Moscow Calling – August 13
Zakharova: Zelenskyy is fighting against Ukrainian people to destroy them
In an interview with Sputnik Radio, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is “fighting not against Russia, but against the Ukrainian people,” and that his goal is to destroy them “under the banners of nationalism and some kind of national identity.” She made this comment in response to Kyiv’s alleged refusal to accept a thousand captured Ukrainian soldiers as part of an exchange, as previously reported by Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky. Zakharova noted that, in her opinion, the Ukrainian authorities “do not need… Ukrainian citizens, either alive or dead” (TASS).
Intended effect: The article portrays Zelenskyy as a leader who betrays his own citizens and acts according to someone else’s plan to physically destroy the Ukrainian people. Emotionally charged rhetoric is used to accuse Kyiv of inhumanity and emphasize Moscow’s humane position on prisoner exchanges.
Armenia accuses Pashinyan of abuse of power after Washington meeting
The opposition faction of the Armenian parliament, “Armenia,” said that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan abused his powers by agreeing to a declaration on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and U.S. participation in creating the Trump Route, which would link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan autonomy through Armenian territory, RIA Novosti reports. “Nikol Pashinyan, once again abusing his constitutional and legal powers and violating the public legal responsibility assumed by the government, is trying to mislead the Armenian people with false peace propaganda to ensure the preservation of his regime,” the faction said in a statement. The faction called for strengthening national solidarity and the country’s external security without preserving the current regime (ria.ru).
Intended effect:
The material aims to portray Pashinyan as a leader who is leading the country toward a national tragedy by making concessions to the U.S. and Azerbaijan. This creates distrust among the audience toward his foreign policy initiatives and strengthens the image of the opposition as defenders of national interests.
Azerbaijan refuses to participate in CIS Council of Interior Ministers meeting
Azerbaijani Interior Minister Vilayat Eyvazov did not attend the CIS Council of Interior Ministers meeting, which took place on August 12 in St. Petersburg, Russian propaganda outlet Gazeta.ru reports. The meeting, which focused on cooperation between law enforcement agencies, fighting crime, and addressing illegal migration, was chaired by Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev. According to the outlet, Baku’s refusal to participate may be related to recent political developments: on August 11, it emerged that Azerbaijan would send Ukraine $2 million in humanitarian aid in the form of electrical equipment. In response, Russian parliamentarians proposed banning imports of Azerbaijani goods and taking measures against ethnic organized crime groups and their businesses in Russia. Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned Russia’s airstrikes on an Azerbaijani oil depot in Ukraine (Gazeta.ru).
Intended effect:
The article portrays Azerbaijan as a state distancing itself from Russian initiatives in the CIS while supporting Ukraine. This reinforces negative perceptions of Baku among the Russian audience and highlights the tension in Azerbaijan’s relationship with Russia.