Zakharova responds to Solovyov’s remarks on a possible attack on Central Asia (video)

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Will Russia conduct military operations in Central Asia too?

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has commented on statements made by television journalist and pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who suggested that Russia should launch a “special military operation” in Central Asia and Armenia.

According to Zakharova, the Russian journalist’s remarks do not reflect Moscow’s official position and were voiced solely on his personal media platform.

“I have read the quotations. The opinions expressed by the journalist are his personal views. They do not reflect Moscow’s official position. In fact, his remarks were framed as a question. This is not a statement, but a question. Moreover, it is obvious that these phrases are being interpreted in a provocative manner by certain analysts. Such manipulation simply cannot be allowed,” Zakharova said.

She added that official statements are made by authorized officials, not by analysts speaking from their couches.

“These phrases have been openly presented by ‘armchair’ analysts in an overtly provocative way, almost as Russia’s official position. Once again, I want to emphasize that the official standpoint is expressed by authorized officials,” Zakharova said.

She noted that Russia is historically connected with the peoples of the South Caucasus and Central Asia through good-neighborly relations, strategic partnership, alliance, brotherhood, and cooperation.

“The guarantee of the stable development of our relations lies in sincere personal ties based on mutual respect and trust between the leaders of friendly states. Our policy in the context of relations with today’s sovereign states has been stated dozens of times by Russia’s leadership. I repeat, this is our position. It has been repeatedly articulated by the President of Russia, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister, and ministers across all areas. Dialogue is also regularly maintained through existing post-Soviet structures such as the CIS and the CSTO,” Zakharova said.

She also emphasized that the television host’s remarks were not assertions but were presented in the form of a question.

“Actions matter more than words. How many times has help been provided? How many times has a helping hand of friendship been extended? How often were the most sincere feelings expressed when sharing grief and offering condolences? How many times were genuine emotions shown when sharing joy, celebrating common victories, and marking the achievements of our colleagues and friends in the post-Soviet space? How many difficult, seemingly unsolvable situations were overcome together? How many misunderstandings were resolved? How many times were provocateurs and provocations responded to? These are the things we should look at. In any situation, it is important not to stumble and, especially, not to be distracted by provocations. Unfortunately, there will be many more of them. Therefore, let us not be misled by false and fabricated information, but instead look at the real situation,” Maria Zakharova said.

It is worth noting that on January 10, Russian television host and prominent pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov stated 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 countries and Armenia.

Solovyov’s remarks also prompted a response from Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopyrkin and handed him a note of protest. Armenia described the statements as an “encroachment on sovereignty.”