🎙 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova's comment on the fourth anniversary of the launch of the special military operation

💬 On 24 February 2022, four years ago, the Russian Armed Forces launched the special military operation, acting pursuant to a decision by President Vladimir Putin. It aims to eliminate threats emanating from territories controlled by the Kiev regime [...]

This forced step came after eight long years, during which our country sought to facilitate a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbass, which arose as a result of an armed coup d'état orchestrated, financed and organised by the West in February 2014 [...]

Russia reached out to Washington and Brussels to warn against encouraging Kiev's aspirations to join NATO, against flooding Ukraine with weapons, and against fostering its militaristic, Nazi and Russophobic sentiments.

Russia's proposals for legally binding security guarantees, including a commitment not to expand NATO eastwards, were ignored.

Among other things, the special military operation has exposed the West's plans to impose a so-called rules-based international order on the international community, the sole purpose of which is to ensure and maintain Western hegemony. The legitimate security interests of Russia and its allies have prevented this from happening. Today, many, including in the West, recognise the flawed and unrealistic nature of this geopolitical project [...]

All objectives of the special military operation will be achieved.

❗️ A lasting, just and sustainable peace can only be achieved by eliminating the root causes of the conflict. The current efforts of our diplomacy are precisely directed towards this task.

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❌ К четвёртой годовщине начала специальной военной операции Лондон объявил об очередном «самом масштабном» пакете санкций против России.

Удар направлен против трубопроводной инфраструктуры, атомной отрасли, СПГ-сектора и нефтетрейдеров. Отмечаем, что нападки на российские нефтегазовые компании ведут к дестабилизации мировых энергетических рынков, и в конечном счёте бьют по местному бизнесу и кошелькам рядовых британцев. А тот факт, что под рестрикции попадают и многие структуры третьих стран, вредит энергобезопасности государств Глобального Юга.

Такая попытка торгово-экономического диктата не может привести к какому бы то ни было позитивному результату, в том числе и потому, что сама Британия уже давно не экономическая сверхдержава и не «мастерская мира». Мир вполне может обойтись и без услуг Лондона.

Между тем все обещания об экономическом коллапсе России, повторяемые вот уже четыре года подряд, всё очевиднее расходятся с реальностью. Российская экономика адаптировалась, пока шаткая санкционная башня из слоновой кости год от года становилась всё более громоздкой и бессмысленной.

Британский истеблишмент инвестировал слишком много политического капитала в киевский режим, а также бюджетных средств – в свой военно-промышленный комплекс. И теперь не может остановиться.

Соединённое Королевство по-прежнему не имеет намерений признавать свою роль и ответственность за первопричины украинского кризиса и формирование реалий, обусловивших начало СВО. Подробный анализ этих обстоятельств изложен в сегодняшнем комментарии МИД России.

⚡️ Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on the reports of the UK and France’s intention to assist Ukraine in acquiring nuclear weapons (February 24, 2026)

🔉Audio statement by Maria Zakharova (in Russian)

💬 Maria Zakharova: On February 24, the press bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (aka the SVR) issued an urgent statement reporting that, having realized the absence of any chance of defeating Russia at the hands of the Kiev regime “on the battlefield,” the British and French authorities have deemed it possible to assist Ukraine in acquiring a “powerful argument” so that Kiev could claim more favourable terms for ending hostilities.

According to the SVR, this concerns at a minimum a so-called “dirty bomb”, while the option of providing a full-fledged nuclear weapon, including means of delivery, is also being seriously considered.

London and Paris are already actively working on resolving the relevant issues, including the covert transfer to Ukraine of European components, equipment and technologies. Efforts are also focused on ensuring that the emergence of such weapons in Kiev would appear to be the result of Ukraine’s own development.

❗️ For all those involved in such reckless actions – and for the international community as a whole – it should be obvious that even raising the issue in such terms constitutes a categorically unacceptable and acutely escalatory step, fraught with the risk of undermining the international legal regime of nuclear non-proliferation.

Ukraine, which acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear-weapon state, undertook an obligation not to acquire nuclear weapons. The UK and France, as nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty, undertook a commitment not to transfer nuclear weapons to anyone, and in no way to assist, encourage or induce any non-nuclear-weapon state to manufacture or acquire them.

Reports of these plans fall into an already “primed soil”. There is ample evidence of Kiev’s nuclear ambitions. One should recall Zelensky’s statement at the 2022 Munich Security Conference regarding the possibility of revising Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, as well as his subsequent equally provocative remarks on this issue.

There have also been numerous speculations by Ukrainian deputies and officials of various ranks about the “return” of nuclear weapons to Ukraine – allegedly imprudently relinquished upon joining the NPT – or about the deployment of US nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory.

👉 Russia’s position on this matter is unwavering and unequivocal: we have repeatedly stated that any attempts to revise Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, as well as any effort by the deeply hostile Kiev regime to acquire nuclear weapons, are unacceptable.

