⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding the statement made by President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa on transferring Russian military equipment to the US

❓ Question: What would be your comment regarding the statements by President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa on his country’s intention to transfer Russian military equipment and weapons, which were acquired under international contracts, to the US?

💬 Maria Zakharova: Our partners are well aware of the terms of their contracts, which include the obligation to use the delivered assets for their intended purpose and not to transfer them to third parties without Russia’s consent. We believe that Ecuador took what can be described as a hasty decision under significant pressure from outside stakeholders.

Had this been a question of transferring what Ecuador has been referring to as scrap metal, it is highly unlikely that Washington would have offered to exchange it for modern equipment worth a substantial amount of money. We hope that Quito understands this.

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding the support for Ukraine approved at the EU summit on February 1

❓ Question: Despite the multiplying conflicts in the world, growing internal differences between the EU member countries, acute socioeconomic problems in some European countries and the fatigue of European society from the Ukrainisation of all aspects of life there, the EU political leadership announced at the February 1 summit its decision to allocate billions to support the Ukrainian regime. What motivates EU politicians to do this?

💬 Maria Zakharova: The European Union has undergone a dramatic change in the past few years. It has stopped being a successful economic association and has chosen a policy of confrontation with those who underwrote its prosperity for many decades, in part, Russia.

Despite its slogans about “strategic autonomy” and ending external dependence in the economy, the EU has completely submitted to Washington.

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The EU’s current internal and external policy shows that European institutions are completely divorced from the genuine interests of the Europeans. <...> At a time, when European farmers are calling for help, their political leaders shut the windows and decide to send another 50 billion euros to the Ukrainian regime.

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The overwhelming majority of ordinary Europeans are the hardest hit by the militarisation of the EU economy. The US military-industrial complex is reaping the main economic benefits.

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The EU wants to overcome its financial crisis by forcing its economy down a military path, despite the potential challenge this poses to global security.

☝️ The absence of a system for monitoring the location of manufactured weapons and military hardware will lead to even more theft of these arms. They will inundate the black market and conflict zones and aggravate terrorist threats around the world.

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⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on US strikes on Iraq and Syria

💬 The US strategic bomber attack on Iraq and Syria, which destroyed and damaged dozens of facilities and killed numerous civilians, has once again demonstrated to the world the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington’s total disregard for international law.

The obedient participation of British Royal Air Force in the US attack should not give anyone the illusion of an “international coalition” taking action. London has yet to answer for its zealous support of the provocations launched by its bosses in Washington.

☝️ It is clear that the airstrikes were specifically intended to further escalate the conflict. By relentlessly attacking the facilities of allegedly pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, the United States has been purposefully attempting to draw the largest countries in the region into the conflict.

Confident of its impunity, Washington continues to sow chaos and destruction in the Middle East. The largest US air operation in the region since 2003, presented by Joe Biden as an “act of retaliation” for an unknown UAV attack on a US base in Jordan, has no justification. The attempts to flex their muscles in order to influence the political situation in the United States, as well as their desperation to salvage the failed international policies of the current US administration in the context of the ongoing election campaign are leading to a further escalation of international tensions and further undermining US credibility in the Arab world.

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❗️ We strongly condemn this new outrageous act of US-British aggression against sovereign states. We insist on the urgent consideration of this situation by the UN Security Council.

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📅 On February 4, 1945, the Yalta (Crimean) Conference commenced. It was the second meeting of all anti-Hitler coalition countries leaders: Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill & Franklin Roosevelt.

Yalta hosted the conference when successful strategic offensives by the Red Army had liberated the Soviet territories as well as several European nations from fascist occupation. Just on February 3, the Vistula-Oder Operation had concluded, while the Western Carpathian & East Prussian operations were in full swing, marking the final stages of the war against Nazi Germany.

📜 The leaders approved key international documents, including the Declaration of Liberated Europe & documents outlining the fundamental principles for the creation of the UN, which laid the foundation for post-war international relations & defined the contours of the post-war world order.

Certain issues regarding post-war Germany were also resolved. Conference participants expressed their unwavering determination to eliminate German militarism & Nazism. They agreed on France's participation in addressing the German issue, defining the borders of Poland, outlines of the future Polish government & the conditions for the USSR's entry into the war against Japan.

The tremendous growth in the international authority of the Soviet Union, bolstered by the outstanding achievements of the Red Army, had a significant influence on the course & outcomes of the negotiations.

🤝 The Yalta Conference of the leaders of the USSR, the USA, and the UK held immense historical significance, being one of the key summits of the Second World War. It demonstrated the readiness for cooperation & compromise among the three allied powers in their fight against the common enemy.

