🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at a UNGA Meeting on Ukraine (New York, September 4, 2025)

💬 Vassily Nebenzia: We all understand that the so-called “temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine” are nothing but a figment of the fevered imagination of the Kiev regime’s leadership. In reality, these are new entities of the Russian Federation, which became part of the country following the conscious and free expression of the people’s will.

The choice to accede to Russia made by the people of Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, means not just a restoration of historical justice, but also a manifestation of the will of the people, of their determination to stand with those who they are tied with by centuries of tradition, culture, language, and shared history.

⚠️ And it’s not Russia’s action that paved the way to such an outcome but rather the deliberate Russophobic policy of the neo-Nazi regime that came to power owing to the support of a number of Western countries. People had no other choice. <...>

Russia was looking for ways to settle the conflict, we were trying to convince Donbass leaders not to repudiate dialogue with the Kiev authorities despite all the crimes they committed against the people living in the south-east of the country.

These diplomatic efforts paved the way to the February 2015 Package of Measures for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which could open up opportunities for intra-Ukrainian reconciliation. However, as European leaders (including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, and Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko) later admitted, nobody intended to implement the Minsk agreements.

❗️ They only needed to “buy time” to continue preparing Ukraine for a major war against Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine and strengthening the military capabilities of its army. <...>

Since the reunification of these historically Russian lands with Russia, there is active work underway to integrate our new regions and to ensure their accelerated socio-economic development. We have launched a comprehensive program, which includes about 300 different projects in different areas, from infrastructure and economy to healthcare and education.

☝️ Since 2022, we have either reconstructed or built nearly 23'000 different objects, including residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and medical facilities. There are also projects underway to refurbish apartment buildings and resettle residents of dilapidated housing. We have repaired more than 5'000 km of roads, and there are plans to restore another 10,000 km. 2.5 million people are getting social and pension benefits. <...>

Russia stands ready to partake in political and diplomatic efforts to settle the crisis. Yet, it is important to understand that for peace to be truly lasting, all parties involved must take into account the new territorial realities that have emerged after Crimea and four other regions became part of the Russian Federation.

This simply must be recognized.

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⚡️ On the situation in the religious sphere in Ukraine

Statement by Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for International Cooperation in Ensuring the Right to Freedom of Religion Mikhail Melekh

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The leadership of the state of Ukraine continues deliberately destroying its spiritual and cultural foundations, depriving millions of people of historical memory and wrecking national identity. The believers’ rights are not even mentioned in the process.

In pursuance of the Law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organisations" adopted in 2024 and aimed at eliminating the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), on August 27, 2025, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience of Ukraine (Service) issued a decision recognising the Metropolis of Kiev (the administrative centre of the Church) as affiliated with a foreign religious organisation, that is the Russian Orthodox Church which is banned in Ukraine.

<...>

Under the guise of caring for the country’s national interests, the Ukrainian government has been openly waging a war on the Church for many years using physical and psychological violence against believers and clergy, as well as raiding UOC parishes based on forged documents.

Such practices have become routine in the country’s religious life, and there are hundreds of cases like that. The entire process of liquidation of the #UOC is built on exactly these legal manipulations. Redistribution of property is its key goal. Almost. Simply put, this is nothing short of robbery. <...> We are talking about over 3'000 real estate objects, many of which are of historical importance and are architectural landmarks.

Thus, for the sake of the self-interest of the corrupt elite of Ukraine, the country’s Constitution has once again been trampled, as was the regulatory system.

In this context, Kiev’s exceptional interest in the holy relics of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and the process of “taking their stock,” carefully protected from prying eyes, becomes clear.

It's quite possible that the people of Ukraine are becoming unwilling witnesses to the pre-sales process for the relics with the aim of transferring them to European museums, or even private collections.

It is hard to be surprised by such blasphemy, given the well-known attitude of the West to its former colonies. 👉 For example, the bulk of the collection of the British Museum consists of artefacts taken from peoples around the world. It is pointless to touch upon the moral and ethical side of the issue.

