🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Channel One’s Bolshaya Igra (Great Game) political talk show (September 18, 2025)

Key points:

• Unlike all other Western figures, whose actions and positions boiled down to the mantra that “Ukraine is right,” that Russia must suffer a “strategic defeat,” and that Ukraine’s sovereignty must be restored within its 1991 borders, Donald Trump and his team have repeatedly demonstrated, including publicly, an understanding of the need to address the root causes of the conflict. Donald Trump has stated publicly on multiple occasions that drawing Ukraine into NATO was a mistake. He made it abundantly clear that, to achieve a settlement, these aspirations must be set aside and security must be built on different principles.

• We appreciated Donald Trump's openness and frankness back then and we do now. He doesn’t use underhand tactics, and he never conceals his thoughts. We appreciate his emphasis on results. He calls it making a deal in the broad sense of the word.

• We would like to maintain the current dialogue between our Presidents, Foreign Ministers, national security aides, and special envoys of the two Presidents, as well as communication via other channels. We see that the American side wants this too.

• All these Europeans made no secret of their previous and ongoing public efforts to dissuade US leadership from pursuing any constructive measures towards Russia within the context of the Ukrainian crisis. They seek to drag the United States back onto the treacherous path it followed under Joe Biden, when this was “Joe Biden’s war.” The Europeans are determined to make it “Donald Trump’s war” as well. They do not conceal this.

• President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made it clear that, ultimately, a sustainable agreement means a compromise. We are prepared to seek a compromise provided that our legitimate security interests and the legitimate interests of the Russian people in Ukraine are ensured just as the legitimate interests of other parties to such an agreement are.

• The Trump administration recognises the importance of NATO-related issues. They’ve stated it publicly. There’s an understanding that the referenda in Crimea and other territories cannot be ignored. Any potential agreement must take the outcomes of these referenda into account.

• Undoubtedly, they seek to impede any agreement – they oppose a settlement that would terminate their protracted endeavours to transform Ukraine into a perpetual irritant, if not an explicit threat, to the Russian Federation. That is obvious.

• The war in Ukraine which the West has organised against us has proved that the Euro-Atlantic concepts have not lived up to the promises made during their creation.

• President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated: we have never had, do not have, and will never have any plans to attack any NATO or EU country. Since 2008, we have tabled documents guaranteeing indivisible security and ensuring that no country enhances its security at the expense of others. This was endorsed by all parties within OSCE summits.

• The new emerging economies continue to assert themselves. All forecasts point to this being a long-term and sustainable trend. <...> There is unity both within #BRICS and within the #SCO. We reject domination and diktat, and advocate for indivisible security across all regions.

• We have our own military-political alliances, primarily the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The CSTO and the SCO also have a strong military-political dimension related to ensuring the security of member states. None of these formats ever sought to be hostile towards anyone.

• President Putin advanced the initiative for creating a continental Eurasian security architecture in 2024, starting with joining the efforts and launching dialogue between subregional integration organisations and gradually moving towards a continental agreement.

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🎙 Explanation of vote by Russian Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia after the UNSC Vote on a Draft Resolution on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question (New York, September 18, 2025)

💬 We extend our gratitude to the non-permanent members of the Council for their initiative and perseverance in putting forward this UNSC draft resolution addressing the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

The Russian Federation voted in favor of this document, which outlines the key elements for a prompt settlement. These include an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, the lifting the severe humanitarian blockade of Gaza, and guaranteed safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.

This is something we have consistently called for since the onset of the current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, 2023. The results of today’s vote have demonstrated that this is the very bedrock for resolving the Gaza crisis, which the overwhelming majority of the international community stands ready to support.

Regrettably, during this 10000th meeting of the Security Council, we have witnessed yet another American veto – the seventh one – blocking a resolution that would have halted the bloodletting.

There will be no breakthrough on the Middle East settlement as long as Washington’s perception of the Gaza crisis remains unchanged, and as long as it views multilateral diplomacy at the UN as an obstacle rather than a critically important tool. 

❗️We urge our colleagues to acknowledge a simple truth. Their proclaimed “quiet diplomacy on the ground”, as they put it, is not being undermined by the reasoned voices of the global community, including those in this chamber. It is rather being undermined by concrete actions of their Israeli ally, which was glaringly evidenced by West Jerusalem’s aggressive maneuver against the sovereign state of Qatar, one of the key mediators in the negotiations.

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In this regard, what carries key significance is the resumption of the international high-level conference on the Middle East settlement in New York next week.

We hope that the outcomes of the conference will be practical and constructive in nature and will breathe new life into the two-state solution, to which there is no alternative, and will never be any.

☝️ We call on the United States and Israel to join this process, rather than turn their backs on the international community – as was the case in the past – and obstruct its efforts to find a solution to this harrowing regional crisis.

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Even if today's attempt failed, this does not mean that we have to throw in the towel.

We stand ready to act, and we will keep advancing our consistent stance on this matter, however long this may take.

