🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions following visit to Qatar (Doha, February 26, 2025)

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The visit to Qatar during which I held meetings with Emir of the State of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has concluded.

Our good relations go back a while. Today, we reaffirmed our commitment to expanding them comprehensively based on agreements reached by President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during earlier contacts. <...>

We agreed to step up our activities across all areas, primarily, trade and economy, as well as energy as part of the Doha-based Gas Exporting Countries Forum, and interaction between the Qatar Investment Authority and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Humanitarian exchanges, promotion of tourism, and other cultural events are also part of our plans.

We discussed the Middle Eastern affairs at length, primarily, in light of the process that has been unfolding in Syria after the change of power. We are interested in keeping this process under control and making sure it does not spark civil strife, since the risk is still there.

<...>

We would like all external players, including the Arabs, the West, China, Russia, and Iran, to help normalise the situation in Syria. We are aware that the Syrian leadership (our Qatari partners confirmed this) is interested in seeing assistance to the reforms and normalisation processes in the country come in an even and balanced manner, where no one is trying to subordinate these processes to their geopolitical goals. Syria no longer wants to be a place for the external players to sort out their geopolitical differences.

We placed great emphasis on yet another issue which is the Palestinian-Israeli settlement and Israel-Lebanon relations.

We are concerned that the Israeli army takes more steps every day that are not provided for in the agreements with Hamas and Lebanon. These steps create situations on the ground that are at odds with the existing agreements and UN Security Council resolutions on Palestinian affairs and the Lebanese issue.

☝️ In this regard, Qatar and the Russian Federation share the importance of re-orienting the process towards respecting the principles approved by the UN Security Council. The establishment of a Palestinian state is a key issue. Any attempts to tank these Security Council resolutions and to replace the establishment of a Palestinian state with “resettling Palestinians across the region” will only set a time bomb into motion, as has happened multiple times over the many decades of ignoring the demands for a two-state solution.

From the Q&A session:

• We once again expressed our gratitude and appreciation to Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, for the discreet, pragmatic efforts undertaken by Qatar to facilitate the resolution of humanitarian issues in relations between Russia and Ukraine. Primarily, these concern the reunification of children with their families.

• Some suggest an idea of preserving the “line of contact.” First, this will not happen. Russia has a constitution based on the will of the people. Secondly, whatever is left of Ukraine should also be cleared of racist laws. Some of the people living there are more comfortable speaking Russian, and they want to preserve the traditions of their ancestors brought up in Russian culture.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that the issue of frozen Russian assets must be considered in conjunction with the retaliatory measures adopted by the Russian Federation affecting American companies’ interests. This is a sound reflection on the necessity of abandoning thieving methods and not expecting them to go unanswered.

Read in full

🇷🇺🇳🇴 Интервью Посла России в Норвегии Н.В. Корчунова для RTVi (26 февраля 2025 г.)

Основные тезисы

• Отношения Москвы и Осло находятся практически на нулевой отметке. Вместе с тем поддерживаются дипломатические отношения. Каналы связи остаются открытыми – и это важно – в т.ч. для экстренных ситуаций, контактов по линии пограничных и таможенных служб.

• Несмотря на сложные времена, необходимо помнить, что Россия и Норвегия являются соседями, и применять прагматичный подход к решению вопросов, представляющих взаимный интерес.

• Важно не забывать о нашей общей истории, которая имеет такую яркую страницу, как совместная борьба с германским нацизмом. Это является фундаментом для сохранения добрых отношений между нашими странами.

• Условия работы российских загранучреждений в Норвегии значительно ухудшились, в том числе из-за подогреваемых в стране антироссийских настроений. Несмотря на сложности, есть обоюдное понимание необходимости иметь функционирующие дипломатические представительства.

• Посольство, как и наши коллеги в других европейских странах, внимательно отслеживает ситуации с задержанием российских судов и россиян — членов экипажа иностранных судов. В случае нарушения иностранным государством международного права, включая нарушение прав российских экономоператоров и судов, будем задействовать все имеющиеся у нас инструменты для их защиты.

• Нас беспокоит наметившийся отход Осло от самоограничений в военной сфере. Очевидно, натовские мероприятия и, вероятно, инфраструктуру, в т.ч. военные базы, планируется приблизить к границе с Россией. Хотя норвежские власти продолжают заявлять о приверженности принципу «высокие широты — низкая напряженность», на практике поощряется наращивание присутствия и активности НАТО на всей территории страны, включая северные регионы.

• Между Россией и североатлантическим альянсом отсутствуют эффективные меры доверия и каналы коммуникации, в т.ч. по военной линии. Это повышает риски непреднамеренных опасных инцидентов и не способствует стабильности и безопасности на Севере.

• Отмечаем определенные усилия команды норвежского председательства в Арктическом совете. Вместе с тем видим, что не все страны-члены этой организации разделяют настрой Осло вернуть ее к полноформатной работе. В таких условиях перспективы проведения сессии на высоком, министерском политическом уровне пока не просматриваются.

• В соответствии с Договором о Шпицбергене 1920 г. у Норвегии есть обязательство не использовать территорию архипелага в целях войны. Россия, как участник Договора, придает большое значение соблюдению норвежской стороной духа и буквы данного документа.

• Российский научный центр на архипелаге Шпицберген продолжает работать, внося большой вклад в комплексное изучение архипелага, прилегающего шельфа и акваторий Северного Ледовитого океана.