<...>

❗️ The situation goes far beyond the violation of the right to freedom of religion. We are talking about the liquidation of one of the largest religious denominations not only in a single country, but globally. Along with it, the spiritual and cultural heritage of an entire people may be lost.

Russia's Foreign Ministry will continue to meticulously record illegal (criminally punishable in civilised countries) acts committed by all participants in the anti-Church campaign in Ukraine.

☝️ We will persistently strive to have them properly denounced by our foreign partners and international organisations as they build their relations with the Kiev regime and its patrons.

#KievRegimeCrimes

🎙️ Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии на запрос РИА Новости (4 сентября 2025 г.)

❓Глава норвежского оборонного ведомства заявил в интервью агентству «Блумберг», что Норвегия закупает у Великобритании фрегаты для «сдерживания» России от выхода в Северное море и Атлантику. Не могли бы в Посольстве прокомментировать это заявление и планы Осло по покупке фрегатов?

💬 Ответ: 31 августа Премьер-министр Норвегии Й.Г.Стёре сообщил о решении выбрать Великобританию в качестве стратегического партнера по приобретению, эксплуатации и техобслуживанию новых фрегатов ВМС Норвегии. Осло планирует приобрести 5-6 противолодочных фрегатов типа 26 (Type 26) производства британской компании BAE Systems. Для себя Лондон закажет восемь таких же кораблей. Ни здесь, ни в Лондоне не скрывают, что наращивание военных потенциалов осуществляется в целях «сдерживания» России и, в частности, противодействия подлодкам Северного флота.

☝️Направленные против России военные приготовления Норвегии, Великобритании и других стран НАТО создают угрозы нацбезопасности нашей страны, оказывают дестабилизирующий эффект и повышают эскалационные риски в арктическом регионе.

Ситуация усугубляется тем, что между Россией и Североатлантическим альянсом отсутствуют эффективные меры доверия и каналы коммуникации по военной линии, что существенно увеличивает вероятность опасных инцидентов.

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🎙️ Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade i Norge til RIA Novosti (4. september 2025)

❓Norges forsvarsminister sa i et intervju med Bloomberg at Norge kjøper fregatter fra Storbritannia for å «avskrekke» Russland fra å gå inn i Nordsjøen og Atlanterhavet. Kan Ambassaden kommentere denne uttalelsen og Oslos planer om å kjøpe fregatter?

💬 Svar: 31. august kunngjorde Norges statsminister Jonas Gahr Støre beslutningen om å velge Storbritannia som strategisk partner for anskaffelse, drift og vedlikehold av nye fregatter til det norske sjøforsvaret. Oslo planlegger å kjøpe 5-6 Type 26 anti-ubåt-fregatter produsert av det britiske selskapet BAE Systems. London vil bestille åtte av de samme skipene til seg selv. Verken Oslo eller London legger skjul på at den militære opprustningen gjennomføres med sikte på å «avskrekke Russland» og særlig motvirke ubåtene til Nordflåten.

☝️ De militære forberedelsene til Norge, Storbritannia og andre NATO-land rettet mot Russland utgjør en trussel mot vårt lands nasjonale sikkerhet, har en destabiliserende effekt og øker risikoen for eskalering i Arktis.

Situasjonen forverres av at det ikke finnes effektive tillitsskapende tiltak eller kommunikasjonskanaler mellom Russland og NATO når det gjelder militære spørsmål, noe som øker sannsynligheten for farlige hendelser betydelig.

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🎙️Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии на запрос газеты Известия (5 сентября 2025 г.)

❓Норвегия выбрала Великобританию в качестве партнера для строительства 10 фрегатов. Также Лондон в 2023 г. открыл на норвежской территории военную базу. Означает ли это, что именно Великобритания возглавляет усилия НАТО по милитаризации Арктики? Действует ли Осло в фарватере Лондона?

