🎙 From Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (Yerevan, May 21, 2025)

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Key talking points:

• We share the fundamental assessment whereby the European security system as we know it has proven its ineffectiveness, and has done so in a long while and repeatedly. Euro-Atlantic entities have formed the backbone of the existing security entities. If we consider an inclusive entity, it would be the #OSCE. However, if we consider an entity that, despite the creation of the Organisation, is dead set to do everything it can to maintain its dominant positions without transferring the functions of defining and implementing corresponding principles to the OSCE, but rather keeping them to itself that would be the North Atlantic Alliance.

• This begs the question: what kind of security system would be a better choice to ensure justice? We believe that a more just security system would not be the one imposed from above by a single entity, but one that is based on real-life circumstances. For example, there are a number of integration associations in Eurasia: the #EAEU, the #CIS, the #CSTO, #ASEAN, and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. There are sub-regional organisations in South Asia as well. Many of these entities have signed memoranda of cooperation with one another. Thus, a kind of Greater Eurasian Partnership (#GEP), as President Vladimir Putin described it, is naturally forming from the ground up.

• With regard to Azerbaijan using Russian weapons, you may be aware that Armenia, too, has used Russian-made weapons throughout the years following its independence, specifically, to seize seven Azerbaijani districts to which it had never officially laid claim.

• We are dealing with a situation where we are once again, as multiple times in the past, forced to fight against all of Europe, which, under Nazi slogans and using the Zelensky regime as a front, is waging war against Russia. Almost all European countries are involved. As you understand, given the circumstances, a lot of modern weapons are being sent to Ukraine, and we are compelled to respond.

• Our Armenian friends understand that, given the circumstances, we are not always able to fulfil our obligations on time. Nevertheless, even under these circumstances, several systems that were contracted by our Armenian partners are in the process of being delivered to them. We will continue this practice going forward.

• Buying weapons from other countries is not a problem. That is up to our Armenian friends. If they want to have France as a base for additional supplies, they are welcome to do so. We are not imposing anything on anyone.

• Of course, it is strange to see an ally rely on weapons from a country like France, which is at the helm of the hostile camp. President Emmanuel Macron and his ministers are overflowing with hatred towards Russia. They call Russia the only problem that stands in the way of a settlement in Ukraine. Their idea of a settlement is simply an unconditional ceasefire that would last at least a month, or longer, so they can build up the Ukrainian military and let it fortify its defensive positions.

• We still maintain a very good relationship with our Armenian friends, despite a number of problems which are probably due to misunderstanding each other’s positions.

• I see no reason whatsoever to talk about Ukrainianising Armenia. Armenia is our ally, our friend. Armenia is not outlawing the Russian language, or Russian culture, nor does it strip ethnic Russians or those who simply want to speak Russian of their legal rights. Unlike Ukraine, Armenia has not adopted laws banning any of the above.

#RussiaArmenia

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the 4th meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for Caspian Cooperation (Moscow, May 22, 2025)

💬 Strengthening cooperation in the Caspian Sea area is our priority.

It is clearly stipulated in the Russian Foreign Policy Concept approved by President Vladimir Putin in March 2023. We consistently promote the view that the five littoral states have exclusive competence in addressing any Caspian Sea issues, even though there is an increasing number of players wishing to interfere in those processes. <...>

It is obvious that greater interaction between the five parties to this convention will help develop a framework for broader economic cooperation in Eurasia, something President Vladimir Putin referred to as the Greater Eurasian Partnership, as well as build equal and indivisible security on the continent we share. Given its geopolitical and geostrategic importance, the Caspian region should be an integral part of this security system. <...>

The five Caspian states have held several important events since our last meeting:

👉 On February 17-18, Tehran hosted the 3rd Caspian Economic Forum (CEF). Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk led the Russian delegation attending the meeting. <...> Participants spoke in favour of strengthening joint research, including the study of the causes of Caspian shoaling. They noted the high level of cooperation between the littoral states in oil and gas as well as in power generation, including green energy projects. They also supported further expanding cooperation in transport, and building transport and logistics infrastructure.

