Even Armenian citizenship did not help: EU sanctions Galustyan for supporting Russian military aggression against Ukraine

The Council of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures against Russian comedian and showman Mikhail Galustyan, who in 2023 became an Armenian citizen. The comedian was sanctioned because he is a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies and uses his popularity to spread Kremlin propaganda.

The relevant information was published on the EUR-Lex website. From now on, the artist will be subject to an asset freeze, and citizens and European companies will be prohibited from providing him with funds. In addition, the Russian showman will be banned from entering or transiting the EU.

Mikhail Galustyan is a Russian propagandist, president of the Federation of Military Tactical Games and a member of the leadership of the Yunarmiya (Young Army) All-Russian Military Patriotic Social Movement, which is already subject to EU restrictive measures. The organization runs regional branches located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as initiates fundraisers and events to support combatants who joined Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.

The EU Council noted that members of Yunarmiya supported the full-scale invasion and spread Russian propaganda. In addition, the artist is directly responsible for the activities of the organization, which promotes the militarization of Russian youth.

The decision of the Council to impose restrictive measures came as a "complete surprise" to Mikhail Galustyan. According to the Putin supporter, European politicians simply "have nothing better to do" if they decide to impose sanctions against cultural figures who "entertain people."

In 2017, Mikhail Galustyan appeared with Ramzan Kadyrov in a video for a KVN comedy program. They showed a parody of the alleged reaction of the Russian authorities to the NATO investigation, where they called the organization "sworn friends."

"Salaam Alaikum. This means that we have been told that Russian comedians are allegedly a threat to NATO with their immaculate jokes and brilliant parodies. I officially declare that this is nothing but a provocation and I will not leave this matter like this, I will move on to the most important thing," Galustyan said at the time.

However, the video was entertaining only for its authors, as netizens did not appreciate the humor. They wrote, "Senior Russian officials don't need toilet paper anymore because we have Comedy Club and KVN!", "Kadyrov and Galustyan ridiculed NATO all over the Internet. Does NATO know about this?"

In 2019, Mikhail Galustyan visited the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, namely Alushta. On the eve of the comedian's trip to the peninsula, the Myrotvorets website published information that Galustyan had deliberately violated the state border of Ukraine and participated in propaganda events.

Interestingly, in 2023, the showman was granted Armenian citizenship. This decision caused strong indignation among Russians, and he even had to publish a post with justification.

"I want to make it clear so that there are no rumors. First of all, I am Armenian and I am proud of it. Armenia is my historical and ethnic homeland, which I am sure will always have good neighborly and friendly relations with Russia. I love Russia and I am not going anywhere, like some people. I have many friends, work contracts, and fans here. Russia is my homeland, period," the artist said.

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