💬 Ответ: 31 августа Премьер-министр Норвегии Й.Г.Стёре сообщил о решении выбрать Великобританию в качестве стратегического партнера по приобретению, эксплуатации, техобслуживанию и модернизации новых фрегатов ВМС Норвегии. Осло планирует приобрести 5-6 противолодочных фрегатов типа 26 (Type 26) производства британской компании BAESystems. Для себя Лондон закажет восемь таких же кораблей. 

Великобритания ежегодно направляет свыше 1 тыс. военнослужащих для проведения мероприятий общей боевой подготовки с размещением в открытом в 2023 г. лагере Викинг (CampViking) в северонорвежской губернии Тромс. У берегов Норвегии регулярно проводят учения и патрулирование корабли ВМС Великобритании, включая авианосные ударные группы.

Безусловно, Лондон является застрельщиком и координатором усилий Североатлантического альянса по милитаризации Арктики. В Осло соответствующие военные мероприятия союзников в северных регионах всецело поддерживают и активно к ним подключаются. Называя себя «глазами и ушами НАТО на Севере», Норвегия «на подхвате» у англосаксов осуществляет наблюдение за Россией и, прежде всего, ее Северным флотом, а также другими стратегическими объектами на Кольском полуострове. 
 
❓Фиксирует ли Россия угрозу в результате наращивания военных сил НАТО в Арктике? Возможны ли встречи военных России и Норвегии для избежания инцидентов?

💬 Ответ: Разумеется, активизация военных приготовлений альянса в высоких широтах создает угрозы нацбезопасности нашей страны, оказывает дестабилизирующий эффект и повышает эскалационные риски в арктическом регионе.

При этом между Россией и НАТО отсутствуют эффективные меры доверия и каналы коммуникации по военной линии, что существенно увеличивает вероятность опасных инцидентов. Контакты между военными России и Норвегии были прерваны по инициативе Осло. Российская сторона никогда не отказывалась от профессионального и равноправного диалога по вопросам безопасности на основе взаимного уважения и учета интересов. 

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🎙️ Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade i Norge til avisen Izvestia (5. september 2025)

❓Det ble tidligere offentliggjort at Norge hadde valgt Storbritannia som partner for bygging av ti fregatter. London åpnet også en militærbase på norsk territorium i 2023. Betyr dette at Storbritannia leder NATOs innsats for å militarisere Arktis? Følger Oslo i Londons kjølvann?

💬 Svar: 31. august kunngjorde Norges statsminister Jonas Gahr Støre beslutningen om å velge Storbritannia som strategisk partner for anskaffelse, drift, vedlikehold og modernisering av nye fregatter til det norske sjøforsvaret. Oslo planlegger å kjøpe 5-6 Type 26 antiubåt-fregatter produsert av det britiske selskapet BAESystems. London vil bestille åtte av de samme skipene til seg selv.

Storbritannia sender årlig over 1000 militærpersonell til å gjennomføre felles kampøvelser på Camp Viking, som åpnet i 2023 i Troms. Britiske marineskip, inkludert hangarskipgrupper, gjennomfører jevnlig øvelser og patruljer utenfor kysten av Norge.

London er utvilsomt drivkraften og koordinatoren for NATOs innsats for å militarisere Arktis. I Oslo støttes alliertes militære aktiviteter i de nordlige regionene fullt ut, og man deltar aktivt i dem.
Norge, som kaller seg «NATOs øyne og ører i nord», er «i beredskap» for angelsakserne og overvåker Russland og fremfor alt dets nordlige flåte, samt andre strategiske anlegg på Kolahalvøya.

❓Ser Russland en trussel som følge av NATOs militære opprustning i Arktis? Er møter mellom det russiske og norske militæret mulig for å unngå hendelser?

💬 Svar: Intensiveringen av alliansens militære forberedelser i nordområdene utgjør selvfølgelig en trussel mot vårt lands nasjonale sikkerhet, har en destabiliserende effekt og øker risikoen for eskalering i Arktis.
Samtidig finnes det ingen effektive tillitsskapende tiltak eller kommunikasjonskanaler mellom Russland og NATO om militære spørsmål, noe som øker sannsynligheten for farlige hendelser betydelig. Kontakten mellom det russiske og det norske militæret ble avbrutt på Oslos initiativ. Den russiske siden har aldri nektet å delta i en profesjonell og likeverdig dialog om sikkerhetsspørsmål basert på gjensidig respekt og hensyn til hverandres interesser.