👉 On May 5-7, the 10th meeting of the High-Level Working Group on Caspian Sea Issues took place in Moscow. Among other Caspian-related issues they reviewed, representatives of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan discussed methods for drawing straight baselines in the Caspian Sea.

The littoral states continued the well-established practice of holding roundtables dedicated to Caspian issues on the sidelines of major international events.

👉 On May 14 this year, Rossotrudnichestvo and the Russian Foreign Ministry organised a meeting during the 16th International Economic Forum Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum. The discussion, "Caspian cooperation: Development of twinning relations", focused on interacting at the level of cities and municipalities. On May 16, the Russian Ministry of Transport organised a session on "Transport cooperation between the Caspian littoral states".

👉 The Defence Ministry’s Navigation and Oceanography Department is currently holding the Second Caspian Hydrographic Conference dedicated to hydrographic support of navigation in the Caspian Sea in Kaspiysk (Dagestan). The conference brought together representatives from the five states’ defence ministries.

👉 The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will hold a roundtable on the sidelines of the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress in St Petersburg to consider ways to intensify the activities of respective agencies in the five states to address the Caspian Sea’s environmental issues, above all, its continuing shoaling.

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🎙 On May 21, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the World Health Assembly, the Ministries of Health of 🇷🇺Russia, 🇧🇷Brazil, 🇨🇳China, 🇨🇺Cuba, 🇮🇩Indonesia, and 🇿🇦South Africa organized an official side event on the topic “New Perspectives for a World Free of Tuberculosis”.

🤝 The event was attended by Cuban Minister of Health José Ángel Portal Miranda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, senior officials from BRICS health ministries, representatives of civil society, and relevant international organizations.

🔬 Participants discussed the progress made by countries in combating tuberculosis at both global and national levels, as well as strategic initiatives and coordinated actions aimed at eradicating tuberculosis - the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. In 2023 alone, 1.25 million people died from tuberculosis, including 161,000 people living with HIV. Although around 79 million lives have been saved since 2000 through global efforts, the disease continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and hinders sustainable development.

🎯 Participants reviewed the progress in fulfilling the commitments made at the 2023 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, where heads of state and government endorsed a set of ambitious targets. Current priorities include sustainable disease control efforts, intensified research and innovation, and increased funding.

🇷🇺 Russia is making a significant contribution to the fight against tuberculosis, has achieved notable progress in this area, and is ready to further strengthen constructive cooperation with partners to reduce the burden of this dangerous disease.

🌍 African nations are displaying a strong interest in the XIII international Meeting of High Representatives For Security Issues to be held at the "Russia" National Centre in Moscow on May 27−29, 2025.

Forty-five delegations from over 40 countries of Africa, as well as several Africa-based international organisations, including the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, have confirmed their intention to participate in the forum that will be chaired by Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu.

🤝 In a separate briefing to be held on the sidelines of the 13th meeting, participants will discuss ways to further intensify relations between Russia and African countries even further, particularly in light of decisions approved by the Russia-Africa summits.

The Press Service of the Executive Office of the Security Council of Russia:

“Large-scale geopolitical changes have directly affected the interests of states of the Global South and East. We hear an increasingly audible voice of African countries, which seek to conduct their foreign policy in the interests of their people and are ready to defend their right to freely choose their path of development. Russia has always rendered assistance to its African partners in their striving to defend their sovereignty, national interests and legitimate place in the system of international relations.”

#RussiaAfrica

🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC meeting on Ensuring Safety of Civilians in Armed Conflict (New York, May 22, 2025).

💬 Vassily Nebenzia: In 2024, the UN registered 36'000 civilian deaths in 14 armed conflicts around the world. <...>

What we find relevant in the Secretary General's report is the conclusion that the evaluation of whether an action is legal or illegal in terms of international humanitarian law is something that in the modern world depends largely on political preferences.