❗️ The decisions of the Yalta Conference strengthened the anti-fascist coalition in the final stages of the war & contributed to the victory over Germany. In the post-war years Soviet diplomacy largely focused on Implementing the conference's decisions.

#HistoryOfDiplomacy #WeWereAllies

⚡️ Comment by Russia's MFA Spox Maria Zakharova on the Kiev regime’s terrorist attack on residential areas in Lisichansk

💬 According to the Military Commandant’s Office of the Russian Federation’s Lugansk People’s Republic, on Saturday, February 3, the Kiev regime launched rockets at civilian infrastructure in the city of Lisichansk, destroying a bakery. This is yet another cruel terrorist attack perpetrated by the Ukrainian neo-Nazis.

At the time of the attack, the bakery was filled with dozens of local civilians, as is usual on Saturdays, including elderly people and families with children, who had come to buy bread and food. The Ukrainian army chiefs who ordered the attack were well aware of this and acted deliberately.

The building was completely destroyed. The Russian Emergencies Ministry estimates that there may be up to 40 people trapped under the debris. At least 28 civilians have been confirmed dead, and there are numerous other victims. At present, Emergencies Ministry crews are working to find and rescue survivors and recover bodies from the rubble.

According to preliminary information, the rockets were fired from a Western multiple launch system. This new terrorist attack is the Kiev extremists’ way of expressing “gratitude” to the EU countries for their generous financial support.

❗️ EU citizens must be made aware that their taxes are being used to buy deadly weapons, which the Kiev regime uses to kill innocent civilians. <...>

This incident once again demonstrates the criminal nature of the Kiev regime. According to President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the ringleaders on Bankovaya Street and in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are parts of the same terrorist organisation.

☝️ Russia will inform international organisations about the latest act of terrorism committed by the Zelensky gang. We expect that these international organisations will promptly issue an unequivocal condemnation of Kiev’s new crime.

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#Announcement

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing on current foreign policy issues at approximately 14:00 MSK (11:00 am GMT) on February 7.

Accreditation is open until 11 am on February 6.

🇷🇺🇦🇪📞 President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Presidents discussed further development of friendly bilateral relations, taking into consideration the results of the Russian President’s visit to the United Arab Emirates on December 6, 2023.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing armed confrontation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, they reviewed steps for additional humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip. The Presidents reaffirmed the two countries’ position of principle – Russia and the UAE believe it is necessary to establish a ceasefire as soon as possible and resume the political process with a view to reaching a long-term and fair solution to the Palestinian problem on the known legal basis.

During the exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin thanked the Emirati side for the mediation efforts in facilitating the exchange of detainees. The presidents discussed in detail the terrorist attack by the Kiev regime on the Russian Il-76 aircraft with Ukrainian POWs aboard, carried out on January 24, 2024. Russia’s interest in conducting an international investigation into this crime was emphasised.

It was agreed to continue Russia-UAE contacts at various levels.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN:

🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC briefing on threats to peace and security posed by US strikes against Iraq and Syria (February 5, 2024)

💬 On the night of February 2 to 3, four US Air Force F-16 tactical fighters and two B-1B Lancer supersonic strategic bombers carried out at least 85 "retaliatory strikes" on the territory of sovereign Iraq and Syria.

The massive air strikes by the American Air Force, which killed civilians and military personnel; destroyed and damaged dozens of facilities once again demonstrated to the entire world the aggressive nature of the US’ policy in the Middle East and Washington's complete disregard for the norms of international law.

☝️ The fact that British Royal Air Force took part in the attacks should not mislead anyone into thinking this was some kind of an international coalition. London has yet to answer for its zeal in supporting the purely provocative actions of the "big brother" in Washington.

Much like the current attacks on Yemen, these actions by the Anglo-Saxons pose a direct threat to international peace and security and undermine the world order based on the rule of universal international law and the central role of the UN.

It is clear that the US airstrikes are specifically designed to further inflame the conflict. <...> Obviously, the presence of the US-led international anti-ISIL coalition in the Republic has become a threat to the country's security and stability, as well as an attempt to involve it in regional and international conflicts.

Recent events confirm that the US does not and has never really looked for solutions to the problems in the region. They only want to keep a dominant position in the world at any cost.

❗️ We call on the international community to unequivocally condemn the irresponsible actions of Washington and its allies in the Middle East that violate the sovereignty of Iraq and Syria.

