Minulla olisi pyyntö Juhalle. Voisitko lopettaa viesteihini vastaamisen. Olet senverran harrastanut törkeyksiä minua kohtaan, että olen mielestäni oikeutettu tähän pyyntöön. En lue viestejäsi, vaan olen hiljentänyt ne.
Ponomarenko has directly denied his involvement in Azov or any other far-right movement or ideology. For example, he posted the following on X on 28 June 2022:
– I’ve never been linked, officially or non-officially, with anything like the Azov. By any means.
He commented on the allegations to the festival organiser and to the sponsor of his visit, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in his message in April 2024:
– It’s somewhat strange for me to hear such things about myself. I’ve been a public figure for years and have never been known to support or spread any extremist ideologies, especially anti-Semitism, neo-Nazism, or racism.
However, Ponomarenko says he is fully aware of, for example, bots spreading propaganda associating false allegations with him on social media. The theme of Ponomarenko’s appearance at the festival – information influence in the context of war – is therefore also reflected in his own profile as a person.