Terrorist Vladimir Solovyov threatens Armenia and Central Asian countries with war

Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, is effectively doing everything possible to expand the list of countries that should deny him entry. In a recent statement, he claimed that “the loss of Armenia and the Central Asian countries is a huge problem for Russia,” accompanying this remark with overtly threatening rhetoric. According to Solovyov, Russia should “clearly explain that the games are over,” arguing that if a military operation was launched in Ukraine “to ensure national security,” then similar operations could allegedly be justified in other regions of Russian influence.

He further urged audiences not to feel sympathy for Ukrainians, asserting that Russia’s brutality would supposedly lead to a quicker end to the war. Such statements constitute sufficient grounds for diplomatic responses, including summoning Russian ambassadors to foreign ministries, imposing a complete ban on the broadcasting of Solovyov’s programs, and restricting his entry into these countries.

It is noteworthy that as early as March 2024, Armenia blocked the broadcasts of Evening with Vladimir Solovyov and Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on the public multiplex of the RTR-Planet television channel. At the time, this was officially confirmed by Avet Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia. Thus, Armenia halted the broadcast of a program in which calls for aggression against the country itself had effectively been voiced. However, Solovyov has not been formally barred from entering Armenia, despite the fact that his actions arguably warrant such a measure.

The situation is made even more ironic by the fact that in December 2013 Solovyov was awarded an Armenian order for his “great personal contribution to the development and strengthening of friendship between the peoples of Armenia and Russia.” Today, the nature of that “contribution” has become self-evident.

One may also recall that several years ago a certain Sergei Gurdjian was denied entry into Azerbaijan—a decision fully within the country’s legal rights. At the time, Solovyov responded with highly offensive remarks directed at Azerbaijan. History, however, has placed everything in its proper context. Azerbaijan and Armenia, after decades of conflict, are moving toward peace: trade links are being restored, transit routes are being established, and the process of preparing a comprehensive peace agreement is already underway.

This progress appears to irritate those whose interests Solovyov represents. He now effectively voices calls for violence against Armenia and the countries of Central Asia, further confirming his role as a mouthpiece for an aggressive political agenda.

It should also be recalled that in August 2022, on the Rossiya-1 television channel, Solovyov referred to himself as a terrorist and openly supported threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukrainian cities. In this context, his current statements are not an isolated incident but part of a consistent pattern of extremist rhetoric.

Azerbaijan has already had experience in responding firmly and effectively to such actions. In November 2020, Solovyov was compelled to issue two public apologies to Azerbaijan for violating the principle of information balance and for demonstrating disrespect toward the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty after inviting a representative of the separatists onto his program. This occurred after the end of the 44-day war and the signing of the trilateral ceasefire statement.

Subsequent developments, however, demonstrated that these apologies did not lead to any genuine reassessment of his approach. His continued use of politically biased terminology and his disregard for new regional realities only strengthen the case for a complete ban on the broadcasting of his programs and for declaring him persona non grata.

It has once again become evident that certain forces in Russia are deeply troubled by the rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and by the implementation of ambitious regional projects. These forces continue to believe they are entitled to threaten sovereign states. Such behavior is not merely a mistake; it represents a serious violation of international norms and should not go unanswered.