Maria Zakharova commented on Solovyov's statements about the SVO in Central Asia.

The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, stated that the remarks made by television host Vladimir Solovyov regarding foreign policy are his personal opinion and not the official position of the country. This opinion was expressed in the context of his recent comments, which caused public resonance.
Zakharova noted that analyzing Solovyov's statements, one can see that he was more likely posing a rhetorical question rather than making an official statement. "It was not a statement, but rather a question that could be rhetorical or something else," she explained.

She emphasized that Solovyov's words were interpreted by some analysts as the official position of Russia, which is unacceptable. "Historically, our country has had relations of good neighborliness and brotherly friendship with the South Caucasus and Central Asia," Zakharova added.

It is worth recalling that Solovyov's statements about the possibility of Russia's military intervention in the affairs of Armenia and Central Asia, with the aim of keeping them within Russia's "sphere of influence," caused widespread public resonance. He compared the situation to the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, stating that Russia should ignore international law.

In response to these statements, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that such assertions contradict the spirit of friendship between Moscow and Yerevan. Moreover, Deputy Dastan Bekeshev proposed to declare Solovyov a persona non grata. The press secretary of the President of Kyrgyzstan, Askat Alagozov, urged not to take the television host's words seriously.