Moscow urges context after presidential aide’s Karabakh remarks spark criticism

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called for a careful and contextual interpretation of recent remarks made by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky regarding the Karabakh.

The statement was made by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova to Russian media, Caliber.Az reports.

Zakharova emphasized that Medinsky’s comments, which have sparked widespread discussion, should not be distorted or taken out of context.

“There is no need to extract non-existent theses or rearrange words in a way that alters their meaning entirely,” she stated, urging media and observers to refrain from misrepresenting the aide’s remarks.

Clarifying Russia’s official position, Zakharova reaffirmed that Moscow recognizes Karabakh as the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. She noted that Medinsky’s statements were intended to address the "historical context, socio-cultural characteristics, and the human suffering" associated with the region, rather than to challenge its internationally recognized status.

Earlier this week, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky stated in an interview with RT that, in the absence of a comprehensive peace agreement, the Ukrainian region could "turn into a huge Karabakh" if the current front lines remain frozen. Medinsky referred to Karabakh as a historically contested region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, using it as a reference point for the potential consequences of unresolved conflict.

In response, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada sharply criticized the analogy, accusing Medinsky of misrepresenting the nature of the Karabakh conflict. Hajizada emphasized that equating the situation in Ukraine with that of Karabakh is both inaccurate and unacceptable, noting that Karabakh is internationally recognized—including by Russia—as the historical and sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.

By Vafa Guliyeva