Alexander Dugin, director of the I. Ilyin Higher Political School at the Russian State University for the Humanities, stated in his recent speech on the YouTube channel "InfoCelina" on January 12 that the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus should become part of a single union with Russia. This statement was made in response to a question about the military actions of the United States against Venezuela and President Trump's threats regarding the sovereignty of Greenland, which is an autonomous part of Denmark and a U.S. ally in NATO.
According to Dugin, "wars arise when international law ceases to satisfy the interests of leading powers." He added that Trump marked the time when this happened, emphasizing that this moment was predetermined by the collapse of the Soviet Union. "Now Trump is redrawing the world in the interests of America. This is effectively a third world war, during which the map of the world will be changed," he said.
Dugin also noted that in the current situation, Russia needs to proclaim itself an empire and ignore international law, as no one respects it anymore. He called on Russia, similar to the Monroe Doctrine, to formulate a Eurasia Doctrine and, together with China and India, "declare dominance over the Eastern Hemisphere."
“Our goal is to become the most important center of power in a tripolar world: sovereign, independent, and powerful. All territories that we do not control will not remain neutral. They will become a foothold for other poles, primarily for the USA. Therefore, we cannot agree to the existence of sovereign Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. In this new model, there can be nothing sovereign. Either they join our camp, or they become a springboard for the West or China,” Dugin stated.
He also added: “Sovereignty no longer makes sense for a state that does not possess nuclear weapons and cannot defend itself against the strongest players.” This is not the only statement from Russian public figures regarding the sovereignty of Central Asian countries. Last week, TV host Vladimir Solovyov characterized Armenia and Central Asia as zones of influence for Russia, the loss of which would pose a threat to its security. He stated: “If it was necessary for Russia's national security to start a special military operation in Ukraine, why not do it in other points of our zone of influence?”
In response to Solovyov's words, the Armenian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador and handed him a note of protest, emphasizing that such statements represent an unacceptable encroachment on Armenia's sovereignty and are hostile actions that violate the foundations of friendly relations between Armenia and Russia.
In Kyrgyzstan, there were calls to declare Solovyov a persona non grata. In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Solovyov's statements reflect only his personal opinion, not the official position of the state. “This is a journalist's opinion. It was not an official statement, but rather a rhetorical question… Such statements were presented in a provocative manner, which is unacceptable,” Zakharova concluded.