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⚡️ On the situation in the religious sphere in Ukraine

Statement by Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for International Cooperation in Ensuring the Right to Freedom of Religion Mikhail Melekh

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The leadership of the state of Ukraine continues deliberately destroying its spiritual and cultural foundations, depriving millions of people of historical memory and wrecking national identity. The believers’ rights are not even mentioned in the process.

In pursuance of the Law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organisations" adopted in 2024 and aimed at eliminating the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), on August 27, 2025, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience of Ukraine (Service) issued a decision recognising the Metropolis of Kiev (the administrative centre of the Church) as affiliated with a foreign religious organisation, that is the Russian Orthodox Church which is banned in Ukraine.

<...>

Under the guise of caring for the country’s national interests, the Ukrainian government has been openly waging a war on the Church for many years using physical and psychological violence against believers and clergy, as well as raiding UOC parishes based on forged documents.

Such practices have become routine in the country’s religious life, and there are hundreds of cases like that. The entire process of liquidation of the #UOC is built on exactly these legal manipulations. Redistribution of property is its key goal. Almost. Simply put, this is nothing short of robbery. <...> We are talking about over 3'000 real estate objects, many of which are of historical importance and are architectural landmarks.

Thus, for the sake of the self-interest of the corrupt elite of Ukraine, the country’s Constitution has once again been trampled, as was the regulatory system.

In this context, Kiev’s exceptional interest in the holy relics of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and the process of “taking their stock,” carefully protected from prying eyes, becomes clear.

It's quite possible that the people of Ukraine are becoming unwilling witnesses to the pre-sales process for the relics with the aim of transferring them to European museums, or even private collections.

It is hard to be surprised by such blasphemy, given the well-known attitude of the West to its former colonies. 👉 For example, the bulk of the collection of the British Museum consists of artefacts taken from peoples around the world. It is pointless to touch upon the moral and ethical side of the issue.

<...>

❗️ The situation goes far beyond the violation of the right to freedom of religion. We are talking about the liquidation of one of the largest religious denominations not only in a single country, but globally. Along with it, the spiritual and cultural heritage of an entire people may be lost.

Russia's Foreign Ministry will continue to meticulously record illegal (criminally punishable in civilised countries) acts committed by all participants in the anti-Church campaign in Ukraine.

☝️ We will persistently strive to have them properly denounced by our foreign partners and international organisations as they build their relations with the Kiev regime and its patrons.

#KievRegimeCrimes

💬 Russia's MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

The 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (#UNGA80 🇺🇳) will open on September 9, 2025, in New York. The Russian delegation at the High-Level Week (September 23-29, 2025) will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The UNGA session will convene amid growing global turbulence, conflicts and crises on the global political and economic stage. The main cause of these negative developments is the striving of the collective West to hold onto elusive global dominance through dirty methods, such as illegal unilateral sanctions, restricted access to new technologies, exploitation of other countries’ resources, and sometimes even open military interventions.

🌐 The rise of a more just and democratic multipolar world is an objective process. It cannot be turned back because the centre of gravity in international affairs is shifting towards the Global South and East. New pillars of political, economic, social and cultural influence are taking shape in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and they are demonstrating a desire to increase their contribution to dealing with global challenges <...>

During the UNGA80, the Russian delegation, taking into account the above factors, will focus on:

• Strengthening the foundations of a just multipolarity,

• Restoring the central coordinating role of the UN as the core mechanism for regulating global politics and settling global problems,

• Promoting Russia’s approaches to settling the Ukrainian crisis,

• Combating the neo-colonialist practices of the West.

Working together with our Global Majority partners, we will continue to firmly uphold the supremacy of the goals and principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and as a whole.