Indeed, this is precisely what we are regularly witnessing at the Council. However, it is totally unacceptable when some political preferences become a basis for UN reports. <...>

The SG report prepared for today’s meeting, in its part dealing with Ukraine, mentions Russian civilians affected by the conflict only once, and solely in the context of displaced persons. At the same time, it is not explained there that this is about hundreds of civilians abducted by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region who are now being used as hostages.

❓ The following question arises – Are there no killed and wounded among Russian civilians, according to the Secretariat? Are there no attacks on civilian objects and civilian infrastructure? Why is this information completely missing in the report? <...>

Another important item on the agenda under discussion today is the issue of the safety of journalists in armed conflicts.

Kiev has been terrorizing Russian media professionals – those who are carrying out their professional duty covering what is happening in the area of the special military operation. A number of those killed and wounded since February 2022 is in double digits: since the beginning of this year alone, as a result of targeted attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces, including using precision missile weapons, five Russian media workers have been killed.

⚠️ Despite our regular appeals, all these crimes do not receive the slightest condemnation from the UN. <...>

We believe that the report’s denoscription of the situation in Ukraine is something that merits an official investigation. How can we be talking about protecting civilians after such blatant lies and fact-twisting? First, we need to find out what is happening within the Secretariat itself and bring to account the authors for attempting to mislead the Security Council. <...>

We cannot understand the reason why every year the report persistently covers the activities of the ICC, which is a separate entity that has nothing to do with the United Nations.

❗️The ICC is mired in politicization and double standards and is notorious for its ineffectiveness. The report's call for States to accede to the statute of this “puppet tribunal” is totally inappropriate.

ICC ineffectiveness can only be rivaled by the Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which was also praised in the report. This body and its predecessor, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, cost the United Nations billions of dollars and became a byword for double standards and selective justice. <...>

☝️ We would like to draw your attention to another finding in the Secretary-General's report, which states that the situation with regard to the protection of civilians has been deteriorating for the past 150 years after the relevant norms were created. We cannot agree with that statement.

However difficult the situation of civilians in armed conflicts may be today, it cannot be compared to what happened more than 80 years ago during World War II on the territory of the USSR. During the 3 years of the occupation of Soviet territory by the German Nazis, more than 13 million civilians were killed.

At the same time, despite the Nuremberg Tribunal verdict, a significant part of the most abhorrent Nazis remained at large. Western countries, which are so much in favor of fighting impunity today, looked at this situation very calmly, they sheltered them and allowed numerous Nazi criminals to escape punishment.

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🎙 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Government members, via videoconference (May 22, 2025)

💬 Critically important issue for ensuring safety and protecting people’s lives and health is the demining of territories where combat operations occurred, including the elimination of unexploded ordnance, mines, and weapon caches left behind by militants.

I reiterate: this concerns the Kursk Region, the Bryansk Region, and the Belgorod Region, which have also suffered and continue to endure shelling. Moreover, the adversary typically targets objectives devoid of military significance: civilian infrastructure and people’s homes.

#KievRegimeCrimes: The most recent events only confirm what I just said: drone attacks as well as sabotage and reconnaissance actions target civilian transport, including ambulances and agricultural machinery. Most of the casualties are women and children.

❗️ A decision has been made to create a buffer security zone along the Russian border. Our Armed Forces are working on this now.

They are also effectively suppressing enemy firing points. At the same time, I would like to point out once again that, given the situation in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, we need to begin restoring and rebuilding everything that has been destroyed there right away.

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🎙 FM Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions from teachers and students of the Armenian branches of Russian universities, members of the expert community, and activists of the youth wing of the Eurasia Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation (Yerevan, May 21, 2025)

💬 Subsequent to the meeting between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in autumn 2024 – during which our leaders resolved to reinstate comprehensive contacts across all areas, as these had, to a certain degree, lapsed somewhat in the period preceding their discussions – and in accordance with the leaders’ understanding, I received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan who visited Moscow in January. We are now here on a reciprocal visit.

