Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
Starting from 1940, there was the resistance movement operating in Poland against the Nazis — 'Armia Krajowa' (included the supporters of Jozef Pilsudski, whose tactics eventually resulted in Poland's losing its sovereignty), and 'Armia Ludowa', which later together with the 1st Polish Army formed 'Wojsko Polskie' — the Polish Army. It represented broader working class people in Poland as a whole, in contrast to 'Armia Krajowa' militants and bandits, who were subordinate to the so-called 'Polish Government in Exile' in London and were responsible for numerous barbaric crimes against civilians.
On August 1, 1944, 'Armia Krajowa' (AK) initiated an uprising in Warsaw as part of the so-called 'Operation Storm' or 'Burza' against the Nazi occupants. The AK's principal aim was to liberate Poland and, most importantly, independently of the advancing Soviet forces. The uprising was poorly prepared and ultimately was doomed to defeat.
At the very moment the order to start the uprising was issued, the Nazi troops launched a counter-offensive against the Red Army. As a result, the Red Army’s attempts to immediately cross the Vistula River were unsuccessful.
***
The launch of the Soviet offensive in the Vistula–Oder direction was initially scheduled for January 20, 1945. However, on January 6, after the Allies suffered a major losses in the Ardennes and had to ask Moscow for help, Winston Churchill appealed to Joseph Stalin for assistance and requested the Soviet leadership to launch the offensive toward the Vistula river as soon as possible. The Soviet leadership responded to the Allies' request and commanded the start of the operation on January 12.
Poland was regarded by Hitler’s command, not without reason, as the Reich’s principal external defensive line. The Nazi leaders understood that any Wehrmacht's retreat westwards would open a direct path for the Red Army to Berlin. Thus, the Germans were determined to hold their positions at any costs and prepared to mount the fiercest resistance.
The enemy had concentrated in Poland formidable forces — around 30 divisions of 560'000 soldiers and officers, supported by 5'000 artillery weapons, 1'220 tanks and other armoured vehicles. Between the Vistula and the Oder, the Nazis constructed seven defensive lines, arranged in depth over a span of 300 to 500 kilometres.
Warsaw became the primary objective of the Red Army' offensive. By January 14, the Soviet forces had already approached the Polish capital. According to the Soviet military command directives, that were the units of the Polish Army that were suggested to be the first to enter the city — Polish patriots, our comrades, and brothers-in-arms of Soviet soldiers who fought side-by-side with the Red Army to liberate their Homeland and later advanced on Berlin, forging our common Victory over Nazism together.
On January 16, Soviet units, advanced rapidly to Warsaw from the north, crossed the Vistula River and tied down the German garrison inside the city. The enemy was encircled from all directions: the 2nd Guards Tank Army pinned down the Nazis to the west, while units of the Polish Army severed lines of communication from the south. With all retreat routes cut off, the Germans, recognising the further resistance was hopeless and pointless, started surrendering en masse.
On January 17, the city was fully liberated.
The success of the Warsaw operation enabled the Red Army to substantially advance towards Berlin and to liberate a large part of Polish territory. Escaping, with the help of the Soviet soldiers-liberators, the Nazi enslavement, the Polish people regained their freedom.
🎖 #WeRemember: Overall, more than 600'000 Red Army soldiers and officers perished fighting for the liberation of Poland from Nazi occupation.
By early February 1945, the 1st Belorussian Front had reached the Oder River. Preparations for the final battle of #WW2 were underway — the road to Berlin was open.
#Victory81
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🔴 #LIVE: News conference of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025
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#Outcomes2025
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: We are witnessing tectonic shifts affecting the entire global order.
It is telling that the West, which over the past decade actively sought to oppose international law in its original, principled interpretation with its own concept of a so-called “rules-based world order”, has now largely dropped this term from its vocabulary.
All Western European countries are currently trying to make sense of what is happening in the world in the context of the course announced and pursued by the US President, a course that formally fits into the “rules-based order”. The difference is that these “rules” are no longer written by the “collective West”, but by its single representative. For Europe, this has come as a profound shock. We are observing the situation closely.
👉 It is clear that the developments we are witnessing, as well as the actions announced by President Trump on the international stage, reflect an intensifying competitive struggle.
We have repeatedly spoken about recent trends in global economic development. China, operating within the very rules that the West – led by the US – laid down as the foundation of the globalization model promoted worldwide until recently, has outperformed its Western competitors in trade, the economy, investment and infrastructure projects. China's economic and financial indicators speak for themselves.
We see attempts to counter this situation through sanctions, tariffs and duties. The US seeks to negotiate, yet this is happening in the absence of any common criteria that until recently underpinned the work of the #IMF, the #WorldBank and the #WTO. All those rules on which a Western-friendly world order was supposed to be based have effectively been cast aside.
⚔️ What is unfolding is a game of “might makes right”. We are all witnessing this.