In light of the 80th anniversary of the UN, substantial attention at the UNGA session will be focused on a critical analysis of the UN’s achievements and development outlook. As for achievements, there have been both positive and negative ones <...>

Russia firmly upholds the UN’s central coordinating role in global affairs. Due to its universal legitimacy and broad competence, the UN is the only intergovernmental structure capable of ensuring a maximally painless transition to multipolarity.

At the same time, we have to state that the UN has seen better times. The world is becoming increasingly vocal about the UN being engulfed in problems and no longer able to fulfil the tasks set out in its mandate. There are grounds for this criticism. However, it should be stated that the UN’s current problems and ills are not rooted in its structural drawbacks but in the insatiable desire of the West to make it serve Western interests according to the “rules” which the West alone defines. I always point out that they actually have only one “rule,” which says that they are the primary actor whose actions may not be judged, and that everything the other countries do must be made subordinate to the interests of the collective West.

It is extremely important in this context that all states unambiguously and unconditionally reaffirm their commitment to the goals and principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and as a whole. The West has been known to use certain provisions of the UN Charter in their interests. But there are very many provisions in that document, and all of them must be cited, applied and acted upon in their entirety.

This would be a major prerequisite for the full-scale restoration of the UN’s authority and effectiveness. The Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter is at the forefront of these efforts. The group has become a key instrument for making the voice of the Global Majority heard, for fighting against Western directives and building a just polycentric world.

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#JournalistsSolidarityDay

📆 September 8 marks the International Day of Solidarity of Journalists, established in 1958 in memory of Czech correspondent and anti-fascist writer Julius Fučík, executed by the Nazis in 1943 during #WWII.

The day was designed to serve as a symbol of solidarity and mutual support within the global journalist community, and also as a reminder about the dangers and risks, including threats to health and life, which media representatives have to confront in the line of their duty. It was sincerely believed that such tragedies would never happen again.

Unfortunately, the further course of history failed these hopes.

In many countries, including those that consider themselves to be democracies, honest performance of one’s professional duty and loyalty to one’s beliefs may still be seen as a reason to persecute journalists, to introduce punitive censorship, and even to use outright violence.

The far from complete list of repressions against Russia's media outlets and journalists can be found here — 👉 Foreign reprisals against Russian journalists and media.

The targeted murders of Russian journalists and military correspondents by militants of the Kiev regime twisted and mocked the ideals of this International Day. German Nazis have been replaced by Banderites, and Julius Fučík’s fate has been repeated by tens of Russian journalists killed or wounded by the Kiev regime criminals.

Amid the fierce campaign that a number of countries have launched to purge their media space from all points of view that differ from the officially approved ones, the deliberate inaction of the competent international bodies such as of UNESCO, the UN OHCHR, and the OSCE (they are, in fact, condoning injustice and lawlessness with their politically biased silence) is outrageous.

Equally upsetting is the lack of unity within the journalistic community. Many Western media workers and their professional associations and unions, as well as NGOs allegedly protecting human rights, have chosen, for reasons of loyalty to their countries’ authorities, to turn a blind eye to, or even support publicly, the reprisals against their colleagues

👉 All of this betrays the spirit of unity and solidarity that was the foundation of the International Day.

Despite everything, we congratulate all correspondents, editors, photo and video operators and other media industry workers who remain faithful to the ideals of journalistic solidarity, who are always ready to help their colleagues in times of need, even if their opinions differ.

For our part, we will continue to defend journalists’ right to perform their duty honestly anywhere in the world.

🎙️ Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии для газеты «Известия» (7 сентября 2025 г.)

❓По сообщениям СМИ, впервые с начала СВО стратегический бомбардировщик B-2 Spirit ВВС США (возможно, два) находился в воздухе у северных границ Норвегии, двигаясь в направлении Мурманска. Есть ли у Посольства подтверждение данной информации?