We are engaging in the frankest discussions – not only on matters positively received by both capitals and conducive to expanding mutually beneficial projects, but also on issues where our perspectives diverge. This includes, notably, the processes unfolding in the South Caucasus, where, broadly speaking, two trends are in contention.

The first trend involves respecting the sovereign choices of the countries situated here – the nations of the South Caucasus, Transcaucasia – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – while also acknowledging the legitimate interests of their immediate neighbours: Russia, Iran, and Türkiye. <...>

The second trend is precisely that our Western counterparts – primarily the European Union, <...> openly sought to extend their dominant influence over this region, to bend unfolding processes to their will, and to prevent the consolidation of the three South Caucasus states with their major neighbours – Russia, Iran, and Türkiye. This objective persists.

This trend, this modus operandi of our Western colleagues, is not unique to the South Caucasus but extends to Central Asia and other parts of our vast, shared continent. <...> In contrast, our stance is based on equality, mutual respect and, above all, the principles that have been set out in the UN Charter and are approved by everyone without exception.

<...>

The promise not to expand NATO has been thrown down the drain. <...> We have warned them over the past 20 years, almost on the daily basis, that all this could come to grief. But after the 2014 coup d’etat, they began converting Ukraine to an “anti-Russia.” <...>

So now, when they tell us: Let us have a ceasefire and then we’ll see, we say: No way, guys, we have been through it all before. We don’t want it that way any longer. And so today, when all these Macrons, Starmers, Ursulas von der Leyen, and other European characters are writhing in hysterics and urging the US to join the anti-Russia crusade and increase the number of sanctions, this is a complete giveaway for them.

***

Geopolitics and geography alike underscore the necessity of building bridges among all nations across the Eurasian continent. This means, first and foremost, fostering cooperation among the existing regional structures: the #SCO, the #EAEU, the #CSTO, the #CIS, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the GCC, and ASEAN. <...>

However, there are those who are intent on preventing such a mutually beneficial unification of the countries across Eurasia, including those in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Nevertheless, we continue to advance this effort.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has proposed the creation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership, rooted in practical cooperation and the interaction of existing integration structures, which would serve as the foundation for a future Eurasian security architecture.

<...>

🤝 We anticipate that Armenia will take part in these processes. We fully respect the desire of our Armenian partners to develop relations with other countries, whether European or non-European, and with international organisations across various regions.

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⚡ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answers to media questions (Moscow, May 23, 2025)

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💬 Sergey Lavrov: From May 20 until 8:00 am on May 23, the Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones - 788 in total - against civilian targets and civilians in Russia. All attacks were repelled, though, regrettably, there are fatalities and injuries. The Foreign Ministry issued a special statement to this effect, which is being widely circulated among governments and international organisations.

We believe these attacks are a direct result of the support provided to Ukrainian Nazis, primarily by a number of European countries, led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the EU leadership. We are convinced that they bear a portion of responsibility for these crimes. We will push to bring an end to this policy.

We are witnessing a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul following an agreement between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump which included a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange and further work on documents setting out specific conditions and requirements that are necessary to reach an agreement.

We will continue working on that despite provocations.

❓Question: Does Russia remain committed to a peaceful settlement?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: Yes, we remain committed to a peaceful resolution. We remain open to talks. President Putin has confirmed this many times publicly and in his conversations with foreign leaders. <...> We are finalising preparations for the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange.

We are also working hard on the second part of the agreement, which involves each party preparing a draft document outlining the terms for achieving a durable, lasting, and comprehensive resolution. Once the prisoner exchange is completed, we will be ready to present our draft to the Ukrainian side. The Russian side is in the process of finalising this document.

❓Question: You mentioned that international organisations would be informed about the Foreign Ministry statement. How do you expect them to react?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> We look forward to a response from the UN. So far, statements made by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his official representatives for as long as the special military operation has been underway suggest reluctance - or inability - to carry out their basic duties, especially those relating to upholding the principles of the UN Charter.

