Double standards: Russian propagandist sends son to Spain despite Anti-EU rhetoric
Elena Karaeva, a key figure at state-run RIA Novosti, has sparked controversy by claiming that the European Union wants to "rob and destroy" Russia, only to have sent her son on vacation to Spain.
Karaeva, who holds a French passport, was once a vocal critic of Russia and an admirer of France. However, her narrative took a dramatic shift in recent years.
Karaeva's recent column on RIA Novosti discusses the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operations in the Kursk region, painting them as part of a Euro-Atlantic agenda to dismantle Russia. Surprisingly, Karaeva, who spent two decades in France, continues to hold a French passport and has allowed her son to vacation in Spain, as reported by the Telegram channel “We can explain".
Before joining the ranks of Russian state media, Karaeva lived in France for 20 years, working with the EuroNews, whose frequencies in Russia were transferred to "Solovyov Live" in 2022. She has also contributed to other media outlets like "Radio Liberty," now labeled as “undesirable organizations” in Russia.
During her time in France, Karaeva praised the country's quality of life and culture. “Almost everything made in France—from cinema to food, literature to museums, architecture to the art of living—is truly exceptional,” she stated in previous interviews, contrasting the experience with life in Russia. She even criticized the high cost of living in Moscow by saying, “If a baguette in Paris cost as much as it does on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, the French would bring back Madame Guillotine”.
She also commended French healthcare, crediting it with saving her son's life during a bout of meningitis. According to her, “Their handling was so efficient, so prompt, so easy, with jokes and smiles,” a stark contrast to Russia’s strained healthcare environment.
A shift occurred in 2021 when EuroNews reduced its workforce, leading to Karaeva’s dismissal. She soon adopted a radically different tone and joined RIA Novosti, focusing her columns on criticizing Europe, France, and their values.
“Why are we interested in what’s happening in Strasbourg (home to the European Parliament)? It concerns us because these are the people who made Russophobia a major political trend and funded Ukraine’s transformation into anti-Russia, standing behind the killings of Russians,” writes Karaeva.
Despite her changed rhetoric, Karaeva sent her son on holiday to Europe. She can be seen sharing moments from his vacation in Spain - on social media. “Baby in the center. In the photo. Physically—in Barcelona. Motherly duty fulfilled!” she wrote. Her Instagram page, however, is now empty, and her Facebook profile appears to be closed.
After a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, Karaeva blamed “foreign agents” and expatriates, accusing them of involvement in the attack.
Meanwhile, amid Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov faced his own troubles in Europe with two of his Italian villas being seized, an event that deeply angered him.