• Актуальные задачи в Арктике возможно решить только совместными усилиями. Изменение климата, сокращение биоразнообразия, деградация вечной мерзлоты, чрезвычайные ситуации природного или техногенного характера требуют поиска общих решений и научного сотрудничества в рамках действующих межправительственных форматов.

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🇷🇺🇳🇴 Fra intervjuet med Russlands ambassadør i Norge Nikolay Korchunov til RTVi (26. februar 2025)

• Forholdet mellom Russland og Norge er praktisk talt redusert til null. Imidlertid opprettholdes de diplomatiske forholdene. Kommunikasjonskanaler forblir åpne - og det er viktig - blant annet for krisesituasjoner, kontakter mellom grense- og tollmyndigheter.

• Til tross for vanskelige tider er det nødvendig å huske at Russland og Norge er naboer, og å ha en pragmatisk tilnærming til spørsmål av gjensidig interesse.

• Det er viktig å ikke glemme vår felles historie, som har en så spesiell side som den gemeinsame kampen mot den tyske nazismen. Dette er grunnlaget for å opprettholde et godt forhold mellom våre land.

• Arbeidsforholdene for de russiske utenriksstasjonene i Norge har forverret seg betraktelig, blant annet på grunn av de opphetede antirussiske holdninger i landet. Til tross for vanskelighetene finnes det en gjensidig forståelse for behovet for å ha fungerende utenriksstasjoner.

• Ambassaden, i likhet med våre kolleger i andre europeiske land, følger nøye med på situasjoner som involverer tilbakeholdelse av russiske skip og russiske mannskapsmedlemmer på utenlandske fartøyer. Dersom en fremmed stat bryter folkeretten, inkludert brudd på rettighetene til russiske økonomiske aktører og fartøyer, vil vi bruke alle verktøy vi har til rådighet for å beskytte dem.

• Vi er bekymret over at Norge er i ferd med å bevege seg bort fra selvpålagte restriksjoner på militærområdet. Det er åpenbart at NATO-aktiviteter og antagelig også infrastruktur, inkludert militærbaser, planlegges flyttet nærmere grensen til Russland. Selv om norske myndigheter fortsatt erklærer at de er forpliktet til prinsippet om «High North – low tensions», har det i praksis blitt oppmuntret til oppbygging av NATOs tilstedeværelse og aktivitet i hele landet, inkludert de nordlige regionene.

• Russland og NATO mangler effektive tillitsskapende tiltak og kommunikasjonskanaler, inkludert kommunikasjon mellom de militære. Dette øker risikoen for utilsiktede farlige hendelser og bidrar ikke til stabilitet og sikkerhet i nord.

• Vi merker oss en viss innsats fra det norske formannskapet i Arktisk råd. Samtidig ser vi at ikke alle medlemsland i denne organisasjonen deler Oslos intensjon om å gjenoppta organisasjonens fullskala arbeid. Under slike forhold er utsiktene til å avholde et møte på høyt politisk ministernivå ennå ikke synlige.

• I henhold til Spitsbergen-traktaten av 1920 er Norge forpliktet til ikke å bruke øygruppens territorium til krigsøyemed. Russland, som part i traktaten, legger stor vekt på at Norge etterlever ånden og bokstaven i dette dokumentet.

• Det russiske forskningssenteret på Spitsbergen fortsetter sitt arbeid og gir et stort bidrag til den omfattende utforskningen av øygruppen, dens kontinentalsokkel og Polhavet.

• Det er bare gjennom felles innsats at det er mulig å løse aktuelle utfordringer i Arktis. Klimaendringer, tap av biologisk mangfold, smeltingen av permafrost, naturlige og menneskeskapte krisesituasjoner krever at man søker etter felles løsninger og vitenskapelig samarbeid innenfor de eksisterende mellomstatlige strukturene.

Les hele teksten på norsk på ambassadens nettsider

🎙 Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (February 27, 2025)

🔹 Russia-US meeting in Istanbul
🔹 Ukrainian crisis
🔹 Kiev regime crimes
🔹 Bosnia and Herzegovina
🔹 Third Caspian Economic Forum
🔹 Russia’s UNGA resolution on combatting glorification of Nazism
🔹 55th Anniversary of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entering into force
🔹35th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Vatican

📰 Read
📺 Watch

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#RussiaUSA

In furtherance of a series of bilateral contacts at the top and high levels, an expert-level meeting took place in Istanbul to explore pathways for resolving numerous irritants that persist in bilateral dialogue due to the groundwork laid by the destructive actions of previous US administrations.

We have consistently affirmed that the deterioration of Russian-American relations was not our choice.

It is anticipated that the meeting will serve as the first in a sequence of such expert consultations, which may advance progress towards resolving differences with the American side and reinforcing confidence-building measures.

#Ukraine

Ukraine’s NATO membership would provoke abrupt and uncontrollable escalation of the conflict, with grave repercussions for global security.

We reiterate that a just and durable resolution of the conflict remains unattainable without the complete and irreversible eradication of the conflict’s root causes. Foremost among these is the West’s breach of its pledge to refrain from NATO’s expansion and the alliance’s absorption of geopolitical space up to Russia’s borders.

The situation with the armed forces of Ukraine continues to worsen. Under pressure from the West, the Kiev regime is exploring measures to expand its mobilisation base by connoscripting youths aged 18–25.

