Russian far-right propagandist and ideologist of the "Russian World" concept, Aleksandr Dugin, has said that Moscow should not "agree with the existence of sovereign Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Kyrgyzstan" and that the former Soviet republics should become part of Russia.

Dugin is sometimes referred to as "Putin's brain", though his actual direct influence on the Russian leader is debatable.

Amid the heightened atmosphere caused by Donald Trump’s imperialist designs on Greenland, Dugin, in an episode of YouTube channel "Infotselina," stated that international law no longer serves the interests of the major powers, including Russia and China.

His comments appear to have been officially ignored by the former Soviet South Caucasus and Central Asian countries he referred to.

Arguing that Moscow must become a "centre of power", Dugin said Russia must take control of the countries.

"All territories we don't bring under our control will not remain neutral, they won't remain such sweet, quiet Switzerlands. They will become outposts of other poles, and first and foremost, of the most conflict-ridden pole—the United States. Therefore, we cannot accept the existence of a sovereign Armenia, or a sovereign Georgia, or a sovereign Azerbaijan, a sovereign Kazakhstan, a sovereign Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Kyrgyzstan. Nothing sovereign can exist in this new model. Either they will be in our camp, part of our united union, or they will become a foothold for the West, or the European Union, or America, or, under certain circumstances, China," Dugin said.

Recently, Russian TV host and propagandist Vladimir Solovyov threatened Armenia and Central Asian countries with a "special operation."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova later said that Solovyov's words on Russian foreign policy are merely his private opinion, not the Kremlin's official position.

Kazakh political scientist Gaziz Abishev was quoted by Azattyk as saying he saw nothing surprising in Dugin's statements.

"In terms of realpolitik, this is actually what all predatory great powers think. Such are their instincts," Abishev said. "As Professor [John] Mearsheimer, a modern realpolitik theorist, says, every country is deeply concerned about its survival and its sphere of influence. Especially great powers. Therefore, great powers—China, the United States, and including Russia—think in terms of their geopolitical perimeter and their share of influence. It's another matter when someone dares to say these things, which are understood between the lines, in such a way that the allies of these countries, who are treated as objects rather than equals, hear such brazen expressions. Here you need to understand that when politicians in power speak in such terms, it's downright ugly.

“It's quite another matter when the speaker is a seasoned imperialist who has been spouting this imperial rhetoric for decades.

“Dugin is exactly that. If he hadn't said it, we would already know he thinks so—from his books, from his other speeches. I think this is simply a typical symptom of the everyday existence of Russian society, within which there are always imperialists who make no secret of their claims on the countries around them."