💬 Ответ: Не располагаем информацией об упомянутых маневрах самолетов B-2 Spirit в северной Норвегии вблизи российской границы. Можем подтвердить, что стратбомбардировщик B-2 Spirit ВВС США проводил совместные тренировки с ВВС Норвегии в августе 2023 г. По окончании учений перед обратным вылетом он совершил посадку на главной норвежской авиабазе Эрланн для дозаправки и смены экипажа, что стало первым случаем посадки этого самолета, способного нести ядерное оружие, в континентальной Европе.
9 августа текущего года на авиабазу Эрланн прибыли три стратбомбардировщика B-1B Lancer ВВС США с авиабазы Дайесс (штат Техас). По линии американской инициативы Bomber Task Force (BTF) Europe они совместно с ВВС европейских стран НАТО, в т.ч. тактическими истребителями F-35 ВВС Норвегии, проведут серию тренировок по противодействию наземным и воздушным целям. Срок их пребывания на норвежской территории не раскрывается.
Норвегия присоединилась к тренировкам по линии BTF с момента их запуска в 2018 г.

В последнее время, особенно после подключения к натовским мероприятиям Финляндии и Швеции, американские стратбомбардировщики B-52, B-1 и B-2, способные нести как обычное, так и ядерное оружие, посещают Норвегию по несколько раз в год. Более того, в июне 2024 г. на авиабазе Рюгге, расположенной на юго-востоке страны, впервые приземлился самолет связи и управления ВВС США E-6B «Меркурий», также известный как «самолет Судного дня», являющийся воздушным командным пунктом, который в критической ситуации должен передать войскам, прежде всего ВМС, приказ применить ядерное оружие.

По сути, тренировки ВВС Норвегии со стратегическими бомбардировщиками ВВС США уже можно рассматривать как де-факто поддержку ядерных миссий обычной авиацией. Наращивание такого рода активности НАТО в североевропейском регионе ведет к росту военно-политической напряженности и подрывает глобальную стабильность.

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🎙️Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade i Norge til avisen Izvestia (7. september 2025)

❓I går meldte media at for første gang siden starten på den spesielle militære operasjonen ble et strategisk bombefly av typen B-2 Spirit (muligens to) fra det amerikanske luftforsvaret observert i luften nær Norges nordlige grense, på vei mot Murmansk. Har Ambassaden noen bekreftelse på denne informasjonen?

💬 Svar: Vi har ingen informasjon om de nevnte manøvrene til B-2 Spirit-fly i Nord-Norge nær den russiske grensen.
Vi kan bekrefte at et strategisk bombefly av typen B-2 Spirit fra det amerikanske luftforsvaret gjennomførte en felles øvelse med det norske luftforsvaret i august 2023. Ved slutten av øvelsene, før det fløy tilbake, landet det på den norske hovedflybasen i Ørland for å fylle drivstoff og skifte mannskap. Dette var første gang dette flyet, som kan bære atomvåpen, hadde landet på det europeiske kontinentet.
9. august i år ankom tre strategiske bombefly av typen B-1B Lancer fra det amerikanske luftforsvaret til Ørland flybase fra Dyess flybase i Texas. Som en del av US Bomber Task Force (BTF) Europa-initiativet vil de gjennomføre en serie øvelser for å bekjempe bakke- og luftmål i samarbeid med luftforsvaret i europeiske NATO-land, inkludert det norske luftforsvarets F-35 taktiske jagerfly. Varigheten av oppholdet på norsk territorium er ikke offentliggjort.

Norge har deltatt i BTF-øvelser siden de ble lansert i 2018. Nylig, spesielt etter at Finland og Sverige ble med i NATO-aktiviteter, har amerikanske B-52-, B-1 og B-2 strategiske bombefly, som kan bære både konvensjonelle og kjernefysiske våpen, besøkt Norge flere ganger i året. I juni 2024 vil dessuten det amerikanske luftforsvarets E-6B Mercury, også kjent som et «dommedagsfly», landet for første gang på Rygge flybase i sørøst. Dette flyet er en luftbåren kommandopost som i en kritisk situasjon har ansvaret for å overføre ordrer til væpnede styrker, primært sjøforsvaret, om å bruke atomvåpen.