❓Question: In the past few weeks, numerous EU leaders and officials visited Kiev, including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Kaja Kallas, among others. Following their visits, there was a noticeable surge in terrorist attacks carried out by Kiev. Do you believe there’s a link? Should Zelensky’s foreign backers bear a portion of responsibility for killing civilians?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: I believe the connection is undeniable.

Those sustaining the Kiev regime, including the figures you mentioned, don’t conceal their role. <...> There certainly is a degree of European responsibility involved. I think that when the conflict is finally resolved, and its outcomes are assessed, it will be difficult for those backing Kiev to avoid accountability.

❓Question: Do you believe that the Western European leaders you mentioned are deliberately trying to thwart President Trump’s mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict? Could jealousy be a factor?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> Their actions is that they still hope to use some people from the US establishment to bring President Trump and his administration back into an anti-Russia camp and share responsibility or even shift the blame. But I believe they won’t succeed this time.

⚡ Foreign Ministry statement on Kiev’s latest drone attack targeting Russian civilians (May 23, 2025)

The Kiev regime is relentless in its terror attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in numerous Russian regions, including Moscow.

According to the Defence Ministry, from May 20 to 8 am on May 23, the number of aerial attacks amounted to multiples of what it used to be with 788 strikes by fixed-wing UAVs and Western-made missiles targeting Russian territory outside the area of the special military operation. Our air defence forces destroyed 776 drones and missiles, though unfortunately, 12 UAVs made it through our defences and hit their targets.

Casualties have been reported. On May 22, an attack on the village of Panteleymonovka, the Donetsk People’s Republic, wounded eight people. On the same day, a drone strike in the Vasilyevsky Municipal District, Zaporozhye Region, killed a woman born in 1990 and injured four children aged 10, 9, 8, and 1.

On the night of May 23, a downed UAV triggered fire in an industrial zone of Yelets, Lipetsk Region, injuring eight people. Additionally, the Ukrainian forces launched two HIMARS missiles on civilian targets in the city of Lgov, Kursk Region, also resulting in casualties, including two children.

Notably, even after the Ukrainian forces had been ousted from the Kursk Region, they keep trying to infiltrate our territory and launch drone, long-range artillery, and missile attacks.

Under these circumstances, the President was compelled to make a decision on establishing a security buffer zone on adjacent territory in order to minimise the ability of the Ukrainian forces to infiltrate and to attack our border regions using various munitions.

The latest barbaric terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime were carried out in an attempt to thwart direct Russia-Ukraine talks facilitated by the US Administration, which are designed to settle the conflict definitively. They also appear intended to derail the implementation of initial agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, including a massive prisoner exchange.

These attacks are part of the strategy pursued by Ukraine’s party of war, which also includes violations of energy and Easter ceasefires that Russia has strictly observed, as well as the unilateral ceasefire declared by us during the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory celebrations.

Without a doubt, Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime.

Unlike the Ukrainian side, our targets will be strictly limited to military facilities and defence industry plants.

☝️ To reiterate, our fundamental commitment to a constructive search for a peaceful settlement through dialogue remains unchanged.

📆 24 мая в России и за её пределами торжественно отмечается День славянской письменности и культуры. Этот праздник посвящён памяти святых равноапостольных братьев Мефодия и Кирилла, выдающихся просветителей славян. Кирилл и Мефодий почитаются как создатели первой славянской азбуки, а их подвижническая деятельность заложила фундамент для развития славянской, в том числе русской, письменности и литературы.

В России этот праздник впервые отмечался в 1863 году — в год тысячелетия создания славянской азбуки братьями-просветителями. Тогда же Святейший Синод постановил ежегодно чтить их память. В Советском Союзе идея возрождения праздника возникла в 1986 году, а в 1991 году он обрёл статус государственного.

🌍 Славянские языки обладают богатой тысячелетней историей и сложной географией распространения. Сегодня на языках славянской группы говорят более 400 миллионов человек по всему миру, по разным подсчётам в эту группу входят от десяти до восемнадцати языков, из которых наиболее распространённым является русский язык.