#BosniaAndHerzegovina

We share the justified indignation of the general public in the Balkans at the absurd conviction in the fabricated case of President Milorad Dodik of the Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) by a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 26.

This is yet another instance where politics has triumphed over the law. The verdict in this case is manifestly unjust and cannot entail legal consequences. Clearly, it is aimed solely at eliminating from the political scene the leader of the Serbian populace of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose principled patriotic position contradicts the Euro-Atlantic guidelines imposed by the West.

#West #Sanctions

Russia firmly opposes and refuses to accept any unilateral measures designed to exert pressure on us, including in the energy sector.

The Western sanctions policy boils down to neo-colonial-style attempts to use unfair competitive practices to gain an economic edge and get rid of any other players on the global energy market.

#NPT

March 5 marks the 55th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Throughout this time, the NPT has served as the foundation of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and a key element of the international security system.

As a State Party to the NPT and one of its depositaries, Russia is firmly committed to the letter and spirit of the Treaty and strictly fulfils its obligations with regard to non-proliferation, disarmament and the peaceful use of atomic energy.

The Treaty was adopted in full awareness of the need to prevent a nuclear conflict. In this regard, it is particularly important that the five nuclear states have reached an understanding that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never be unleashed.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on Zelensky’s voyage to Washington, D.C. (March 1, 2025)

💬 Leader of the neo-Nazi regime Zelensky’s visit to Washington D.C. on February 28 is an epic political and diplomatic failure of the Kiev regime.

The Russian Side has repeatedly made it clear at all levels that Zelensky is a corrupt individual who lost his grip on reality and is unable to reach and honour agreements.

❗️ The Kiev regime refused to continue talks on a political and diplomatic settlement in the spring of 2022, using lies and fake claims to justify continued hostilities and keep receiving Western military and financial aid.

With his outrageously rude behaviour during his stay in Washington, Zelensky re-affirmed his status of the most dangerous threat to the international community as an irresponsible figure that can stir up a big war. It must be clear to everyone that this kind of attacks coming from a terrorist leader are quite unambiguous.

This cynical individual will stoop to anything in pursuit of his goals and is obsessed with preserving the power he has usurped. That is why he:

🔻 has destroyed the opposition,
🔻 built a totalitarian state,
🔻 ruthlessly sending millions of his fellow citizens to death.

Under the increasingly deteriorating political situation, this figure is unable to show a sense of responsibility and is therefore obsessed with continuing the war and rejects peace, which means death to him.

Unprecedented in history of international politics and diplomacy, a dressing down given to Zelensky by the US president in the White House is also indicative of the political weakness and extreme moral degradation of the European leaders who continue to support the maniac head of the Nazi regime who has lost touch with reality.

As before, we continue to operate on the premise that a truly just and durable peace is not possible unless the root causes of the Ukraine crisis are completely eliminated.

The main ones among them include:

🔻 the West breaking its promises not to expand NATO and the alliance’s absorption of Europe’s entire geopolitical space all the way up to Russia’s borders,
🔻 the Kiev regime’s systematic elimination of everything about Russia, including language, culture, and church, just like the German Nazis did in the past.

The demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, as well as recognition of existing realities on the ground remain Russia’s unchanged objectives.

☝️ The sooner Kiev and the European capitals come to realise this, the closer to a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis we will be.

🎙️ Комментарий Посла России в Норвегии Н.В.Корчунова информагентству «ТАСС» (28 февраля 2025 г.)

❓В связи с анонсированным Д.Трампом введением 25-процентных пошлин на ввоз товаров из стран Евросоюза Премьер-министр Норвегии Й.Г.Стёре заявил о возможном начале «полномасштабной торговой войны между ЕС и США». Какими последствиями это грозит для Норвегии, которая не является членом ЕС?

💬 Н.В.Корчунов: Действительно, Осло оказался в некомфортном положении третьей стороны в конфликте между двумя своими главными союзниками и партнерами - США и ЕС. Неопределенность нервирует местные деловые круги и обывателей. Здесь боятся, что норвежская экономика получит «тройной удар»: сначала - непосредственно от таможенных барьеров США, затем - от ответных мер ЕС, наконец - от общего замедления мировой экономики. В результате может сократиться спрос на норвежские экспортные товары - нефть, газ, алюминий, а инфляция, напротив, ускорится.
Осло не без оснований рассчитывает договориться с ЕС, на который приходится примерно 2/3 норвежского экспорта, об изъятии Норвегии из-под действия возможных ответных мер. Евросоюз во многом зависит от поставок углеводородов с норвежского шельфа и едва ли захочет идти на обострение.
В свою очередь, мощное проесовское лобби в Норвегии пытается использовать ситуацию в своих интересах, целенаправленно нагнетая через СМИ панические настроения и предлагая решение - поспешить вступить в ЕС. Однако против оформления членства по-прежнему выступает солидное большинство норвежцев.
Норвегия с ее открытой и экспортно ориентированной экономикой обогатилась на процессах глобализации и либерализации мировых хозяйственных связей. В Осло, конечно, не заинтересованы в возведении торговых барьеров, тем более внутри западного блока. Однако о негативных последствиях разрушения целостности международной торговой системы следовало думать раньше, когда здесь присоединялись к нелегитимным односторонним санкциям и другим мерам недобросовестной экономической конкуренции, которые на протяжении многих лет активно применялись странами «коллективного Запада» против России, других геополитических соперников и просто неугодных государств. Теперь применение таких незаконных методов грозит вернуться бумерангом.