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🎙Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova and the heads of certain Russian regions (Moscow, February 5, 2024)

💬 We have just had a useful conversation at a meeting of the Foreign Ministry Collegium on the preparations for the election of the President of the Russian Federation in our representative offices abroad.

👉 Speaking at today’s meeting of the Foreign Ministry Collegium, Ella Pamfilova described in detail the difficulties that will arise this year, and that will be mounting. They are unprecedented due to the illegitimate sanctions of the Western governments <...>.

👉 The second problem related to the same Russophobic campaign unleashed by Western governments lies in the security of our missions. There have been many attacks at our embassies and consulates general including physical attacks in one form or another.

We are paying heightened attention to the security of our diplomats. When a foreign mission opens its doors to our citizens who want to vote, the risks of a provocation increase enormously. This is why the measures that we have approved today at the Collegium meeting take these risks into account.

☝️ We would like to draw special attention to the development of our relations with Crimea (a Foreign Ministry office has been operating there for 10 years now), as well as with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. In August 2023, we established Foreign Ministry offices in these republics and they are already operating.

Of course, we will open our offices in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. For the time being, their functions will be performed via our office in Simferopol. We will prepare for the opening of full offices soon.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the Business Council meeting

💬 The US-led collective West is persistently trying to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, impede its development and push it to the periphery of international life. <...>

A large package of measures has been applied against us to openly discriminate against Russian economic operators. They are blackmailing our traditional foreign partners and waging a large-scale information campaign to discredit Russia as a trade and investment partner. They are also openly stating their intention to undermine the Russian economy and render it uncompetitive. This is cynical beyond all reason.

At the same time, it is obvious that these anti-Russia activities have not been supported by the overwhelming majority of countries in the Global South, all those countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America that are pursuing an independent foreign policy and are guided primarily by their own national interests.

❗️ The use of neo-colonial practices by the United States and its satellites has significantly eroded trust in US-style globalisation.

The global majority have a growing number of complaints about the effectiveness and impartiality of international financial institutions and cooperation platforms that are controlled by Washington. There is a growing belief that nobody can be safe from the state-sponsored gangsterism of the collective West.

☝️ That is why not only Russia but also many other countries are actively using alternative currencies and payment platform in their foreign trade. We are creating international transport corridors and value chains that are protected from the unfriendly countries’ unscrupulous attempts to hinder the implementation of mutually beneficial projects.

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#Opinion by Maria Zakharova

💬 Lithuania must remove any monument to Holocaust perpetrators from public space, that is to butchers, even if these figures later opposed Soviet rule. You would not believe it, but this statement was made by Kara McDonald, a newly appointed US ambassador to Lithuania, who recently began working in Vilnius.

I would like to find out whether this was Kara McDonald’s personal civic feat or if we can expect similar statements from the US ambassadors in Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine that have also given the official seal to the glorification of Nazi collaborationists.

Importantly, while denouncing the criminals guilty of the Holocaust, the US authorities should not forget to urge themselves to remove monuments to Hitler’s accomplices in the United States.

Will they do anything about the monument to the leader of Lithuanian collaborationists Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, which was unveiled in Lemont, Illinois on May 4, 2019? At that time, protests against it came from the Russian Embassy in the US, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish human rights organisation, and the World Jewish Congress (unfortunately, the Israeli Embassy kept silent).

In conclusion, I would like to cite Kara McDonald’s statement: “I will continue to speak out strongly against the glorification of individuals who are known and documented to have participated in the Holocaust. Such actions can be characterised as part of anti-Semitism.” So, it appears the Americans support the atrocities committed against other ethnicities who became Holocaust victims ⁉️
 
Tomorrow, we will send documents regarding the killing of Soviet people by Nazi Germany to the US Embassy in Vilnius to encourage the courageous attitude of the US Ambassador to start studying the history of World War II. I hope the fact that our countries were allies in the fight against Nazism won’t become a shocking discovery for her.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN:

🎙 Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia's remarks at UNSC briefing with regard to the UAF strike against Lisichansk (February 6, 2024)

💬 Ukrainian fighters have become so brutal and brazen that they commit terrorist attacks almost weekly, shelling civilian infrastructure and killing civilians on Russian territory.

• The actions of the Kiev regime are strikingly cruel and sophisticatedly hateful. The attack on Belgorod, the two strikes on Donetsk, and now a strike on Lisichansk took place on off days and holidays in places of mass gathering of civilians.

• Ukrainian armed forces feel total impunity and permissiveness. What’s more, they feel the unconditional support of Washington, London and Brussels, who do not care about the killings of civilians, broken families and ruined lives.

