Maria Zakharova

Previewing the 2026 UN General Assembly

Russia’s Cyber War Against the West

Russian weapons do not always need to explode. They may simply arrive in your inbox. As Moscow refines its cyber arsenal, digital espionage is increasingly the Kremlin’s weapon of choice for advancing...

An Anniversary That Should Serve as Warning for Russia’s Allies

May 14 occupies a symbolic place in Russia’s military imagination. It marks the anniversary of the creation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955 and, nearly half a century later, the founding of the Collective...

Deny the Truth at All Costs: Moscow’s Perennial Playbook

Remembering how Moscow dealt with the catastrophe in Chornobyl 40 years ago reveals the cornerstone of the Kremlin’s modus operandi: manage perception first, reality later

Escalation Without Detonation: Russia’s Nuclear Threats

Fears of a renewed arms race are echoing around the world once again, ignited by last month’s expiration of New Start, the last treaty limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal deployment. This week,...

Russia Should End It’s War To Attend the Next Olympics

While the Milano Olympic Games have now reached their end, Putin is celebrating the acquisition of countless new victims in his international influence campaigns. The Kremlin has taken advantage of the...

U.S. and EU Include Key Oil Companies in New Sanctions Targeting Russia

Rosneft and Lukoil Targeted: The United States imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies as President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir...

‘This is Where the Negotiations Can End’: Iran Signals Opposition to Dismantling Nuclear and Missile Programs

No ‘Libya-Style’ Agreement: An April 9 editorial in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Javan newspaper stated that Iran would immediately end negotiations with...

Russia Exploits LA Fires to Sow Discord and Promote False Claims 

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, leveled the false claim that U.S. prison inmates were being used as forced labor to fight the Los Angeles wildfires. Her comments were part...

Durov’s Arrest Is About Telegram as Russian Weapon, Not Free Speech

So-called free speech activists have jumped to defend Pavel Durov after his arrest, but they conveniently forget Russia’s weaponization of his Telegram platform.

Russia and Trump: Polluting the Information Space

Russian propagandists’ goal in their accounts of the assassination attempt on Trump is not to offer a single narrative, but rather to muddy the waters so Americans come to doubt everything.

Russia to Host Palestinian Unity Talks

The Russian government will welcome multiple Palestinian factions to Moscow from February 29 through March 2 for “inter-Palestinian talks” about resolving the Gaza war. Russian...

The CSTO: With Friends Like the Kremlin, Who Needs Enemies?

Armenia’s snubbing of the latest Moscow-led summit may be the first indication that Russia’s allies are beginning to realize that the glue that binds is past its sell-by date.

Antisemitism, Russian Disinformation and the West

As Russia falsely accuses the West and Ukraine of inciting antisemitic violence on Russian territory, perhaps it’s time for the West to use its own information operations to set the record straight.

Russia failed to weaken NATO — but its own security alliance is now falling apart

Vladimir Putin has been candid about his intentions to dismantle NATO and discredit Article 5 of the alliance’s founding treaty, in which members pledge to defend each other from...

Moscow Proxies Stand for Regional Election in Moldova

Russian efforts to increase its influence within Moldova may take another step forward in a forthcoming regional election.

Washington Needs to Fight Russia’s Information War Using This Tactic

The US should turn Moscow’s 'reflexive control' tactic against the Kremlin: Instead of selling the American Dream, Washington should show Russians 'the Russian dream.'

The ‘Yugoslavia Scenario’: How Russia Intends to Use an Anniversary in Its Ongoing Information War

The Kremlin has used NATO’s 1999 intervention to justify Russia’s continual assaults on Ukraine, and won’t miss the upcoming opportunity to exploit this further.

The Real Architects of “Russophobia”

How Russia continues to use the idea of "Russophobia" as a political weapon.

Serbia’s Move to Cancel EuroPride Shows How Vučić Plays Off West Against Russia and His Base

The Serbian government is moving to cancel a long-planned parade in Belgrade this Saturday as part of the annual pan-European EuroPride celebration, hosted in a different European city each year, after...