I hovedsak kan det norske luftforsvarets trening med strategiske bombefly fra det amerikanske luftforsvaret allerede ses på som de facto støtte til atomvåpenoppdrag med konvensjonelle fly. Oppbyggingen av denne typen NATO-aktivitet i den nordeuropeiske regionen fører til økt militær og politisk spenning og undergraver global stabilitet.

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#EmbassyComment

❗️We have taken note of yet another biased piece, “Struggles for Freedom Still Relevant”, authored by the Norwegian Ambassador to South Africa, Gjermund Sæther, and published in the Mail & Guardian on August 29, 2025.

In his article, while invoking the principles of international law, the Ambassador repeats the well-worn accusation of Russia’s so-called “unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine.”

This claim has already been challenged and disproved by many across the globe.

We have previously presented numerous materials outlining the real root causes of Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine, and we see no need to repeat them here.

The Ambassador also asserts that Europe “cannot accept the ‘might is right’ policies of Russia.” This is where we can’t escape the feeling of double standards.

On August 5, the Norwegian government announced its decision to allocate nearly $150 million as a “first stage” contribution to the U.S.-initiated and NATO-coordinated Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List (PURL) - a mechanism designed for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. By doing so, Oslo obediently aligns itself with the confrontational course of the Western liberal “party of war,” aimed at escalating what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself accurately described some time ago as a “proxy war” with Russia.

Contrary to Ambassador Sæther’s assertions, Norway clearly has no intention of ceasing its involvement in fueling the Ukrainian conflict. On the contrary, it seems determined to intensify its support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine - pursuing this course, ‘to the last Ukrainian.’

This year alone, Oslo plans to spend more than $8 billion on assistance to Ukraine, of which $7 billion will go toward military supplies to the criminal Kiev regime. This is a staggering figure, exceeding Norway’s entire annual budget for international development aid. For comparison: in 2025, Norway allocated just over $100 million to assist the Palestinian people - whose unimaginable suffering Norwegian politicians so often claim to sympathize with. That is 80 times less than what is being provided to Ukraine.

As a result, a country once respected as a mediator and peacemaker, and home to the Nobel Peace Prize, is increasingly associated by the global majority with NATO’s aggressive expansionism, militarism, and double standards.

We do agree that the struggle for freedom remains relevant. But freedom must be the right of all - not a privilege reserved for those chosen by the country you represent and its Western allies.

☝️ Freedom is also the right of the people of Donbass and all Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine. And our country will continue to do everything in its power to ensure their fundamental right to live in peace and freedom.

⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry’s statement on Israeli strikes against Doha

On September 9, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on buildings in a residential district of Doha, the capital of Qatar, targeting senior leaders of the Palestinian movement Hamas. According to available information, six people were killed in the attack, including an employee of Qatar’s Interior Ministry, and several others were injured.

❗️ Russia regards these actions as a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, an encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state and a step that risks further escalation and destabilisation in the Middle East. Such methods of dealing with those whom Israel considers its enemies and opponents deserve the strongest condemnation.

At the same time, the missile strike on Qatar – a country playing a key mediating role in indirect talks between Hamas and the Israeli leadership on ending the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza and securing the release of those held captive – can only be seen as an attempt to undermine international efforts to find a peaceful solution.

☝️ In this regard, Moscow once again calls on all parties involved to act responsibly and to refrain from steps that could further degrade the situation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and complicate the search for a political settlement.

Russia reaffirms its principled and consistent position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We firmly believe that a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question, on the well-established international legal basis, is the only viable way forward.

📄 Article by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation for TASS news agency (September 8, 2025)

The new Finnish doctrine: Ignorance, deception, and ingratitude

Read in full

Key points:

• A visit to our northwestern regions in early autumn inevitably brings to mind one of the most tragic dates in the history of St. Petersburg, which is the onset of the siege on September 8, 1941. Yet, it seems that we are the only ones to remember those dark days. The direct perpetrators of those events are making every effort to erase the traces of their crimes from historical memory, or at least to avoid “inconvenient” parallels with their current policies.
 
