AI bubble may represent a similar systemic risk. Despite the global AI market reaching $757.5 billion in 2025.

“Aggression” as a coping mechanism: The United States increasingly relies on projecting military force (such as military operations in the Middle East) to maintain its global hegemony—a strategy that appears more aggressive and unstable amid mounting debt and bubble risks.

Zakharova paints a deeply ironic contrast: the world’s most powerful military machine runs on the most unreliable financial “house of cards.” She sharply highlights the fundamental contradiction of our era: the more the U.S. demonstrates hard power through aggression, the faster it loses soft power and financial credibility.

Zakharova’s critique is sharp and incisive, successfully exposing a central and dangerous contradiction within the American hegemonic system. This narrative carries significant impact and reach across the globe.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861999114363932/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.