Zakharova: Zelensky Surpasses Bin Laden As Global Security Threat

By Staff, Agencies

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of turning the Kiev government into a model centered on the “export of terrorism,” claiming he has surpassed former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the scale of the threat he poses to international security.

Speaking in a press interview, Zakharova said the “Kiev regime poses a real threat to the entire world,” arguing that Washington, London, and other NATO capitals had previously presented bin Laden as a threat to international peace.

“But as you know, Zelensky has surpassed bin Laden. He has proven himself everywhere,” she said.

Zakharova also described the Ukrainian authorities’ alleged activities as a “business model” connected to the export of terrorism, linking her accusations to reported attacks targeting the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and tankers transporting Kazakh oil.

She argued that such attacks could have consequences beyond the Russia-Ukraine conflict because energy infrastructure and maritime oil transport are connected to the security and economic interests of multiple countries.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium is a major route for transporting Kazakh crude to international markets, meaning disruptions could affect wider energy flows.

Against this backdrop, Zakharova said the alleged attacks should not be viewed solely as actions against Russia, but as developments potentially affecting states that are not direct parties to the conflict.

She further argued that the conflict has increasingly expanded beyond conventional front lines, with energy networks, pipelines, ports, shipping routes, and other critical infrastructure becoming part of the wider geopolitical confrontation.

According to Zakharova, efforts by Kiev to damage Russia could ultimately harm countries Ukraine considers allies, creating economic and strategic risks for European and other Western states reliant on stable energy and trade networks.

She said the issue is particularly significant amid broader tensions over energy security between Russia and the NATO bloc.