• We should not forget that it would have been impossible to impose the Siege of Leningrad, a blockade that took hundreds of thousands of civilian lives, without the involvement of the Finnish armed forces.

• The general staff of the Finnish army and the general staff of Wehrmacht planned a joint invasion of the Soviet Union. Joint operations during the offensive on Leningrad were plotted in accordance with Operation Barbarossa <...> The then Finnish authorities were also responsible for the deaths and ruined lives of millions of Soviet citizens who did not have enough time to evacuate from western territories deep into the country.

• The genocide and war crimes of Finland against the Soviet civilians were not limited to Leningrad. The Finnish hangmen reaped the bulk of their bloody harvest in Karelia. Today, the descendants of the Finnish Nazi holdovers speak of this rarely, reluctantly, and with obvious discomfort.

• Prime Minister of Finland called “baseless” the ruling by the Supreme Court of Karelia, passed on August 1, 2024, which recognised the criminal actions of the occupation authorities and the Finnish troops against 86'000 Soviet residents of the republic during the Great Patriotic War.

• In addition, from the autumn of 1941 to the summer of 1944, on the territory of the then Karelo-Finnish SSR (21 of 26 districts were completely occupied, another partially, and 8 of 11 cities were taken) a network of concentration camps and labour camps was deployed by Mannerheim’s order.

• The number of prisoners in such concentration camps reached 20% of the entire population under occupation which are extremely large figures even by the standards of World War II. Over 80 population centres were destroyed. <...> Only due to the political will of the Soviet Union did representatives of the military-political authorities of Finland avoid trial in Nuremberg and the trials of a number of their leaders took place in Finland. The sentences were quite lenient.

• As a satellite of Nazi Germany that invaded the Soviet Union, Finland bears exactly the same amount of responsibility for unleashing the war and all the horrors and suffering of our people. Criminal liability for genocide and war crimes does not imply the use of the statute of limitations, and the time of the crimes does not affect their classification as crimes against humanity.

• Considering that after the war Finland pursued a balanced policy based on the military non-alignment principles, the issue of the crimes committed by the Finns was not raised between us.

• After joining the NATO bloc, which designates Russia as its enemy, Finland directly and brazenly tramples on the historical and legal basis on which it exists.

• This revisionism must be brought to an immediate end. From a legal point of view, the rupture of the synallagmatic link of the treaties — the mutual conditionality of compliance by both parties — raises the question of the validity of the treaties themselves by virtue of the principle of do, ut des (I give, so that you may give).

❗️ Since the military-political component of the treaty is absent, then there is likewise no reason for us to forgo closing the compensatory "historical issues" and clearly raising the question of the moral responsibility of the current Finnish government for the actions of its predecessors.

⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement on Poland’s accusations of Russia

💬 In connection with accusations against Russia over the alleged intentional violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) during a combined precision strike delivered at the military infrastructure of the Kiev regime last night, we would like to draw your attention to a statement issued by the Defence Ministry of Russia on September 10, 2025.

The Defence Ministry has unequivocally reaffirmed that the strike did not include any targets in the territory of the Republic of Poland, and that the range of the drones that delivered a strike at the Ukrainian defence industry facilities, which, according to Warsaw, entered Poland’s airspace, is below 700 kilometres.

These facts overturn the myths which Poland is spreading again to aggravate the Ukrainian crisis.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had to confirm this. Speaking after a meeting of the NATO Council under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty held at Poland’s request, he failed to provide any answer regarding any proof of “intent” behind that “incident.” He only said that “a full assessment is ongoing.”

☝️ Despite the obvious inconsistency of Warsaw’s allegations, and seeking to fully clarify the incident for all sides interested in preventing further escalation of the situation, the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation has stated readiness to hold consultations on this issue with the Defence Ministry of the Republic of Poland. The Foreign Ministry of Russia is ready to contribute to these efforts.