🇷🇺 Comment by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov to «REN TV» on the extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors (with English subnoscripts)

💬 Yesterday's extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors was exactly what could and should have been done

💬 To draw attention to the dangerous situation, to draw attention to violations of the safety principles formulated by the IAEA Director General regarding the Zaporozhskaya NPP and the nuclear sphere in general, to support the fairly tough position of the Director General - this was also necessary. And, in my opinion, it worked

💬 Because even Westerners, who never try to say anything bad about Ukraine, even when it is obvious that it is carrying out unacceptable actions, even they, in fact all of them, said that it is unacceptable to shoot at the nuclear power plant, without calling Ukraine by name. Then, however, they moved on to another topic, to numerous claims addressed to us, i.e. blurred the situation, blurred the focus of the discussion

💬 But, nevertheless, it seems to me that the necessary signal was sent to Kiev and I would like to hope that they will refrain from resuming attacks on the Zaporozhskaya NPP

🎙 Statement by Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC briefing on Western arms deliveries to Ukraine

💬 The Kiev regime started to be pumped full with Western weapons at least 10 years ago. At first, this was done secretly, under the cover of the Minsk Agreements, and the corresponding Western activity was not publicized and was even denied. Now, however, all this has come to the surface and is not even concealed.

• Western elites find it more and more problematic keeping silent about the rampant corruption in Ukraine, the lack of control and accountability of the supplied equipment and ammunition and, consequently, the serious risks of their falling in the hands of terrorists.

• If Ukraine wanted peace, it would have achieved it long ago. Our justified and reasonable demands to our neighbor, which stand at the core of the SMO, are well known, and Ukraine is perfectly able to meet them without compromising its sovereignty and statehood.

• There is no doubt about the direct involvement of Ukraine in this horrendous and ruthless crime [in the Crocus City Hall]. The tracks of those who ordered it, as we can reasonably assert, lead to Kiev.

• The Investigative Committee of Russia has revealed that the money for organizing terrorist attacks on our territory came through commercial companies, including the oil and gas company “Burisma Holdings”, which has been operating in Ukraine and where the well-known Hunter Biden has been Board member since 2014.

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⚡️ Заявление МИД России в связи с атакой по территории Израиля

💬 В ночь на 14 апреля по территории Израиля было запущено большое количество ракет и беспилотников. По заявлению МИД Ирана, данная атака была предпринята в рамках права на самооборону в соответствии со статьёй 51 Устава ООН в ответ на нападения на иранские объекты в регионе, включая удар по зданию консульского отдела Посольства ИРИ в Дамаске 1 апреля, который наша страна решительно осудила.

К сожалению, из-за позиции западных членов СБ ООН не смог адекватно прореагировать на удар по иранской консульской миссии.

Выражаем крайнюю озабоченность в связи с очередной опасной эскалацией в регионе. Неоднократно предупреждали, что неурегулированность многочисленных кризисов на Ближнем Востоке, в первую очередь, в зоне палестино-израильского конфликта, которые зачастую подогреваются безответственными провокационными действиями, будет приводить к росту напряжённости.

Призываем все вовлечённые стороны к сдержанности. Рассчитываем, что региональные государства будут решать имеющиеся проблемы политико-дипломатическими средствами. Считаем важным, чтобы конструктивно настроенные международные игроки этому способствовали.

☝️ Обращаем внимание российских граждан, находящихся в Израиле и соседних странах, в первую очередь, Иордании, Ливане и Сирии, на необходимость следить за сообщениями и практическими рекомендациями, публикуемыми на информационных лентах МИД России, официальных сайтах российских заграничных учреждений в упомянутых странах, Консульского департамента и Департамента Ситуационно-кризисный центр МИД России, в том числе в соответствующем разделе обновлённого ресурса – мобильного приложения «Помощник за рубежом».

⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement in connection with the attack on Israeli territory

💬 In the early hours of April 14, a large number of missiles and drones were launched at the territory of Israel.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, this attack was undertaken as part of the right to self-defence stipulated in Article 51 of the UN Charter in response to the attacks on Iranian targets in the region, including the strike on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on April 1, which our country strongly denounced.

Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission.

We express our extreme concern at yet another dangerous escalation in the region. We have repeatedly warned that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, primarily in the area of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions, will exacerbate tensions.

☝️ We call on all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint. We expect the regional states to resolve the existing problems through political and diplomatic means. We believe it is important for the constructively-minded international players to contribute to this effort.

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🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 On April 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke over the phone.

The Ministers focused on the situation in the Middle East. The Russian side reiterated its strong condemnation of the April 1 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consular office in Damascus.

❗️ It was emphasised that, just like political assassinations, any attacks on diplomatic or consular sites, the inviolability of which is guaranteed by the relevant Vienna conventions, are absolutely unacceptable.

The sides confirmed mutual commitment to maintaining a high level of coordination on international and regional agenda priorities.

They emphasised mutual interest in steadily building up political and diplomatic cooperation, as well as trade and economic interaction in the transport and logistics sphere, among others, including transit traffic.

#Opinion by Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova

Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin: Israel expects Russia to condemn Iran’s large-scale missile attack on the country.

💬 Simona, remind me when was the last time that Israel condemned at least one of Kiev’s attacks on Russian regions? You can’t recall that, can you? Neither can I.

What I do recall are routine statements by Israeli officials in support of Zelensky’s actions. The very same criminal and terrorist actions committed by the thugs from Ukraine’s Presidential Office that have for years been killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure.

t.me/MariaVladimirovnaZakharova/7851

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 On April 14, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the initiative of the Iranian side.

The main topic of discussion centred around the situation in the Middle East. The Iranian Foreign Minister informed his Russian counterpart about the actions taken by Tehran in response to the Israeli airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on April 1, which resulted in the death of Iranian officials.

As noted, any further escalation of the situation in the region and any new dangerous provocative actions could lead to an escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Preventing such scenarios and eliminating their root causes should be a primary concern for the UN Security Council.

The Ministers reaffirmed their support for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, underscoring the urgency of resolving pressing humanitarian problems, and expressed their commitment to establishing lasting conditions for direct negotiations in accordance with the UN resolutions on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding Switzerland losing its neutral status

❓ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “We aren’t counting on Switzerland’s services. Thanks to its neutral status, Switzerland has traditionally been a venue for peace conferences and talks to reach compromises and agreements. But it has lost this status.”

In connection to this, does Russia intend to transfer the International Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus to another country? Which countries could host discussions on the South Caucasus?

💬 We have repeatedly pointed out to the Swiss side that its irresponsible commitment to the collective West’s openly unfriendly policy towards Russia, including the fact that it has joined all the “packages” of EU sanctions against Russia (there are 13 of them to date), as well as its total solidarity with the Kiev regime, are at variance with its much vaunted “neutrality.” <...>

Regrettably, the Swiss authorities have failed to heed our concerns. Moreover, in recent months, they have actively promoted certain destructive initiatives, such as their own proposal to host an “international conference” on Ukraine, an idea that is completely detached from reality, as well as their efforts to develop a legal framework for a mechanism that would allow for the confiscation of Russia’s state assets deposited in their country.

Given these circumstances, Russia has been forced to put into practice its intention to transfer the International Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus to a country whose authorities would refrain from any actions that could damage the interests of any participating party in this negotiation format <...>

The only thing worth noting is that Russia intends to continue its efforts to achieve consensus on transferring the talks from Geneva with active support from our Abkhazian and South Ossetian allies, who fully share Moscow’s perspective on this matter.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s response regarding the Russian Investigative Committee opening a criminal case on terrorism financing

❓ How would you comment on the news that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case on the financing of terrorism?

💬 According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, a criminal case has been opened under Part 4 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of terrorism). It has been determined that over several years, resources for terrorist activities in Russia and abroad were provided through commercial entities, including Burisma Holdings, a prominent oil and gas company that operates extensively in Ukraine.

The situation is completely unacceptable. We are dealing with the transfer of millions of dollars to terrorists in order to eliminate unwanted political and public figures, as well as to inflict economic harm. Law enforcement agencies are investigating the involvement of certain government officials, public figures, and commercial entities in Western countries in this illegal activity. An investigation is currently underway, and for further details, you should contact the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation directly.