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🎙️ Kommentar fra Russlands Ambassadør i Norge Nikolay Korchunov til nyhetsbyrået TASS (28. februar 2025)

❓I forbindelse med Donald Trumps kunngjøring om 25 prosent toll på import av varer fra EU, har Norges statsminister Jonas Gahr Støre varslet at det kan bli «en full handelskrig mellom EU og USA». Hvilke konsekvenser truer dette Norge, som ikke er medlem av EU?

💬 Nikolay Korchunov: Oslo har faktisk havnet i den ubehagelige posisjonen som en tredje part i konflikten mellom sine to viktigste allierte og partnere – USA og EU. Usikkerheten gjør det norske næringslivet og vanlige folk urolige. De frykter at norsk økonomi vil få et «trippelskvis»: først - direkte fra USAs tollbarrierer, deretter - fra EUs mottiltak, og til slutt - fra den generelle nedgangen i verdensøkonomien. Som et resultat av dette kan etterspørselen etter norske eksportvarer - olje, gass, aluminium - synke, mens inflasjonen tvert imot vil øke.
Norge regner ikke uten grunn med å komme til enighet med EU, som står for ca. 2/3 av norsk eksport, om å unnta Norge fra eventuelle mottiltak. EU er i stor grad avhengig av leveranser av olje og gass fra norsk sokkel og vil neppe ønske å tilspisse situasjonen.
Den mektige EU-lobbyen i Norge forsøker på sin side å utnytte situasjonen i egen favør ved å målbevisst skape panikkstemning i mediene og tilby en løsning - å melde seg inn i EU snarest mulig. Et godt flertall av nordmenn er imidlertid fortsatt imot medlemskap.
Norge, med sin åpne og eksportorienterte økonomi, har blitt rikere av globaliseringen og liberaliseringen av de økonomiske relasjonene i verden. Oslo er selvsagt ikke interessert i å bygge opp handelsbarrierer, særlig ikke innenfor den vestlige blokken. Men de negative konsekvensene av å ødelegge integriteten til det internasjonale handelssystemet burde man ha tenkt på tidligere, da man sluttet seg til de ulovlige ensidige sanksjonene og andre tiltak rettet mot urettferdig økonomisk konkurranse, som i mange år har blitt aktivt brukt av landene i det «kollektive Vesten» mot Russland, andre geopolitiske rivaler og «uønskede» stater. Nå truer bruken av slike ulovlige metoder med å slå tilbake som en boomerang.

Les på russisk

🎙 Remarks by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia prior to the UNGA Vote on a Draft Resolution on the 80th Anniversary of the end of #WWII

📍 New York, March 4, 2025

💬 Vassily Nebenzia: On behalf of the group of main cosponsors – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and my country, Russia – I have the honor to present the draft resolution A/79/L.51, ennoscriptd “Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War”.

This year we will commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazism, fascism and Japanese militarism. In 1945, the ideals of goodness, justice and humanity triumphed over the ugliest manifestations of the ideology of racial superiority. Our world, the United Nations, its Charter, which is the bedrock for contemporary international law – all these are the outcomes of that Victory.

🕯 This Victory came at a high price. Thus, the peoples of the Soviet Union sacrificed 27 million people, China – 35 million, the United States – about half a million people; Serbia organized the largest anti-fascist resistance and partisan movement in Europe.

There were millions of losses among other members of the anti-Hitler coalition, and not only in Europe but also in Latin America and Asia. There were hostilities on the African continent as well. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of African soldiers were sent to the European front. When they returned home, those heroes played an important role in launching the decolonization process.

☝️ The Victory was only possible owing to the unprecedented unity of the Powers and their peoples in the face of absolute evil. It was not by chance that the members of the anti-Hitler coalition dubbed themselves the United Nations. And as members of the international organization that bears precisely that name, we are bound today by our shared duty to honor the feat of our heroes and to remember both those who fell on the battlefields and the unprecedented sacrifices among civilians: we must remember all those who died from hunger, who were sent to gas chambers or shot in mass executions.

In order to honor the memory of the victims of World War II, the draft resolution provides for a special commemorative meeting of the UN General Assembly to be held during the second week of May, 2025, and establishes holding such meetings every five years thereafter.

In conclusion, allow me to express my deep gratitude to all the countries who co-sponsored the document, the broad geographical representation of these countries is the best indicator of the great importance of this memorable date for the international community.

👉 And we trust that this resolution will be adopted by consensus.

#Victory80 #WeRemember

👩‍🚀 On March 6, 1937, world’s first female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was born. To this day, she remains the youngest woman to travel into space, as well as the only woman who flew to the Earth’s orbit alone. She was only 26 years old back at the time of her historic flight.

From a young age, Valentina was interested in aviation and parachuting, which helped her join the cosmonaut corps in 1962. She underwent difficult training, learning how to pilot a spaceship and passing endurance tests. After completing her training, she was selected for a flight under the Vostok programme.

On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova set off on her historic journey on board the Vostok-6 spacecraft. Her mission lasted just under three days, in which she orbited the Earth 48 times.

