Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has commented on recent statements made by Russian television host and propagandist Vladimir Solovyov regarding Central Asia and Armenia, stressing that his remarks do not represent the official position of the Russian state.
Zakharova responded to questions about whether Solovyov’s comparison of Armenia and Central Asia with other foreign policy priorities, such as Venezuela and Syria, aligned with Moscow’s stance. She emphasized that the comments were expressed on Solovyov’s private media platform and reflected his personal views as a journalist.
During a January 10 broadcast of his program “Solovyov Live”, Solovyov referred to Central Asia as “ours” and suggested that Russia should consider launching a “special military operation” in Armenia and Central Asian countries, similar to the one in Ukraine. He also described Armenia’s departure from Russia’s sphere of influence as a “major problem” for Moscow.
Addressing these remarks, Zakharova underlined that Solovyov’s statements were framed as questions rather than formal declarations. She added that excerpts circulating online were taken out of context and deliberately presented in a provocative manner to create the impression that they reflected Russia’s official policy.
“First of all, we are talking about a journalist’s opinion — I stress, an opinion. Second, it was voiced on a private channel, ‘Solovyov Live’. Third, when reading the direct quotes in full, it is clear that this was not a statement, but a question. Whether rhetorical or not is irrelevant. And fourth, these words have been deliberately manipulated by so-called ‘armchair analysts’ to portray them as Russia’s official position,” Zakharova said.
She also noted that some commentators used the situation to spread unfounded claims suggesting that Russia harbors aggressive intentions toward post-Soviet states — claims that, according to her, were never expressed in the program itself.
Zakharova reiterated that Russia’s official position is articulated exclusively by authorized officials and has been consistently stated by the country’s leadership. She said this position has been repeatedly voiced by the president, prime minister, foreign minister, defense minister, and other senior officials during summits, negotiations, consultations, press conferences, and interviews.
She pointed out that regular dialogue continues within post-Soviet frameworks such as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), including meetings of security council secretaries. According to Zakharova, these platforms are where real discussions on regional security take place.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that Russia maintains historically strong relations with the peoples of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, based on good neighborliness, strategic partnership, alliance, and long-standing friendship. She highlighted that mutual respect and trust between the leaders of friendly states serve as the foundation for stable and constructive cooperation.
“We should judge not by words, but by actions. How many times has help been provided? How often has a hand of friendship been extended? How many times have we shared grief, expressed sincere sympathy, celebrated joint successes, and overcome complex situations together? These are the facts that matter. It is essential not to fall for provocations, no matter how many there may be,” Zakharova concluded.
Source: Kun.uz