🎙 М.В.Захарова:
Этот праздник широко отмечается и в нашей стране, и за рубежом. Он напоминает нам об общих истоках славянских языков, является ярким свидетельством неразрывной исторической связи и культурного единства славянских народов.

(из брифинга официального представителя МИД России от 20 мая 2025 года)

💬 М.В.Захарова: 24 мая в России традиционно отмечается День славянской письменности и культуры – символ духовного родства и близости национальных традиций славянских народов. Он приурочен ко Дню памяти великих просветителей Кирилла и Мефодия, заложивших фундамент славянской письменности.

В нашей стране пройдут многочисленные мероприятия, центральным из которых станет всероссийский праздничный концерт в Москве с участием выдающихся российских исполнителей и музыкальных коллективов.

С приветственным словом выступит Святейший Патриарх Московский и всея Руси Кирилл (о литургии в День памяти равноапостольных Мефодия и Кирилла в Храме Христа Спасителя)

Проведение торжеств содействует межгосударственному и межконфессиональному диалогу, воспитанию уважительного отношения к родным языкам и культуре, укреплению фундаментальных нравственных ценностей и имеет особое значение в контексте 80-летия Победы.

Этот праздник широко отмечается и в нашей стране, и за рубежом. Он напоминает нам об общих истоках славянских языков, является ярким свидетельством неразрывной исторической связи и культурного единства славянских народов.

(из брифинга официального представителя МИД России М.В.Захаровой от 20 мая 2025 года)

🎙 Выступление и ответы на вопросы Министра иностранных дел Российской Федерации С.В.Лаврова на посольской конференции «Исторические русские земли. Национальная идентичность и самоопределение народов» (Москва, 23 мая 2025 года)

Основные тезисы:

• Фальсификация истории появилась не сегодня. На протяжении многих лет наши недоброжелатели занимались этим с целью поссорить российские народы, достигнуть своих корыстных интересов, помешать сотрудничеству на постсоветском пространстве.

• Когда снесли памятник основательнице Одессы Императрице Екатерине Великой, а через неделю после этого ЮНЕСКО приняла решение о том, что исторический центр Одессы является всемирным культурным достоянием, то больше опозорить эту некогда уважаемую организацию <...> было бы невозможно.

• Южнорусские земли и вся территория современной Украины всегда были в числе наиболее развитых, процветающих регионов Российской Империи и СССР. Уроженцы этих земель – и в досоветские, и советские времена – неизменно занимали высокие государственные посты.

• В 1929 году в Вене была создана та самая печальная Организация украинских националистов, ставшая матрицей для большинства украинских националистических партий и организаций 1990–2000 годах. <...> Бандера, Шухевич объявлены чуть ли не основателями современной украинской нации.

• Когда состоялся антиконституционный государственный переворот при открытой поддержке Соединённых Штатов и при попустительстве Европейского союза, Украина окончательно превратилась в военно-политический плацдарм Запада у наших границ.

• До чего её довели пришедшие к власти после распада СССР «элиты», развязавшие в 2014 году братоубийственную войну в Донбассе, можете сами судить. Статистика известна, и что из себя представляет экономика Украины тоже.

• Сегодня много говорится о национальной идентичности, самоопределении. <...> В своих беседах с А.Гутеррешем призываю его не забывать о том, что Устав Организации не ограничивается одной строчкой про территориальную целостность.

• Декларация о принципах международного права, касающихся дружественных отношений и сотрудничества между государствами в соответствии с Уставом ООН. Это большой документ. Он был консенсусный в отличие от тех резолюций, которые нынешний киевский режим при поддержке Запада «пропихивает» голосованием, и на которые ссылается А.Гутерреш, оправдывая свою позицию, которая полностью поддерживает украинский режим.

• Посмотрите, как изменилась позиция самих украинцев, украинского руководства и Запада. До недавнего времени они заявляли, дескать, никаких переговоров, никакого перемирия. <...> Когда они стали понимать, что изменение ситуации на линии боевого соприкосновения далеко не в пользу киевского режима, стали звучать новые нотки: против остановки боевых действий и против начала переговоров.