💬 Tereshkova recalled her impressions on board:

Every 90 minutes I saw the dawn, the sun rising in a unique array of colours.

Despite all the difficulties, including severe fatigue and waning health, Tereshkova successfully completed her mission and returned safely to Earth. Valentina even managed to take a series of photographs of the horizon, which were later used to identify aerosol layers within the atmosphere.

Tereshkova’s space flight was a global sensation. Western media hailed it as another success of the Soviet space programme. For the United States, the USSR’s main rival in the space race, it was inconceivable. The American space agency did not take the idea of a woman flying into space seriously at the time.

🎖 Valentina Tereshkova boarded the spaceship as a lieutenant, and returned to Earth with the rank of captain. Three days after the landing, she was also awarded the noscript of Hero of the Soviet Union.

A Soviet woman’s flight to the orbit reaffirmed the Soviet Union’s leadership in space exploration and inspired millions of girls in our country and abroad.

🎊 We wish Valentina Tereshkova a very happy birthday. All the best to our iconic cosmonaut, and may you stay in good health and have strength for new achievements.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry Statement regarding French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech

💬 In the run-up to the EU summit dedicated to Ukraine crisis and confrontation with Russia, and clearly trying to set the tone for the upcoming gathering, French President Macron made an extremely aggressive anti-Russia speech calling our country, as he did on multiple previous occasions, a “threat to France and Europe.” Without providing any evidence, as he usually does, he accused our country of all the deadly sins from cyber attacks and interference in elections to our alleged plans to attack other countries in Europe.

We have heard him come up with similar fabrications and provocative claims before as well. Perhaps, this was the first time he laid them out in such an intense and irreconcilable manner which made them sound like a catechism for the Russophobic action programme.

Notably, the French leader has repeatedly made public his plans to call President Putin on the telephone to discuss ways to achieve peaceful settlement in Ukraine and to ensure security in Europe. The Russian side has always been open to discuss these matters. However, Macron, this time again, confined himself to clamorous public rhetoric.

The French President is trying hard to convince the French citizens of an “existential threat” coming from Russia. In fact, Russia has never threatened France, but, instead, helped it defend its independence and sovereignty in two world wars. However, Macron’s statements, in fact, pose a threat to Russia.

The French leader evokes his country’s foreign policy traditions, but his rhetoric runs counter to them and the ideological legacy of Gaullism. He cannot be unaware of the fact that France’s high standing in the international arena has for decades relied on his predecessors’ push to play a balancing role in international affairs and to contribute to alleviating tensions between Russia and the West.

Back in the day, de Gaulle put forward the concept of indivisible security from the Atlantic to the Urals which relied on building consensus and being mindful of the opinions and interests of all countries on our continent. As opposed to that, we are witnessing official Paris depart from these fundamental principles of French foreign policy.

President Macron’s speech is all about providing security guarantees for Ukraine. Not a word, however, was said about security guarantees for Russia.

Notably, the lack of such guarantees and the West’s never-ending attempts to create threats to our country, primarily through unbridled expansion of NATO, which ran counter to promises that were made to us, as well as the push to turn Ukraine into an anti-Russian bridgehead, has led to the current crisis. We have repeatedly and over many years notified Western leaders, including Mr Macron, about it.

This is yet another instance that reiterates our conviction that Paris remains unwilling to reckon with our country’s vital interests and is focused on “forcing” us into compliance with the decisions that suit the West. Rest assured that this will never happen.

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❗️ Macron’s speech amounted to masks off completely, showing who’s leading the “party of war.” It also showed who’s really opposing the ceasefire and betting on continuing and escalating the Ukraine conflict.

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🎙️Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии для агентства «ТАСС» (6 марта 2025 г.)

❓Как вы можете прокомментировать решение Норвегии увеличить объем помощи Украине?