☝️ Any steps aimed at assisting Kiev in obtaining a military nuclear capability will be regarded by us as an attempt to create a direct and critical threat to the security of our country and will inevitably be met with a firm response.

In the context of anti-Russian statements and actions by the leadership of a number of European states, which continue to fuel the Western-provoked confrontation linked to the Ukrainian crisis, we once again warn of the risks of a direct military clash between nuclear powers – and of its potentially gravest consequences.

London and Paris are pursuing these dangerous plans virtually on the eve of the NPT Review Conference scheduled for April 2026. We are convinced that the States Parties must give their most serious attention to this egregious issue, as it directly concerns the functioning of the Treaty regime and the preservation of its integrity.

We have promptly initiated active engagement on this issue at relevant multilateral platforms to urge their participants and the leadership of the respective international organizations to restrain the British and French authorities, who have been carried away by anti-Russian zeal.

❗️ The consequences of this reckless course threaten not only Russia’s security.

❌ On the fourth anniversary of the launch of the special military operation, London has announced yet another "biggest" sanctions package against Russia.

The new sanctions strike targets pipeline infrastructure, the nuclear sector, the LNG industry, and oil traders. Such actions against Russian oil and gas companies lead to destabilisation of global energy markets and ultimately harm British businesses and the wallets of ordinary UK citizens. The extension of restrictive measures to entities of third countries undermines the energy security of states in the Global South.

Attempts to impose trade and economic dictates cannot produce any positive outcome, not least because the United Kingdom has long since ceased to be an economic superpower or the "workshop of the world". The modern global economy is not dependent on London’s intermediary services.

Meanwhile, for four years running, repeated claims of Russia's impending economic collapse have become increasingly detached from reality. The Russian economy has demonstrated its capacity to adapt, while the West's shaky ivory tower of sanctions has grown ever more cumbersome and ineffective.

The British establishment has invested substantial political capital in the Kiev regime, as well as considerable budgetary resources in its own military-industrial complex, which largely explains its inability to abandon its confrontational course.

The United Kingdom continues to refuse to acknowledge its role and responsibility for the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and for shaping the circumstances that led to the launch of the special military operation. A detailed analysis is set out in the commentary of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

📺 Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with LBC presenter Andrew Marr (25 February 2026)

❓ Zelensky has said that, four years into this conflict, we are now heading towards the first stages of World War III. Do you think he is right?

💬 Ambassador Kelin: There are plenty of reasonable people in the world, including in Europe, who will impede development in this area. But, of course, it unanswered, anything could happen. At this point, I must point out the danger of transferring nuclear weapons, because some people involved in the Ukrainian crisis are looking for a game changer, which is very dangerous.

Yesterday, we made an important statement that London and Paris were probably considering the possibility of transferring nuclear weapons components, technologies or equipment to Ukraine in order to reinforce their negotiating position [...]

Zelensky has said that Ukraine will either join NATO or possess nuclear weapons. This is a very dangerous statement, which is why we are speaking out now. We have certain information about that.

Ukraine may be an independent and sovereign state if it is friendly towards Russia, but not if it is an opponent, an adversarial state, or a weapon of Western countries against Russia.

Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin's address at the Plenary Session of the Future Technologies Forum (February 25, 2026, Moscow)

💬 Vladimir Putin: The bioeconomy is far more than a field of scientific knowledge. With their bold ideas, scientists and engineers are already shaping a new reality and a new industrial paradigm – applying advances in biology and genetics to improve people’s lives and preserve our planet and its fragile ecosystem.

We in Russia take pride in the major scientific contribution made by the discoveries, philosophical and scientific teachings of Vladimir Vernadsky, Ilya Mechnikov, Kliment Timiryazev, Nikolai Koltsov, Nikolai Vavilov, Vladimir Engelhardt and other outstanding Russian scholars, including our contemporaries.

We will continue to expand our capabilities and move forward. Biotechnology – reinforced by the power of computing systems and artificial intelligence – is developing at an unprecedented pace. It helps address the key challenges of our time: climate change, food shortages and the depletion of renewable resources, and can serve projects both on Earth and in space.

❗️ I have repeatedly stressed: equal access to the technologies of the future – not privileges for the “chosen few” – is an indispensable condition for the fair development of our civilisation.

That is why, within #BRICS and other associations, as well as through bilateral cooperation, we are ready to implement joint scientific, educational and investment programmes in biotechnology for the benefit of all humanity.

<…>

At the Forum, we traditionally discuss areas and developments that shape the future of humankind. Advances in biology, genetics and other life sciences are rightly called the technologies of the 21st century. Together with the IT industry and artificial intelligence, they are transforming the economy and society, creating new opportunities for millions of people.

Digital platforms already support scientists in implementing research projects, connect a craftsman or entrepreneur from a small town with a customer in a megacity, enable residents to participate in managing their building, settlement or entire region, and analyse medical studies in record time, helping doctors save lives. These are just some of the areas within the evolving platform economy.