👉 We cherish the hope that the other sane members of the UNSC share this view, because without a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian problem, without respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, it will not be possible to achieve a lasting settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nor genuine peace and stability in the Middle East.

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✨ The International music contest #Intervision has concluded, leaving a mark on many hearts and souls.

Although great performances were aplenty, one was something special.

Following the official part Russian artists Klava Koka, the band Ay Yola, Tatyana Kurtukova, and Pelageya performed together Russia’s most iconic, popular and widely known songs.

🤍💙❤️ A heartfelt musical finale that celebrated culture beyond competition.

#RussianCulture #RussianSoul

🎙 Excerpt from the statement by President of Russia Vladimir Putin at a meeting with permanent members of Russia's Security Council (September 22, 2025)

💬 President Putin: I would like to begin with an issue of prime importance, one that is critical to safeguarding our national interests, Russia’s sovereignty, and, without exaggeration, international security as a whole.

I am referring to the situation in the realm of strategic stability, which, regrettably, continues to deteriorate. This is driven by a combination of factors, which are negative, compounding existing strategic risks and generating new ones.

As a result of the destructive actions previously taken by the West, the foundations of constructive relations and practical cooperation between nuclear powers have been significantly undermined.

The basis for dialogue within relevant bilateral and multilateral frameworks has been eroded.

Gradually, the system of Soviet-American and Russian-American agreements on nuclear missile and strategic defence arms control – long relied upon to stabilise relations between the two largest nuclear powers and to enhance global security – has been nearly dismantled. <...>

☝️ Let me emphasise and let there be no doubt: Russia is fully capable of responding to any current or emerging threat, not with words, but through concrete military-technical measures.

A clear example is our decision to end the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of ground-based short- and intermediate-range missiles. This was a forced move needed to ensure an adequate response to the deployment of similar US and other Western-made weapons in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, which poses a direct threat to Russia’s security. <...>

Let me remind you that the last major political and diplomatic achievement in the field of strategic stability was the conclusion of the Russian-American New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in 2010. However, owing to the profoundly hostile policies of the Biden administration, which undermined the fundamental principles on which this treaty was built, its full implementation was suspended in 2023.

Nevertheless, both Parties have declared their intention to continue voluntarily observing the central quantitative limits of the strategic offensive arms treaty until its expiry.

For nearly 15 years, this agreement has played a constructive role in maintaining balance and predictability in the sphere of strategic offensive weapons.

The New START Treaty will expire on February 5, 2026, signalling the imminent end of the last international accord directly limiting nuclear missile capabilities.

A complete renunciation of this treaty’s legacy would, from many points, be a grave and short-sighted mistake. It would also be adverse to the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In order to prevent the emergence of a new strategic arms race and to preserve an acceptable degree of predictability and restraint, we consider it reasonable to maintain in these turbulent times the status quo established under New START.

❗️ Accordingly, Russia is prepared to continue observing the treaty’s central quantitative restrictions for one year after February 5, 2026.

Following that date, based on a careful assessment of the situation, we will make a final decision on whether to uphold these voluntary self-limitations. We believe that this measure is only feasible provided the United States acts in a similar spirit and refrains from steps that would undermine or disrupt the existing balance of deterrence. <...>

I believe that Russia’s initiative, if implemented, could make a substantial contribution to creating the conditions necessary for a substantive strategic dialogue with the United States – provided, of course, that the grounds for its full resumption are secured and that broader steps are taken to normalise bilateral relations and remove core security contradictions.

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🎙 Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine (New York, September 22, 2025)

💬 Dmitry Polyanskiy: Just last week, in this very chamber, we were compelled to listen to baseless allegations that Russian drones had violated Polish airspace, yet not a single piece of substantiated evidence has been provided so far to verify their Russian provenance.

It is also telling that a few days later, it came to light that the incident involving the damaged roof in the Lublin Voivodeship – which had become central to this anti-Russian campaign – was, in fact, caused by an errant missile launched from a Polish fighter jet. <...>

We treat any accusation against our armed forces with the utmost seriousness, and our first step is always to establish the facts to understand what truly happened. To that end, we promptly proposed bilateral consultations with Warsaw to ascertain the situation.

Yet, we have received no meaningful response. <...>

Today, we are compelled to observe the second part of this performance ennoscriptd “Blame Russia for Everything.” Our neighbors have now conceived that Russia is at fault for an incursion into Estonia's airspace. As always, there is no evidence, except for the Russophobic hysteria coming from Tallinn, which was vividly demonstrated today.

Meanwhile, the facts prove that on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets made a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region. The flight was conducted in strict accordance with the International Rules for the Use of Airspace.

👉 The Russian jets did not veer off the agreed route nor did they cross Estonian airspace.

Their flight path passed over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, over three kilometers from the island of Vaindloo. This is confirmed by objective monitoring data. <...>

We understand that the hysteria of our European colleagues is to a large extent geared towards bringing the new US administration headed by President Trump back to an anti-Russian course and finally undermining the agreements and understandings reached by the Russian and American presidents in Alaska a month ago.