💬 Ответ: Сегодня норвежское правительство объявило об увеличении объема помощи Украине в 2025 г. на 50 млрд.крон/ 4,6 млрд.долл. до 85 млрд.крон/ 7,8 млрд.долл в текущем году. У нас не было сомнений, что Норвегия вместе с другими странами северобалтийской «восьмерки» при координирующей роли Великобритании, а теперь и Франции, пытающейся возглавить новый «поход на Москву», не только не намерена прекращать военную накачку киевского режима, но и будет ее всемерно наращивать. Осло послушно следует в русле жестко конфронтационных подходов западной либеральной «партии войны», нацеленной на продолжение и эскалацию опосредованной конфронтации или, как верно сформулировал госсекратерь США М.Рубио, «прокси-войны» с Россией «до последнего украинца».
Здесь, как и в некоторых других западных столицах, вынашивают планы резко увеличить национальные ассигнования на оборону, принеся в жертву воинствующему милитаризму насущные социально-экономические потребности своих граждан. Очевидно, что главным вкладом богатой Норвегии в масштабный проект по перевооружению европейских членов НАТО и перекладыванию на них основной ответственности за спонсирование антироссийского проекта на Украине станет выделение на эти цели значительных средств, возможно, и из ее Государственного пенсионного фонда - «Глобал». <…>
Благо, что нынешним норвежским властям пока хватает здравого смысла не ангажироваться насчет возможного участия страны в инициированной Францией и Великобританией «коалиции желающих» отправить свои военнослужащих на Украину в составе некоего «миротворческого контингента». Считаем аморальной саму постановку вопроса о развертывании «миротворческих сил» теми, кто вносит существенную лепту в накачку ВСУ и спонсирует их террористическую деятельность против России. Размещение на Украине вооруженных сил других государств под любым «флагом» и в любом формате для нашей страны абсолютно неприемлемо.
Вынуждены констатировать, что местные политики, спецслужбы и СМИ весьма преуспели в нагнетании в норвежском обществе атмосферы страха и ненависти, причем не только в отношении нашей страны, но также против Китая, а теперь и новой администрации США. В результате подавляющее большинство норвежцев слепо поддерживает увеличение оборонных расходов и усиление военной накачки Украины.
Вместе с тем отмечаем, что в последнее время в местном медийном дискурсе все чаще слышны и более здравые голоса, призывающие власти страны одуматься и, отказавшись от опоры на одно лишь применение силы и давления, вернуться к методам дипломатии и миротворчества, которыми некогда славилась Норвегия. Ценим и разделяем позицию таких принципиальных сторонников международного мира и сотрудничества.
Со своей стороны, хотели бы напомнить прописную истину о том, что огонь не тушат керосином. Передача оружия националистическому русофобскому режиму в Киеве не «путь к миру», сколько бы ни утверждал обратное бывший генсекретарь НАТО Й.Столтенберг, который теперь в качестве главы Минфина Норвегии отвечает за изыскание бюджетных средств для «подпитки войны» и удовлетворения ненасытных аппетитов западного ВПК. Поставки вооружений ВСУ лишь преумножают наносимые ими разрушения и продлевают страдания украинского народа, но не окажут влияния на исход конфликта и достижение Россией поставленных целей по защите интересов национальной безопасности.
Убеждены, что норвежские политики и другие «поджигатели войны», вставляющие палки в колеса попыткам политико-дипломатического урегулирования украинского кризиса, могут найти лучшее применение деньгам налогоплательщиков, чем их бесконечное закидывание в топку инициированного Западом бесперспективного противостояния с Россией. Это поняли умные люди в США. Возможно, со временем такое осознание придет и к некоторым европейским лидерам, самонадеянно уверовавшим в свою способность нанести России «стратегическое поражение». История их, видимо, так ничему и не научила.

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🎙️ Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade i Norge til nyhetsbyrået «TASS» (6. mars 2025)

❓Kan ambassaden kommentere Norges beslutning om å øke Ukraina-støtten?

💬 Svar: Norges regjering kunngjorde i dag en økning i Ukraina-støtten i 2025 med 50 milliarder kroner til totalt 85 milliarder kroner i år. Vi var ikke i tvil om at Norge, sammen med de andre NB8 landene, med Storbritannia og nå Frankrike i koordinerende rolle, som forsøker å lede en ny «offensiv mot Moskva», ikke bare har ingen intensjoner om å stanse den militære opprustningen av Kiev-regimet, men også vil øke den på alle mulige måter. Oslo følger lydrett i tråd med de vestlige liberale «krigshissernes» konfrontasjonslinje, som tar sikte på å fortsette og eskalere den indirekte konfrontasjonen <…> med Russland «til den siste ukraineren».
Her, som i en del andre vestlige hovedsteder, legges det planer om å øke de nasjonale forsvarsutgiftene dramatisk, og borgernes grunnleggende sosioøkonomiske behov ofres til fordel for krigersk militarisme. Det er åpenbart at det rike Norges viktigste bidrag til det storstilte prosjektet om å oppruste de europeiske NATO-medlemmene og overføre hovedansvaret for å sponse det anti-russiske prosjektet i Ukraina til dem, vil være å bevilge betydelige midler til disse formålene. <…>
Det er bra at de nåværende norske myndighetene så langt har nok sunn fornuft til ikke å engasjere seg i landets mulige deltakelse i den «koalisjonen av de villige» som Frankrike og Storbritannia har tatt initiativ til for å sende sine soldater til Ukraina som en del av en viss «fredsbevarende styrke». Vi anser det som umoralsk at spørsmålet om utplassering av en «fredsbevarende styrke» reises av dem som i betydelig grad bidrar til å styrke de ukrainske væpnede styrkene og sponser deres terrorvirksomhet mot Russland. Utplassering i Ukraina av andre staters væpnede styrker under et hvilket som helst «flagg» og i et hvilket som helst format er helt uakseptabelt for vårt land.
Vi må konstatere at norske politikere, sikkerhetstjenester og medier har hatt stor suksess med å skape en fryktpreget og hatefull stemning i det norske samfunnet, ikke bare mot vårt land, men også mot Kina og nå også mot den nye amerikanske administrasjonen. Resultatet er at et overveldende flertall av nordmenn blindt støtter økte forsvarsutgifter og militær pumping inn i Ukraina.
Samtidig registrerer vi at det i den senere tid har kommet stadig flere fornuftige ytringer i lokale medier som oppfordrer landets myndigheter til å tenke seg om og fornuftig vende tilbake til de diplomatiske og fredsskapende metodene som Norge en gang var anerkjent for, og ikke bare satse på bruk av makt og press. Vi setter pris på og deler standpunktet til slike prinsipielle tilhengere av internasjonal fred og samarbeid.
For vår del vil vi minne om sannheten om at ild ikke slukkes med parafin. Overføring av våpen til det nasjonalistiske, russofobiske regimet i Kiev er ikke en «vei til fred», uansett hva måtte hevde tidligere NATO-generalsekretær Jens Stoltenberg, som nå som leder Finansdepartementet og er ansvarlig for å finne budsjettmidler til å «drive krig videre» og tilfredsstille det vestlige militærindustrielle kompleksets umettelige appetitt. Våpenleveranser til de ukrainske væpnede styrkene vil bare øke ødeleggelsene de forårsaker og forlenge lidelsene til det ukrainske folket, men vil ikke ha noen innvirkning på utfallet av konflikten og Russlands oppnåelse av sine mål om å beskytte nasjonale sikkerhetsinteresser.
Vi er overbevist om at norske politikere og andre «krigshissere» som stikker kjepper i hjulene for forsøkene på en politisk og diplomatisk løsning på krisen i Ukraina, kan finne en bedre anvendelse for skattebetalernes penger enn å kaste dem inn i en nytteløs konfrontasjon med Russland som Vesten har tatt initiativ til. Smarte folk i USA har innsett dette. Kanskje vil denne erkjennelsen med tiden også gå opp for noen av de europeiske lederne som arrogant har trodd at de kan påføre Russland et «strategisk nederlag». Historien har tydeligvis ikke lært dem noe.