As for political assessments, we have provided them on numerous occasions. The Kiev regime and its Western backers, especially Washington, have been funding terrorist operations for years. The initiation of a criminal case in Russia under the pertinent article of the Criminal Code only confirms that Russian law enforcement agencies have substantial grounds to charge individuals involved in terrorism.

🇷🇺 Report by «Channel One» on the situation around the Zaporozhskaya NPP with comment by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov (with English subnoscripts)

💬 As I understand it, the IAEA has certain concerns. Ukraine is like a sacred cow for the West, such an atmosphere has been created. They say she is a victim of Russian aggression. There is no need to say anything bad about her

💬 In fact, I said this yesterday at the meeting, if they are afraid to publicly call Ukraine to order, then they should do it through bilateral channels. After all, Ukrainians listen to them

In advance of the 79th anniversary of the Great Victory, Denis Moskalenko, Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh laid a wreath at the monument to the Soviet and British participants of the Arctic Convoys of 1941-1945 in Lyness (Hoy Island, Orkney Islands). Here, at the naval base in Scapa Flow, the Convoys heading to the Soviet Union were formed.

📅 On April 16, 1945, the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation was launched. It led to the final rout of the main German Nazi forces, the seizure of Berlin and the linking up with the troops of the Western allies. Over 3.5 million people took part in this large battle for the future of Europe.

The main Soviet forces were those of the 2nd Byelorussian Front under the command of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, the 1st Byelorussian Front under the command of Marshall Georgy Zhukov and the First Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshall Ivan Konev. The Dnieper Military Flotilla, part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet and the 1st and 2nd Armies of the Polish Armed Forces were also involved in the hostilities.

The operation started with a night attack during which 143 searchlights were used to blind the enemy. Soviet attack forces quickly broke through the first line of enemy defences but later on, the troops of the 1st Byelorussian Front under Marshal Zhukov were faced with strong resistance on the Seelow Heights.

After fierce fighting on the approaches to the city on April 25, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front and the 1st Byelorussian Front linked up to the west of the Third Reich capital, having completed the encirclement of the German group. The fighting for Reichstag began on April 29.

By the late hours of May 5, the enemy resistance was finally suppressed and 134,000 German soldiers and officers surrendered. On the night of May 9, Marshal Zhukov together with representatives of the British, American and French commands accepted unconditional surrender of German troops in Karlshorst. The war in Europe was over.

☝️ During the Berlin operation, Soviet troops not only surrounded and defeated one of the Wehrmacht’s largest groups but also liberated about 200,000 prisoners of Nazi camps in the zone of hostilities. Over 600 participants in the operation were awarded with the noscript of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

#Victory79

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 Russia's President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi.

The Presidents discussed in detail the situation in the Middle East, escalated by Israel’s air strike at the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus and Iran’s retaliation measures.

☝️ President Putin expressed hope that all sides will exercise sensible restraint and will not allow a new round of confrontation that may be fraught with disastrous consequences for the entire region.

In turn, Ebrahim Raisi noted that Iran’s actions had been forced and limited. At the same time, he emphasised that Tehran is not interested in further escalation of tensions.

Both leaders stated that the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict was the root cause of the current developments in the Middle East. The presidents confirmed Russia and Iran’s principled stance in favour of immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, alleviation of the grievous humanitarian situation and creation of conditions for a political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis.

🤝 During the exchange of views on the current issues of Russia-Iran relations, both leaders expressed their mutual intention to promote steady bilateral cooperation across different areas, including the implementation of mutually beneficial infrastructure projects.

President Putin congratulated Ebrahim Raisi and all Muslims of Iran on the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the recently celebrated Eid al-Fitr.

#RussiaIran

❗️ On this day nine years ago, Ukrainian writer and opposition journalist Oles Buzina was assassinated in front of his home in Kiev.

He became one of the many victims of the Kiev criminal regime because he posed a threat to it – he publicly criticised and exposed the true nature of the neo-Nazi forces that had gained power as a result of the bloody coup d'état in Ukraine.