• In its blind hatred of our country and desire to weaken Russia in any way, the West is ready to pay with other people's lives and compromise universal norms of morality.

• Among recent heinous crimes of the Kiev junta is the terrorist attack of January 24 that downed the Russian military transport aircraft IL-76, which was carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs for an exchange.

• Today we have irrefutable evidence that a Patriot missile system was used in the strike, which leaves no doubt that Washington is a direct accomplice in this crime.

• Evidence of the Ukrainian armed forces' involvement in the IL-76 plane crash is so solid that even the West cannot ignore it.

• We call on the members of the Security Council and the United Nations leadership to strongly condemn the attack on Lisichansk and all other terrorist acts by the Kiev regime. The Bandera junta views your silence as a carte blanche to commit more crimes.

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🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on anti-Serbian moves by the Kosovo authorities

❗️ The position of Serbs in Kosovo is worsening literally every day. Violations of fundamental UN Security Council Resolution 1244 have become gloomy routine. The level of ethnic tensions is rapidly growing.

After the decision to ban the circulation of the Serbian dinar, which deprived the local non-Albanians of the opportunity to receive their pensions, allowances and other payments, the local authorities have taken a new step in eliminating administrative and commercial structures beyond their control, including Serbian postal branches. They are conducting illegal searches, withdrawing documents and cash, detaining employees and fabricating criminal cases.

The criminal regime of Prime Minister Albin Kurti has finally gone into the active phase of anti-Serbian ethnic cleansing: the expelling of Serbians from their ancestral lands. In this way Pristina hopes to avoid the need to fulfil its commitments, primarily, on creating the Community of Serb Municipalities of Kosovo.

By encouraging Albin Kurti and the terror he unleashed, the West is trying to punish Belgrade for its firmness in upholding its national sovereignty, the right to pursue an independent policy and the resolve to preserve friendly relations with Russia and other states outside the Euro-Atlantic orbit. Attempts are being made to compel the Serbians to give up their vital interests, including protection of their compatriots.

☝️ We are seeing this not only in Kosovo but also in Bosnia and Herzegovina where the West is trying to reshape the country in line with a unitary model and put it under its control.

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⚡️ Statement by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the direct responsibility of the collective West countries, which supply weapons to the Kiev regime, for the death of civilians in the Russian Federation

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💬 The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation firmly protests against the collective West countries continuing to supply the Kiev regime with weapons, munitions and military equipment, which are being used to murder civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure in Russia.

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The Ukrainian armed forces conduct these heinous actions with the use of weapons, munitions and military equipment sent to Ukraine, in part, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Czech Republic and several other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union.

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☝️ The Federation Council hereby declares that in continuing to deliver weapons, munitions and military equipment, the countries of the collective West are becoming direct accomplices in the crimes of the Kiev regime, responsible for the death of innocent civilians, including women and children, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and gross violations of international law.

❗️ The Federation Council urges the parliaments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Czech Republic and several other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union to acknowledge the direct responsibility of their countries for the death of innocent civilians in the course of attacks conducted by the Ukrainian armed forces on civilian infrastructure in the Russian Federation and to take urgent measures to stop the supply of weapons, munitions and military equipment to the Kiev regime.

🎙️Из интервью Посла России в Великобритании А.В.Келина телеканалу RTVI (7 февраля 2024 года)

Российско-британские отношения:

Российско-британские отношения переживают кризис, по большинству направлений, стараниями британской стороны, содержательный диалог прекращен или сведен к минимуму.

В нынешней напряженной политической обстановке важно сохранить работоспособность посольств в обеих столицах и поддерживать диалог.

Периодически затрагиваются важные для всех вопросы международной повестки. К примеру, Ближний Восток, космос, климат. В Лондоне едва ли строят иллюзии, что многие мировые проблемы поддаются решению без участия России.

Угрозы разрыва дипотношений или понижения их уровня на данном этапе мы не видим. Хотя это казалось вероятным в момент максимального накала антироссийской истерии после начала СВО.

Россия и Великобритания как постоянные члены СБ ООН несут «особую ответственность» за «поддержание глобального мира, стабильности и безопасности».

➡️ Смотреть интервью

✍️ President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric Font over the tragic death of former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

Having been the head of state twice, Sebastian Pinera did much for the socio-economic development of your country and gained great international prestige. He made a substantial personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Chilean relations.

I had an opportunity to speak personally to that eminent political leader and will always cherish a fond memory of him.

The President of Russia asked his Chilean counterpart to convey words of sympathy and support to the family and friends of the diseased and to all Chileans.