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🚀 Today marks the 9️⃣1️⃣st anniversary since the birth of Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut on the Earth. His flight aboard the #Vostok spaceship went down in history as humanity’s greatest scientific and technological breakthrough and showcased the country’s intellectual and scientific power.

***

Yuri Gagarin was born in Klushino Village, Gzhatsky District, Smolensk Region. There in 1941, when the Great Patriotic War broke out, Yura first saw Soviet aircraft flying to defend the Motherland and began to dream of becoming a pilot.

In 1954, when Gagarin was a student of an industrial college, he joined the Saratov air club, where he decided to dedicate his life to aviation. After completing flight courses with honors, Yuri Gagarin enrolled into an aviation school in 1955 and started serving as a military pilot in the Northern Fleet Air Force of the USSR at the end of 1957.

In 1959, he found out that volunteers were recruited for the upcoming flight to space and wrote a report asking to be included in a cosmonaut group.

In 1959, a secret selection of candidates for cosmonauts began in the Soviet Air Forces: the commission reviewed the files of 3,461 fighter pilots. Out of them, only 20 volunteers were selected.

In 1959, Yuri Gagarin and 19 other pilots arrived at 'Star Town', located 25 km away from Moscow. There, he completed theoretical and practical flight training, including simulations of weightlessness and high-G forces in a centrifuge. In October 1960, a group of six people began training on the Vostok spacecraft simulator at a research institute in Zhukovsky.

Following a series of training sessions, exams and tests, it was decided that Yuri Gagarin would become cosmonaut №1.

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Yuri Gagarin’s historic space flight, which marked the beginning of the era of manned spaceflight, took place on April 12, 1961. #OnThisDay in 1961, at 9:07 a.m. at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Yuri pronounced his famous catchphrase, ‘Off we go!’. Vostok, the first spacecraft with a man aboard, was launched. Gagarin spent 1 hour and 48 minutes in space, making a full orbit around the Earth, and landed safely in the Saratov Region.

The news of the flight quickly swept across the globe. Thousands of people came to greet Gagarin in Moscow.

🌐 During two years after this milestone event, Yuri Gagarin travelled to over 30 countries where he was celebrated as a hero, including UK, France, Cuba, Japan, India, and Liberia. This tour was unofficially referred to as the 'Peace Mission'. Gagarin’s famous smile won over the entire world, earning respect for the Soviet people.

🕯 The life of the first cosmonaut was tragically cut short on March 27, 1968: he perished during a training flight on a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI jet. Gagarin’s death shocked people all over the world.

🎖 The pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union Yuri Gagarin is immortalised in the names of settlements and space objects. The urn with his ashes is entombed in the Kremlin wall next to the ashes of engineer Sergei Korolev and other prominent and distinguished Soviet persons.

#FirstInSpace

«Герои-фронтовики Мосфильма» – проект к 80-летию Великой Победы

Mosfilm.ru запустил проект «Герои-фронтовики Мосфильма», посвящённый работникам легендарной киностудии, которые сражались за Родину.

Вы узнаете, где воевали режиссёры Юрий Озеров и Леонид Гайдай, какими орденами и медалями были награждены операторы Игорь Слабневич и Сергей Вронский, и многое другое.

Каждую неделю будут публиковаться материалы о режиссёрах, операторах, актёрах, художниках и других представителях киноиндустрии, которые с оружием в руках защищали Родину, а после Победы внесли огромный вклад в развитие отечественного кино.

#Победа80

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to the US bloggers Mario Nawfal, Larry C. Johnson and Andrew Napolitano (Moscow, March 12, 2025)

Key talking points:

• I think what is going on in the United States is a return to normalcy. <...> The fact is that a normal administration without any, you know, unchristian ideas came to power and the reaction was such an explosion in the media, in the politics all over the world is very interesting and very telling.

• When we met in Riyadh with Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff they suggested the meeting and they said, look, we want normal relations in the sense that the foundation of the American foreign policy under the Donald Trump administration is the national interest of the United States. But at the same time, we understand that other countries also have their national interest.