• Что касается нашей позиции, то она отталкивается от очевидного, что евроатлантические модели безопасности себя не оправдали. Это – прежде всего ОБСЕ. Также глубокий кризис мы наблюдаем и в НАТО. Евросоюз практически стал придатком в военно-политическом смысле.

• Евразия – это самый большой, богатый и многочисленный континент, родина многих великих цивилизаций. Это континент, где много интеграционных структур, но общеконтинентальной, «зонтичной» структуры нет и никогда не было. <...> Идя от жизни, мы видим перспективы в том, чтобы налаживать между существующими интеграционными объединениями рабочие связи.

• Когда по предложению американцев мы с помощником Президента Российской Федерации Ю.В.Ушаковым встречались с Госсекретарем США М.Рубио и тогдашним советником по нацбезопасности М.Уолтцем в Эр-Рияде, зафиксировали чёткое общее понимание с обеих сторон, что в основе внешней политики в нормальных странах должны лежать национальные интересы. Это позиция Президента США Д.Трампа, это позиция Президента России В.В.Путина.

• Мы вообще ни с кем ссориться не хотим. Но хотим работать по-честному. <...> Не считаем нужным ломать международно-правовую основу мироустройства в виде Устава ООН. Но его надо уважать во всей полноте. #НашиПравилаУставООН

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🗓 On 24 May, Russia and many other countries mark the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture — a solemn tribute to the origins of an alphabet that has not only shaped nations, but also given voice to the profound and enduring literary traditions of the Slavic world.

The date coincides with the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, two Byzantine brothers who devised the first Slavic alphabet in 863. Their pioneering efforts enabled entire peoples to access sacred texts in their own tongue and played a pivotal role in the Christianisation of Eastern Europe.

Today the Slavic linguistic family stretches across Eurasia, spanning over 400 million speakers. At its core stands Russian. It ranks among the world's ten most spoken languages and holds global significance as one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

But beyond its geopolitical stature, Russian is a literary colossus. It is the language of Pushkin, founder of modern Russian literature; of Tolstoy, whose moral epics reshaped the novel; and of Dostoevsky, whose psychological depth remains timeless. It carries the precision of Chekhov, the stark realism of Sholokhov, the philosophical weight of Platonov and the surreal brilliance of Bulgakov.

This day is a celebration of shared heritage and a reminder that language is more than words: it is memory, identity and the enduring vessel of human thought.

🎙️Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии для РИА Новости (23 мая 2025 г.)

❓Глава МИД Норвегии Эспен Барт Эйде заявил в интервью Euractiv, что Норвегия заинтересована в увеличении военного присутствия НАТО на своей территории и проведении большего числа военных учений. Он также рассказал об увеличении активности альянса в арктическом регионе в ближайшее время. Как российская сторона расценивает подобные заявления? Какую угрозу несет расширение присутствия альянса в Норвегии, а также активности НАТО в Арктике?

💬 Ответ: Все более явное подтягивание ВС стран НАТО на норвежский Север и в арктический регион происходит под аккомпанемент пустых заверений Осло в его якобы сохраняющейся заинтересованности в поддержании региональной стабильности, избежании недопониманий и непреднамеренной эскалации. При этом между Россией и Североатлантическим альянсом отсутствуют эффективные меры доверия и каналы коммуникации по военной линии, что существенно увеличивает вероятность опасных инцидентов.

👆 Уверены, что интенсивная милитаризация и «натоизация» северных регионов Норвегии не приведет к укреплению их безопасности, а напротив, лишь повысит уровень военно-политической напряженности и эскалационные риски в Арктике.