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🎙 Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Moscow, September 18, 2025)

🔹 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey at the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly
🔹 Ukraine crisis
🔹 Military-political tensions in the Balkans
🔹 On Japan's sanctions on Russia
🔹 Agreement Between Iran and the IAEA
🔹 Situation in Moldova
🔹 Anniversary of Tallinn’s liberation from Nazi invaders
🔹 Yevgeny Khaldei’s Liberation exhibition opening in Dresden
🔹 Women for Preservation of Traditions International Contest


📰 Read
📺 Watch

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#UNGA80 #UNCharterIsOurRules

The High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly will begin on September 23 in New York, a major event on this year’s international calendar. The Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The High-Level Week will take place against a backdrop of increasing global turbulence and fragmentation. This instability is largely driven by the collective West’s efforts to maintain its fading dominance through neo-colonial methods, its attempts to impose the odious concept of a ‘rules-based international order’.

The Russian delegation will prioritise promoting a unifying agenda. Our efforts will be focused on strengthening the foundations of a multipolar world order, advocating for equitable approaches to resolving the Ukrainian, Palestinian-Israeli, and other acute crises, and deepening cooperation with countries of the Global Majority.

We will work vigorously to broaden support for our initiatives aimed at building a framework of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia.

#KievRegimeCrimes

The Kiev neo-Nazi regime continues its terrorist assaults on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Over the past week, hostile artillery fire and drone strikes have resulted in injuries to 115 Russian civilians, including seven fatalities and 108 wounded – among them, four minors.

More than 3'700 munitions have been discharged at civilian targets.

#Balkans #DoubleStandards

The West has made yet another step towards unleashing a new armed conflict in the Balkans, a region that is still healing the wounds inflicted by the interethnic clashes dating back to the Yugoslavia crisis of the 1990s, when the West’s “blood-stained hand” was violating justice.

In March of this year, Croatia formed a military union with Albania and the Serbian Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. On September 5, in furtherance of this alarming trend, Zagreb and Ljubljana reached an agreement on intensifying their defence cooperation.

As is clear, the participants’ wily statement that they seek to “preserve peace and stability” in southeast Europe is nothing more than a specious pretext for their effort to continue escalating the explosive situation in the Balkans in the interests of the Western capitals.

The final aim of these initiatives, ones based on the West’s intrinsic “Serbophobia,” is to fully isolate Serbia, encircle it with hostile forces, and actually force it to waive its ancestral lands. Serbia is being compelled to give up its sovereignty and become an “obedient element” of the anti-Russian front.

#Iran #JCPOA #IAEA

On September 9, discussions were held in Cairo between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Director General of the IAEA. These negotiations culminated in an agreement concerning the practical aspects of safeguards implementation in Iran, which will bolster collaboration between Tehran and the Agency in this sensitive sphere.

In this context, we acknowledge Iran’s consistent steps aimed at implementing the aforementioned agreement and regard its approval by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council as evidence of a responsible approach and confirmation of Tehran’s commitment to the reached accords which align with its national interests and comply with the legislation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

🎙️Комментарий Посольства России в Норвегии на запрос информагентства ТАСС (24 сентября 2025 г.)

❓Может ли Посольство России прокомментировать заявление премьер-министра Норвегии Й.Г.Стёре о якобы имевших место в этом году нарушениях воздушного пространства страны российскими самолётами?

💬 Ответ: Подтверждаем, что МИД Норвегии передавал информацию по упомянутым инцидентам, к которой мы отнеслись со всей серьезностью. Однако сведения, озвученные норвежской стороной, данными российских средств объективного контроля не подтвердились.

Со своей стороны хотели бы подчеркнуть, что взятый Североатлантическим альянсом провокационный курс на активизацию военной деятельности стран-членов в высоких широтах, включая проведение военных учений, в которых наша страна обозначается в качестве условного противника, лишь усиливает напряженность и несет риски дальнейшей эскалации военной обстановки в регионе. Ответственность за это несут непосредственно страны-члены НАТО, в т.ч. Норвегия, один из главных проводников политики альянса в Арктике.

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🎙️Kommentar fra Russlands ambassade I Norge til nyhetsbyrået TASS (24. september 2025)

❓Har Russlands ambassade noen kommentarer til statsministerens påstand om at tre russiske fly har krenket norsk luftrom i år?

💬 Svar: Vi bekrefter at det norske utenriksdepartementet har gitt oss informasjon om de nevnte hendelsene, som vi har tatt på største alvor. Imidlertid er informasjonen fra norsk side ikke bekreftet av russiske objektive overvåkingsdata.

Fra vår side vil vi understreke at den provoserende kursen som NATO har valgt å følge med å intensivere medlemslandenes militære aktiviteter i nordområdene, inkludert militærøvelser der vårt land er utpekt som en hypotetisk fiende, bare øker spenningen og medfører fare for en ytterligere eskalering av den militære situasjonen i regionen. Ansvaret for dette ligger direkte hos NATO-medlemslandene, inkludert Norge, som er en av lederne for alliansens politikk i Arktis.

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