Russian propagandist urges Central Asian states to “know their place” (video)

Russia has supported the countries of Central Asia for many years, and therefore these states should “know their place,” political analyst Sergey Mikheyev said during an episode of 'Evening with Vladimir Solovyov' on the Rossiya 1 television channel.

During the broadcast, Mikheyev delivered harsh criticism of the region’s foreign policy, effectively portraying Central Asian countries as unworthy of equal partnership.

According to Mikheyev, Moscow made a strategic mistake by supporting its neighbors for many years and “rescuing” them during times of crisis. In his view, the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus are obliged to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to Russia, yet instead dare to pursue independent policies. He expressed particular dissatisfaction with the issue of labor migration.

“By using Russia’s labor market, these countries do not acknowledge themselves as being ‘indebted’ and do not show sufficient gratitude,” he said.

Mikheyev also made openly threatening remarks. Recalling the Ukrainian scenario, he stated that the Kremlin’s “excessive softness” and lack of strict discipline have led to such geopolitical “tragedies.”

He further emphasized that it is a vital necessity for post-Soviet republics to “know their place.”

It should be recalled that 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 so-called “special military operation” carried out in Ukraine should also be conducted in “other territories within Russia’s sphere of influence,” including Central Asian countries and Armenia.

According to Solovyov, Russia must clearly and firmly declare which territories belong to it, adding that it may be necessary to launch a “special military operation” similar to that in Ukraine to achieve this goal.

Shortly thereafter, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Solovyov’s statements regarding the need for Russia to launch a “special military operation” in Central Asia and Armenia.

Zakharova noted that the journalist’s remarks do not reflect the official position of Moscow, emphasizing that Solovyov expressed these views solely on his own channel. She added that official statements are made by authorized officials, not by analysts “speaking from their couches.”

In Uzbekistan, Chairman of the nationwide “Yuksalish” Movement and Deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Bobur Bekmurodov, also responded to Solovyov’s remarks, calling them “nonsense” and referring to the propagandist himself as a “copy.”

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