Zakhrova: High Cabinets in Yerevan Have Forgotten Historical Memory

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has responded to media reports about the intention to question Rosalia Abgaryan, a 103-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War in Armenia, in connection with a criminal investigation.

In a statement published on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Zakharova severely criticized the actions of Yerevan, linking them to Armenia's rapprochement with Europe. “It is hard to find a more conspicuous testimony of the moral and spiritual degradation brought about by the rapprochement with modern faceless, morally impoverished Europe and the neo-Nazi regime of Kyiv,” Zakharova stated.

The Russian Foreign Ministry representative insisted that information regarding Abgaryan cannot be viewed separately from the steps that Moscow interprets as a general disrespect for history and memory. Zakharova also recalled the statement from Armenia about President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plan to attack the Victory Parade in Moscow, an incident involving the head of one of Armenia's defense ministry training institutions, as well as the house arrest of the president of Armenia's veterans' union.

According to her, veterans like Rosalia Abgaryan are carriers of historical memory and universal values. “Thanks to their bravery and self-sacrifice, today's Armenia exists and can build plans for the future. Apparently, this has been forgotten in the high cabinets of Yerevan,” Zakharova stated.

She expressed confidence that the 103-year-old veteran “will withstand any interrogation,” while vocally criticizing the Armenian authorities.