Buzina urged the then Ukrainian leadership to establish a dialogue with the inhabitants of Donbass and spoke about the need to consolidate the rights of the Russian language, which seriously irritated the post-coup officials in Kiev. He also received threats from Ukrainian radicals because his interpretation of Ukraine's historical path did not coincide with the nationalist ideology.

☝️ Such an active and firm civil position of Oles Buzina cost him his life.

A few days before his death, the journalist's personal data, including his home address, appeared on the Myrotrvorets (Peacemaker) extremist website, which contains personal information about all public figures undesirable to the Kiev regime. <...>

Despite the fact that condemnation of the murder, condolences to the victim's family and demands for a comprehensive investigation were voiced by the UN Secretary General, OSCE and US State Department officials and many civil society organisations, the perpetrators of his murder were never identified and the suspects were released.

After almost a decade, it is clear that the situation with freedom of speech in Ukraine has degraded to a critical level.

All media outlets in opposition to the Kiev regime are banned, and any manifestations of dissent are brutally suppressed and erased from the information space. Unwanted journalists, primarily Russian ones, are being hunted down with all possible weapons. <...>

❌ Terrorist methods are being used to implement these criminal plans, while Ukraine's Western handlers and biased human rights organisations continue to turn a blind eye to these evil deeds.

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Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova:

💬 When asked at today’s briefing if Antonio Guterres thinks that the UN should know who is responsible for the strikes at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujjaric said they do not have a forensic capability of reporting on these strikes, nor does the IAEA. Nor do we have an investigative mandate, he added.

What about his conclusions on Bucha two years ago?

At the briefing on April 7, 2022,Stephane Dujjaric said they wanted to see a transparent investigation. He said there are various mechanisms within the UN system to ensure accountability for what could be very serious crimes. Those mechanisms are currently underway, he added.

So, are these mechanisms underway or is the mandate missing?

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks during a meeting of the United Russia General Council’s Commission on International Cooperation and Support for Compatriots Abroad

📍 Moscow, April 16, 2024

#Election2024

• The high interest in voting [during the 2024 Presidential election] was overwhelming, which was confirmed by high turnout as well as the large number of journalists, public figures and representatives from compatriot organisations who observed the elections.

• The electoral process took place amid the hybrid war against Russia unleashed by the collective West. <...> Nevertheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry and its foreign missions have coped with the task. Hundreds of thousands of Russians got the chance to exercise their constitutional right.

#BRICS

• The action plan [of Russia’s current BRICS chairmanship] envisages active work in three main areas, including politics and security, the economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian contacts. <...> The key priority now is to ensure the new members’ harmonious integration into the strategic partnership architecture and to preserve the effective operation of all existing BRICS mechanisms.

• In addition to working on the partner states category, the BRICS members are going to deepen dialogue with friendly countries in the BRICS Plus/BRICS Outreach format. They are planning to involve our associates in the EAEU, CIS, CSTO and the SCO by using this format.

• We are interested in enhancing the role of the BRICS states in the currency, financial and trade systems, developing interbank cooperation, expanding the use of their national currencies in mutual trade and pooling efforts in creating a rating agency and the association’s exchange.

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🎙 Statement by Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

🔸 For seven months now, the Middle East has been engulfed in a violent conflict that has already claimed the lives of more than 34,000 civilians in Gaza. The escalation is spiraling daily, spreading to other countries of the region, for whom the threat of a full-scale armed confrontation has started to loom for the first time in decades.

🔸 It took Washington six months to finally realize that it had lost all leverage over Israel and ended up in a situation where "the tail was wagging the dog" - when Tel Aviv was actually dictating its terms, demanding unconditional American support for any of its reckless decisions.

🔸 Israel's cleansing of Gaza has already set a historic anti-record for the death toll of UN humanitarian personnel - more than 240 people have been killed. <...> Israeli military has been hitting humanitarian convoys, blocking access, slowing down the passage of supplies. Western countries criticize them fiercely only if such actions kill Western citizens.

🔸 The disdainful attitude of the West towards certain states and their rights, dividing the world into friends, who stand above the law, and foes, whose legitimate interests can be ignored, has brought the Middle East to the brink of a major war.

