Maria Zakharova

Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova (Russian: Мария Владимировна Захарова, born 24 December 1975) is the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation from 10 August 2015. She has a degree of Candidate in Historical Sciences, the Russian equivalent of a PhD.

Maria Zakharova (2017)

Quotes

2018

• Let me speak or you will really hear what Russian missiles sound like!
  • "Meet The Woman Who Is Proudly Russia’s Troll-In-Chief", Buzz Feed News, 22 October 2018

2019

• I have no detailed information about what soldiers you are talking about.
• We have no laws to stop this.
  • Said in 2019 about the Russian private military company Wagner group, quoted in "No lie too great", Politico, 29 July 2022

2022

• We noticed the unprecedented campaign launched in Greece to defame Russia’s policy. Senior officials in Athens allow themselves to make crude accusations against our country and its leadership, they are literally competing with their like-minded people. They hypocritically speak of an “unprovoked attack” against Ukraine, for the first time since World War II, a “mass invasion” and so on.
  • "Russia Accuses Greece’s Leadership of Propaganda in Ukraine War", Greek Reporter, 7 March 2022

• We are not responsible for the lives of our citizens who have opted to take part in illegal armed activities in Ukraine. Any armed activities against Russian forces will be immediately stopped and armed groups of foreign mercenaries will be eliminated.
  • "Russia bears no responsibility for lives of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine — diplomat", 9 March 2022

• It is well known to everyone that the Russian armed forces do not bomb cities.
  • Claimed without providing evidence, quoted in "Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to frame it over Mariupol theatre attack", Reuters, 17 March 2022

• These terrible, criminal fake (images) were published in order to justify another pre-arranged sanctions package, including a large-scale expulsion of diplomats from different countries.
  • Claimed about pictures and videos from the Bucha massacre, quoted in "Moscow says Bucha accusations meant to derail peace talks, justify more sanctions", Euronews, 7 April 2022

• YouTube has signed its own warrant.
  • Claimed after YouTube blocked content from the Russian Duma, quoted in "YouTube Blocks Russian Parliament Channel Duma TV, Leading Russian Officials To Warn Of Retaliation", Forbes, 9. april 2022

• Who are the masters of provocation? Of course the United States and NATO.
  • Claimed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022, quoted in "'You couldn't share borscht' Lavrov's mouthpiece offers baffling excuse for Ukraine war", Express, 9. april 2022

• The Russian Armed Forces are carrying out precision strikes against military targets and are going to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.
  • Claimed without providing evidence, quoted in "Russia goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties — Foreign Ministry", TASS, 13 April 2022

• We have issued all our warnings both publicly and through bilateral channels. They [Sweden and Finland] know about it, they will have nothing to be surprised about, they were informed about everything, what will it lead to.
  • Said about Russian reactions in case Finland and Sweden join NATO, quoted in "Russia warns Sweden, Finland about consequences of joining NATO", Firstpost, 20 April 2022

• The Ukraine that you and I had known, within the borders that used to be, no longer exists, and will never exist again. This is evident.
  • "Ukraine in its previous borders no longer possible: Zakharova", Mehr News, 18 June 2022

• The European Parliament has passed a resolution recognising Russia as a "sponsor of terrorism". I propose that the European Parliament be recognised as a sponsor of idiocy.
  • Европарламент принял резолюцию о признании России "спонсором терроризма". Предлагаю признать Европарламент спонсором идиотизма., 23 November 2022

• This is no longer Russophobia, it's a perversion on a level I can't even name.
  • "Ukraine war: Kherson 'shelled 258 times in a week'; Pope slams 'Russian cruelty'; and NATO meeting", Euronews, 29 November 2022

2023

• Ukraine has become the global centre of Nazism, and this issue goes far beyond Eastern Europe. All reasonable anti-fascist and anti-Nazi forces must work together to ensure that the broader society learns the truth.
  • Post, Twitter, 27 December 2023

2024

• To justify their aggressive aspirations, representatives of the North Atlantic bloc are deliberately fueling hysteria around an imaginary Russian ‘threat’, including actively spreading insinuations about Russia’s plans to attack the organization’s member states.
  • "Russia detonates NATO military exercises on border with Finland", Newslite, May 2, 2024

• The Crimean Bridge is once again in the crosshairs.
• I would like to warn Washington and Brussels that any aggressive actions against Crimea are not only doomed to fail, but will also be met with a devastating revenge strike.
  • "Russia promises ‘devastating revenge’ if Ukraine attacks Crimean Bridge", Alarabiya News / Reuters, May 3, 2024

• Any Danish move to restrict the freedom of navigation of Russian ships in the Baltic straits will be seen as a hostile act and draw retaliation.
  • "Russia says it will retaliate if Denmark restricts ship movement", Jerusalem Post / Reuters, May 3, 2024

From the Russian Wikiquote

• Even cookery books, they were also banned. Why? Because it was impossible to share borscht. Well, you can't. It should only belong to one person. To some one people, one nationality ... And so that it is common? And so that in every city and in every region every housewife could cook it in her own way? No. They don't want to compromise. So this is what we are talking about: xenophobia, Nazism, extremism in all forms...
  • Даже книги о кулинарии, они тоже запрещались. Почему? Потому что нельзя было делиться борщом. Ну нельзя. Он должен был принадлежать только кому-то одному. Какому-то одному народу, одной национальности... А так, чтобы он был общий? И чтобы в каждом городе и в каждом регионе каждая хозяйка могла приготовить его по-своему? Нет. На компромиссы идти не хотят. Так это и есть то, о чем мы говорим: ксенофобия, нацизм, экстремизм во всех видах...

Quotes about Maria Zakharova

• Here’s Maria Zakharova, who, in essence, has a strong aversion towards Jews and openly opposes Israel, without any attempt to conceal it. Another woman who drinks heavily, yet she serves as a spokesperson for our Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • Yevgeny Satanovsky, Russian propagandist with frequent appearances on the TV show Solovyov Live, on video in "Russian TV propagandist accuses diplomat Zakharova of heavy drinking, anti-semitism in viral video", The New Voice of Ukraine, 20 October 2023

External links

• in Russian