Statements by Armenian Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan about the republic’s readiness to accept a “new wave” of Russians relocating from the country are provocative, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding certain statements by Alen Simonyan
Question: Recently, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Alen Simonyan stated in an interview with the Dozhd television channel (included in the register of foreign media outlets performing the functions of a foreign agent) that Armenia is prepared to accept “a new wave of Russian citizens who wish to avoid being sent to the front.” How would you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: Naturally, we have taken note of the interview given by Alen Simonyan, who was quite recently appointed to the role of Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, to a media outlet openly hostile to Russia. During his tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly, he regularly issued ambiguous pronouncements, including on the subject of Russian-Armenian relations. On this occasion, live on air with a journalist who is a foreign agent, the newly appointed Secretary of the Security Council capitulated to a deliberately provocative question that ensnared him in speculative narratives – inspired by the Ukrainian junta and its Western sponsors – regarding an ostensible mobilisation in our country, which has been repeatedly refuted by officials in Russia.
It is with regret that we observe the continuing tendency among representatives of official Yerevan to issue public statements that undermine bilateral cooperation with Moscow. We consider Alen Simonyan’s remarks to be provocative. In essence, they incite Russian citizens to commit unlawful acts and impart a toxic political hue to the time-honoured Armenian tradition of hospitality.
In the aforementioned comments by Alen Simonyan – who, during his visit to Russia in February 2026, spoke at length about the importance, including for Armenia, of advancing Russian-Armenian ties – we discern yet another indication of the aspirations of the republic’s authorities to serve the interests of the West and the Kiev regime.