🇷🇺 In this sphere, Russia is creating world-class solutions. We stand ready to share our experience and expertise in the interests of all humanity.

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🎙 Highlights from Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with LBC (25 February 2026)

• European countries stand for the prolongation of the Ukraine conflict. Yesterday, there were many belligerent comments [from European politicians], such as that the Ukrainian army is very strong and still capable of fighting Russia, and that the Russian economy is in ruins. This is a kind of self-induced hypnosis.

• We must address the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine should not join NATO, and we must eliminate all discrimination against the Russian population there.

• Everyone understands that Ukraine is steadily losing. It is losing economically and in terms of its industrial and human potential, due to the exodus of Ukrainians from the country and losses on the front.

• The Ukraine conflict has escalated due to Western European involvement. They are supplying weapons, money, economic assistance and political support [...] But we can see that this support is running out and will come to an end sooner or later.

• Americans really do understand the situation [with regard to the Ukraine crisis] and know what should be done. We are acting [alongside the US] now on the basis of the understandings reached in Anchorage, Alaska.

Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel

🎙 Интервью Посла России в Великобритании Андрея Келина в программе «60 минут» на телеканале «Россия-1» (27 февраля 2026 года)

Основные тезисы:

🔸 Будем внимательно следить за любыми признаками появления ядерного оружия на Украине и особенно за «содействием», которое могут оказать британцы <...> Требуем, чтобы англичане не только отказались [от намерений передать ядерные технологии Киеву], если такие планы у них имеются, но и внимательно следили за тем, чтобы ни в коем случае такое [не произошло].

🔸 Если силы [«коалиции желающих»] появятся на Украине, то для нас они будут законной целью <...> Без согласия Российской Федерации развёртывание таких сил невозможно <...> Категорически отвергаем эту опцию.

🔸 У европейцев нет намерения вести дело к политико-дипломатическому урегулированию [украинского кризиса]. Их главная задача состоит в том, чтобы ослабить Россию. Лондон и его союзники создают иллюзию готовности участвовать в переговорах. На самом деле они добиваются этого исключительно для того, чтобы затруднить переговоры и затормозить их.

🔸 Наши разногласия с Европой в последние годы очень серьёзные. Европейцы поступили совершенно иррационально, загнав в тупик дипломатические отношения [с Россией]. Восстанавливать их придётся медленно — для этого должны быть созданы благоприятные к взаимодействию условия. Сейчас их нет по вине Лондона [и Брюсселя].

🔸 Мы готовы зафиксировать гарантии безопасности для всех стран по окончании [украинского] конфликта в том документе, который будет принят по итогам переговоров.

🔸 Брать Украину в ЕС, тем более ускоренным путём, — это нарушение всех правил Евросоюза.

Смотрите интервью на YouTube-канале Посольства

❗️ Russian MFA statement on the United States' and Israel's military aggression against Iran

❌ Washington and Tel Aviv have once again embarked on a perilous course that is swiftly pushing the region towards a humanitarian, economic and potentially radiological disaster.

The intentions of the aggressors are clear and have been openly stated: to dismantle the constitutional order and remove the leadership of a state that they deem undesirable because it has refused to yield to force and hegemonic pressure. They are entirely responsible for the impact of this man-made crisis, including the unpredictable chain reaction and spiral of escalating violence.

The grave consequences of these reckless steps for the global non-proliferation regime — with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as its cornerstone — are being openly disregarded. At the same time, the US–Israeli tandem is attempting to shield itself behind a purported concern over preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The bombing of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards is unacceptable. In reality, Washington and Tel Aviv are driven by motives that have nothing to do with the non-proliferation regime. They cannot fail to understand that by plunging the Middle East into the abyss of uncontrolled escalation, they are in effect encouraging countries around the world — above all in the region — to acquire increasingly serious means to counter emerging threats [...]

We demand an immediate return to a political and diplomatic settlement. As before, Russia stands ready to facilitate the search for peaceful solutions based on international law, mutual respect and balance of interests.

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🎙 Excerpt from Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova's weekly briefing on topical foreign policy issues (26 February 2026)

💬 Russophobia and a persistent drive to undermine the Russian statehood remain embedded in the UK's foreign policy approach.

The British political establishment has initiated a sanctions war against Russia. Although this was never formally declared, this is precisely why it is hybrid in nature.

The authorities have urged their own citizens to remain patient in the name of defending "freedom and democracy" in Europe. At the same time, the fact that these measures inflict significant costs on the United Kingdom itself – and that the country faces numerous domestic difficulties – has not prompted a reassessment [...]

The continued denial in London of the evident harm caused by the sanctions measures being implemented reflects a certain level of inconsistency and double standards within the British political elites.

☝️ The stated goal of weakening the Russian economy, advocated by British Russophobes, is unlikely to be achieved.

Each new round of restrictive measures increasingly appears to reflect a sense of frustration in London. So far, it has been reluctant to admit that its approach may have been misguided and overly short-sighted, based on incorrect assumptions.

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