Valuev also issues threats toward Central Asian states (video)

Russia has pursued a “soft policy” toward former Soviet republics for the past 30 years, but tougher measures are now needed, Russian athlete and former heavyweight world champion Nikolai Valuev said.

According to Valuev, it is inevitable that Russia will carry out several more “special operations” in the future. In this context, he said he considers the views of Alexander Dugin, regarded in Russia as a philosopher, to be correct.

Valuev stated that over the past three decades Russia has relied on a policy of incentives and privileges toward former Soviet republics, but this approach has failed to deliver the expected results. As a result, he openly argued that “tough measures” are now necessary.

He also called on young people, particularly the “Zoomer” generation, to focus on physical training, attend gyms, and engage in what he described as “masculine sports.” According to him, “the time of heroes” is approaching and it is not far away.

“We are facing several special operations ahead. The great philosopher Dugin is right. For 30 years we have been handing out sweets to post-Soviet republics, but it did not help. We need a stick,” the athlete said.

As a reminder, earlier Alexander Dugin, one of the ideologues of the “Russian World” concept and a pro-Kremlin propagandist, stated that the independence of former Soviet countries, including Uzbekistan, is unacceptable.

In addition, on January 10, Russian TV host and another Kremlin-aligned propagandist Vladimir Solovyov said during a live broadcast that the “special military operation” launched in Ukraine should also be carried out in other territories within Russia’s “sphere of influence,” including Central Asian states and Armenia.

According to Solovyov, Russia must clearly and firmly define which territories belong to it. He also argued that achieving this goal would require launching “special military operations” similar to those conducted in Ukraine.

Some time later, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on Solovyov’s remarks about launching a “special military operation” in Central Asia and Armenia.

Zakharova said the journalist’s statements do not reflect Moscow’s official position and emphasized that he was speaking solely on his own platform. She added that official statements are made by authorized officials, not by commentators “talking from their couches.”

In Uzbekistan, Bobur Bekmurodov, Chairman of the nationwide Yuksalish movement and a deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, also reacted to Solovyov’s remarks, calling his statements “nonsense” and describing the propagandist himself as a “copy.”

“We spat on Solovyov’s words and on his imperial ambitions as well. We recommend that he learn an Uzbek expression that roughly translates as: go and mind your own business,” Bekmurodov said.