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🎙️Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade i Norge til nyhetsbyrået “RIA Novosti” (23. mai 2025)

❓Norges utenriksminister Espen Barth Eide uttalte i et intervju med Euractiv at Norge er interessert i å øke NATOs militære tilstedeværelse på sitt territorium og gjennomføre flere militære øvelser. Han snakket også om økt aktivitet fra alliansen i Arktis i nærmeste fremtid. Hvordan vurderer den russiske siden slike uttalelser? Hvilken trussel utgjør utvidelsen av alliansens tilstedeværelse i Norge, samt NATOs aktivitet i Arktis?

💬 Svar: Den stadig tydeligere opptrappingen av NATO-landenes væpnede styrker i det norske nord og i Arktis skjer på bakgrunn av tomme løfter fra Oslo om at de angivelig fortsatt er interessert i å opprettholde regional stabilitet, unngå misforståelser og utilsiktet eskalering. Samtidig mangler det effektive tillitsskapende tiltak og kommunikasjonskanaler på det militære området mellom Russland og NATO, noe som øker risikoen for farlige hendelser betydelig.

👆 Vi er overbevist om at intensiv militarisering og «NATOisering» av norske nordområder ikke vil føre til økt sikkerhet, men tvert imot bare vil øke den militærpolitiske spenningen og risikoen for eskalering i Arktis.

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🌍 May 25 is African Liberation Day or #AfricaDay.

On this day in 1963, the first conference of 32 independent African states took place in Addis Ababa, marking the birth of the Organisation of African Unity — the predecessor of today's African Union (since 2002).

This was how the first stage in the decolonisation process on the African continent reached its culminating point.

👉 Read our feature article on Africa Day

Long before arrival of Europeans, African societies had well-developed, self-sufficient economic and social systems, as well as their own forms of governance.

Everything changed during the Age of Discovery, when the Portuguese and Spanish were the first to establish trade routes along Africa’s west coast in the 15th century.

⛓ The main tool for generating maximum returns was the slave trade, which began in the 7th and 6th centuries BC and brought about a boom with the discovery of the New World, when colonisers needed free labour.

Apart from the slave trade, the colonisers (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium) ruthlessly exploited natural resources. They exported Africa's gold, ivory and other valuable goods.

According to official UN data, approximately 17 million individuals were forcibly taken from Africa (and reached their destination) throughout the history of the slave trade. At least as many died in transit. Some researchers estimate the total number of lives lost to be close to 50 million people... At the same time, Africa’s economic potential was severely damaged, $777 trillions were extracted by the colonial powers.

With the outbreak of World War II, Africa found itself at the centre of global change, sparking the emergence and strengthening of national liberation movements across the continent.

After years of struggle, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence in 1957, inspiring other nations and national liberation movements.

The Soviet Union was proactive in assisting African states in their struggle for independence and in helping establish these young nations.

📃 It was the Soviet Union that initiated the adoption of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which proclaimed the need to end colonialism and discrimination in all its forms.

In fact, the USSR helped build 37 African economies by signing bilateral economic and technical cooperation agreements with them. Soviet military advisors and experts worked in Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mozambique and several other African countries at different times.

Today, Africa is the fastest-growing macro-region on the planet. African countries are experiencing explosive economic growth. According to projections, by 2050, Africans will make up around 40% of the world’s population.

💬 Maria Zakharova:

"During the Soviet era, our country made a substantial contribution to liberating African nations from colonial dependence, selflessly and consistently assisting the continent’s young states in strengthening their sovereignty, developing their economies and training local personnel.

Today, our relations are moving along an upward trajectory. Building a truly strategic partnership with Africa is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities."

(From Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s briefing on May 20, 2025)

☝️ African Liberation Day is an important symbol of solidarity and unity for all African nations. It commemorates the long and arduous path that Africans have travelled in the struggle for their independence and the right to self-determination.

Unfortunately, Western powers not only continue to exploit the African nations by siphoning off their resources and helping their corporations earn hefty profits, but also seek to erase or rewrite their own unsightly record there.

The descendants of colonisers are trying to pretend that they have nothing to do with the suffering many generations of Africans have had to endure, including racism, slave trade and punitive operations.

❗️ But Africa remembers it all.

#AfricaDay