The Russian propagandist and the Armenian factor Solovyov steps on the same rake again

Let us begin this article by recalling events from nearly five years ago. At that time, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov twice publicly apologised to Azerbaijan for inviting David Babayan to his show and introducing him as the “Foreign Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh.” Not only did he fail to ensure informational balance — that is, he did not invite an Azerbaijani representative — but he also displayed blatant disrespect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Azerbaijani state.

This happened after the 44-day war, the liberation of the city of Shusha, and other Azerbaijani territories that had been under Armenian occupation for almost 30 years, as well as the signing of the Trilateral Statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In an attempt to serve the interests of his Armenian patrons, Solovyov tried to ignore the new reality — a textbook case of spitting into the wind. And he had to repent for what he had done.

“I made a major political mistake... It was my error to give the floor to only one side. That was my mistake — I apologise and am ready to give airtime to the Azerbaijani side,” he said in his first apology, apparently not fully grasping the depth of his misstep at the time.

But everything that needed to be explained to him was promptly clarified, and in the end, he once again emphasised the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, calling the incident a result of his own personal political error.

Much has changed since then. In the autumn of 2023, Azerbaijan carried out a one-day anti-terror operation in the Karabakh region and fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a result of this brilliant operation, David Babayan and other leaders of the Karabakh junta were brought to Baku. They now regularly testify before the Baku Military Court, revealing how Armenia provided the Karabakh separatists with political, financial, and military support.

Notably, the Russian propagandist — who in the intervening years has ended up on U.S. and EU sanctions lists and lost his villa on Lake Como — no longer mentions David Babayan. Yet he has once again made a political mistake, and once again it concerns Azerbaijan.

Thus, the former owner of Villa la Pomét Solovyev rushed to defend Russian businessman of Armenian origin Samvel Karapetyan, who had been detained in Yerevan. In his quasi-legal rant, Solovyov repeatedly and hysterically declared that “Pashinyan surrendered Artsakh,” adding that Armenia now “faces the fate of Artsakh.”

Here, even the author of these lines finds himself agreeing with pro-Pashinyan Telegram channels, which, commenting on Solovyov’s verbal acrobatics, labelled him a “scumbag on Russian TV.”

What makes Solovyov “unique” is that the insult hurled at him by Armenian propagandists finds agreement not only in Baku and Kyiv, but almost everywhere outside of Russia — and even within parts of Russia itself. This widespread attitude towards him stems from the fact that, in exchange for money, he is ready to parrot any provocative falsehood or nonsense.

It is, of course, well known that this Russian propagandist harbours a long-standing — and clearly self-interested — fascination with Russian businessmen of Armenian origin. In the past, he eagerly fawned over Ruben Vardanyan, who is now also testifying in a Baku court. Ultimately, it is Solovyov’s private affair whom he chooses to “service” in the media sphere, how often, and at what price — using his mouth in such a way as to ensure the client’s maximum satisfaction.

However, for his latest round of provocative remarks — which once again infringe upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and were made on a Russian federal TV channel — this figure, ever ready to justify his own country’s crimes against Ukraine or any other sovereign nation, will have to apologise once more. So perhaps it’s time for this serial rake-stepper to start preparing another repentant monologue.