• It is very well understood that countries like the United States and Russia would never have their national interest the same. They would not coincide maybe even 50 or less percent. But when they do coincide this situation must be used to develop this simultaneous and similar interest. But when the interests do not coincide and contradict each other then the responsible countries must do everything not to allow this contradiction to degenerate into confrontation, especially military confrontation which would be disastrous for many other countries.

• The beginning of the special military operation was a decision because all other attempts, all other alternatives to bring things into some positive dimension failed for ten years after the illegal coup in Kiev, in violation of the deal signed the night before and guaranteed by the Germans, French and Poles.

• I don't think the Americans would drop from NATO. At least President Trump never hinted that this might be the case. But what he did bluntly say was that if you want us to protect you, to give you security guarantees, you pay what is necessary.

• But President Trump doesn't want to provide these security guarantees to Ukraine under Zelensky. He has his own view of the situation which he bluntly presents every now and then, that this war should never have started – that pulling Ukraine into NATO in violation of its Constitution, in violation of the Declaration of Independence of 1991, on the basis of which we recognized Ukraine as a sovereign state. For several reasons including that this Declaration was saying no NATO, no blocs, neutral status. Another thing which this Declaration also confirmed and solidified - all rights of Russian and all other national minorities are to be respected.

• Europe and the UK they certainly want this to continue. The way they received Zelensky in London after the scandal in Washington, it's an indication that they want to raise the stakes and they are preparing something to pressure the Donald Trump administration back into some aggressive action against Russia.

• It's not about the territories, it's about the people who were deprived of their history by law. Territories are important only because people live on these territories. The people who live on the territories are descendants of those who for hundreds of years were building Odessa & other cities on those very lands who were building ports, roads, who were founding those lands and who associated with the history of this land.

❗️ The Americans know that we would not betray our commitments, legal commitments, the political commitments which we develop with China.

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⚡ Foreign Ministry Statement on Kiev regime’s latest barbaric attack on Russian civilians

In the early hours of March 11, the neo-Nazi Kiev junta once again made its cowardly terrorist nature clear to everyone by attacking Russian regions, including Moscow and the Moscow Region, with a barrage of UAVs carrying projectiles.

According to the Defence Ministry, duty air defence facilities downed 337 drones, including 126 over the Kursk Region, 91 over the Moscow Region, and 38 over the Bryansk Region, as well as 25 over the Belgorod Region, and 22 over the Ryazan Region. Unfortunately, multiple casualties, including children, were reported.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has swiftly launched an investigation into this crime. The circumstances of the attack are being established. All those involved and responsible for this and other terrorist attacks on our land will be held accountable.

The shelling of population centres in many Russian regions, as well as ruthless and indiscriminate killings of civilians, are indicative of the agony of the neo-Nazi Zelensky-led regime, which has bogged down in terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, and cynicism. Overcome by impotent rage, and in an effort to please its Western handlers, the regime strives to kill and maim as many innocent people as it can.

Without a doubt, this drone attack was planned in advance and timed to coincide with today’ s US-Ukraine contacts on conflict resolution held in Saudi Arabia. It was also a message to new OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, now in Moscow on a working visit. Using these barbaric methods, the Kiev clique, which is suffering daily defeats on the battlefield, is trying to prove its ability to negotiate “from a position of strength.”

The Zelensky regime, which has lost its grip on reality, has clearly showed a glaring lack of political will for achieving peace and negotiated settlement of the conflict. It remains obsessed with the idea to defeat Russia, widely using cynical methods of terror and seeking to draw its allies into its aggressive actions.

❗️ Clearly, the blame for this attack lies with the countries that continue to stubbornly and irresponsibly flood Ukraine’ s ruling clique with lethal weapons, thereby enabling its bloody acts.

The anti-humane Kiev regime has made clear as day its neo-Nazi and terrorist nature, impotence, and inability to achieve and honour agreements. It has long deserved to be unambiguously and resolutely denounced by all conscientious governments and international entities. Further supporting it is tantamount to being complicit in crimes committed by the Zelensky-led junta.

🗓️ On March 10, the Scientific Council under the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation gathered for a meeting with invited experts in attendance.

In his opening remarks, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov laid out his assessment of the international situation. In particular, the Minister noted that the continuous process for forming a multipolar international order has firmly established itself as the core long-term trend. This kind of international order must be based on compliance by all participating countries with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation.

Amid highly turbulent international environment and the Ukraine crisis created and fueled by anti-Russia circles in the West, the key areas of Russia’s foreign policy include ensuring strong guarantees of the country’s security against threats emanating from the West and further strengthening partner-like, equal and mutually beneficial ties with the countries from the Global South and the Global East, as well as with the countries in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region that are fully aware of the futility of attempts to contain Russia and are in favour of building relations with Russia based on the balance of interests.

The participants underscored the paramount importance of implementing strategic initiatives for comprehensive development of the Eurasian space, ensuring human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities guaranteed by the UN Charter and international conventions, and eliminating inhumane practices and forms of neo-colonialism from international politics.

As part of the engaged discussion, the participants focused on implementing foreign policy goals amid new geopolitical environment and reviewed a number of specific proposals to improve effectiveness of the efforts to protect national interests internationally and to promote the priorities included in the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation.

🤝 The participants emphasised the importance of continuing close interaction between the Foreign Ministry and Russia’s expert and academic community in the interest of providing high-quality information and analytical support to Russia’s foreign policy.