🔸 The international community has failed (because of the position of one State, which has blocked all our efforts) to protect the Palestinians from the Israeli slaughter. Nor has it been able to alleviate their humanitarian suffering. Nor has it been able to stop the spiral of violence.

🔸 We are convinced that recognizing the status of Palestine as equal to Israel will contribute to a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the well-known international legal framework approved at the United Nations and reinforced by the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.

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🗓 On April 19, 1783, Empress Catherine the Great signed a manifesto on the accession of Crimea, Taman Island and Kuban region into the Russian Empire.

Prince Grigory Potemkin, Governor-General of Novorossiya, played one of the key roles in the accession and development of Crimea. In June 1783, on top of Mount Aq Qaya, he personally received the oath of allegiance to Russia from the Crimean nobility and common people.

The results of the 2014 all-Crimean referendum once again confirmed the desire of Crimeans to remain part of our country and led to the long-awaited reunification of Crimea with Russia.

#CrimeaIsRussia

🎥 © Russian Military Historical Society / Commemorative Dates

🎙 Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov's interview with TV BRICS (April 18, 2024)

Key talking points:

• [When several new members joined BRICS] it was unclear how the adjustment process would go and what would come out of it. After [four months of Russia's Chairship] our cooperation has gained momentum and we are moving forward towards success at an increasing pace.

• During the BRICS Chairship, Russia will continue its work in three key areas: politics and security, economy and finance, humanitarian cooperation. <...> I am glad that all the members of the association collaborate in a friendly manner, striving for best results.

• The Leaders [of the BRICS countries] have taken a decision that made the Group unequivocally stronger. The association asserted itself as <...> a key link in the emerging multipolar world.

• We assume that each of the new members will bring something new <...> to the group. The rich history and cultural traditions of the newcomers speak for themselves. It enriches BRICS.

• Our "group of ten" is beginning to demonstrate solidarity at international platforms. The BRICS countries recently adopted a joint statement at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi. The members of the association are asserting themselves in a constructive manner on the broadest possible agenda.

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🎙 Explanation of vote by Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia after UNSC vote on a draft resolution on admission of Palestine to full UN membership

💬 This day could have made history as the day when after three quarters of a century the global community finally made the right step towards improving the years-long historical injustice as regards Palestine and legitimate aspirations of its heroic people.

It was essentially a simple question whether the Palestinians deserve to be part of the world family and to participate fully in all decisions of international life. A question to which we have consistently responded “yes”, both when we admitted Israel to the United Nations and when we admitted dozens of states liberated from colonial oppression.

❌ However, our American colleagues see things differently. By exercising their veto power for the fifth time since the beginning of the escalation in Gaza, they have once again demonstrated their true attitude towards the Palestinians. For Washington, they do not deserve an independent state of their own.

They are only an obstacle to the implementation of Israel's interests. That is why the US is ready to turn a blind eye to Israel's crimes against the civilians of Gaza to the last, to ignore the illegal settlement activity of Israel in the West Bank.

The goal is to break the will of the Palestinians, to force them to unconditionally submit to the occupying power, to turn them into servants and second-class citizens and, perhaps, to expel them from their homeland. <...>

Indulging in the most reckless actions of its ally, unwillingness to seek just solutions within the existing international legal framework is a direct way to the abyss of war that could engulf the entire region. <...>

❗️ We call on the US to listen to the voice of reason, think about the consequences of its decisions, and urgently join the efforts of the other members of the Security Council to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

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📸 Dmitry Polyanskiy

✍️ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the BRICS Film Festival

💬 Films represent the entire range of civilisations and societies in the association. This diversity keeps in the spirit of #BRICS: an open multilateral organisation, where equal member states are seeking effective solutions to today’s topical problems and national development together.

Your Film Festival serves as a great illustration of constructive dialogue and mutual enrichment of cultures. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this undertaking in today’s conditions. I am confident that it will succeed and become an unforgettable event in the life of Moscow, and also reimage the cultural component of Russia’s chairship in BRICS.

🤝 I wish you successful work together, great and unforgettable impressions, and all the best.