We can discuss how conceptual approaches to world order are changing and how concrete processes are developing in the course of an interactive dialogue. However, the consequences of this line are felt not only by countries of the Global South and East – crisis tendencies are also accumulating within Western societies themselves.
Greenland is a clear example. It is on everyone’s lips, and the debates unfolding around it would have been difficult to imagine not so long ago – including discussions about the prospects for NATO’s continued existence as a unified Western military-political bloc.
As for Greenland, our position is simple: if Western countries choose to deal with one another “by mob rules”, that is their choice and their right.
🇷🇺 For our part, Russia will conduct relations with all our partners – both from the Global Majority and from among Western countries – who are genuinely interested in engaging with Russia and discussing concrete, mutually beneficial projects ☝️ on the basis of equality.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: We are witnessing tectonic shifts affecting the entire global order.
It is telling that the West, which over the past decade actively sought to oppose international law in its original, principled interpretation with its own concept of a so-called “rules-based world order”, has now largely dropped this term from its vocabulary.
All Western European countries are currently trying to make sense of what is happening in the world in the context of the course announced and pursued by the US President, a course that formally fits into the “rules-based order”. The difference is that these “rules” are no longer written by the “collective West”, but by its single representative. For Europe, this has come as a profound shock. We are observing the situation closely.
👉 It is clear that the developments we are witnessing, as well as the actions announced by President Trump on the international stage, reflect an intensifying competitive struggle.
We have repeatedly spoken about recent trends in global economic development. China, operating within the very rules that the West – led by the US – laid down as the foundation of the globalization model promoted worldwide until recently, has outperformed its Western competitors in trade, the economy, investment and infrastructure projects. China's economic and financial indicators speak for themselves.
We see attempts to counter this situation through sanctions, tariffs and duties. The US seeks to negotiate, yet this is happening in the absence of any common criteria that until recently underpinned the work of the #IMF, the #WorldBank and the #WTO. All those rules on which a Western-friendly world order was supposed to be based have effectively been cast aside.
⚔️ What is unfolding is a game of “might makes right”. We are all witnessing this.
We can discuss how conceptual approaches to world order are changing and how concrete processes are developing in the course of an interactive dialogue. However, the consequences of this line are felt not only by countries of the Global South and East – crisis tendencies are also accumulating within Western societies themselves.
Greenland is a clear example. It is on everyone’s lips, and the debates unfolding around it would have been difficult to imagine not so long ago – including discussions about the prospects for NATO’s continued existence as a unified Western military-political bloc.
As for Greenland, our position is simple: if Western countries choose to deal with one another “by mob rules”, that is their choice and their right.
🇷🇺 For our part, Russia will conduct relations with all our partners – both from the Global Majority and from among Western countries – who are genuinely interested in engaging with Russia and discussing concrete, mutually beneficial projects ☝️ on the basis of equality.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (January 21, 2026)
💬 Vladimir Putin: As far as the US “Peace Council” initiative is concerned, we have indeed received a personal message from President Trump inviting us to join a new international structure being established on his initiative.
In this regard, I would like first of all to thank the US President for this proposal.
We have always supported and continue to support any efforts aimed at strengthening international stability.
We also note the contribution of the current US Administration to efforts to find solutions for settling the Ukrainian crisis.
As for our participation in the “Peace Council”, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to review the documents received, consult our strategic partners on this matter, and only after that will we be able to provide a response to the invitation conveyed to us.
The proposal made to us primarily concerns settlement in the Middle East and the search for possible ways to address the urgent problems facing the Palestinian people and to resolve the acute humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
In this context, I would like to stress the main point. The key issue is that the entire process should contribute to a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the relevant UN decisions.
Even before we decide on the issue of our participation in the composition and work of the “Peace Council”, taking into account Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people, we could, I believe, allocate 1 billion US dollars to the “Peace Council” from Russian assets that were frozen under the previous US Administration.
By the way, the remaining funds from our assets frozen in the US could also be used for the restoration of territories affected by hostilities after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. This possibility is also being discussed with representatives of the US Administration.
☝️ I plan to discuss all these issues with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also arriving in Moscow on January 22 to continue the dialogue on Ukrainian settlement.
***
❌ What is happening with Greenland does not concern us at all.
However, we do have experience in resolving similar issues with the US. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. If my memory serves me right, the area of Alaska is about 1 million 717 thousand square kilometres, slightly more. The US bought Alaska from us for 7.2 million US dollars.
The area of Greenland is slightly more than, I believe, 2 million 166 thousand square kilometres. That is, the difference is roughly 449-450 thousand square kilometres. If we compare this with the cost of the US acquisition of Alaska, the price for Greenland would be somewhere around 200-250 million US dollars.
If we compare this with gold prices of that period, the figure would probably be closer to one billion. But I think the US could handle that amount as well.
Most importantly, Denmark and the US also have their own experience in this regard. If I am not mistaken, in 1917 Denmark sold, and the US purchased, the Virgin Islands. So such experience also exists.
By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and treated it rather harshly, if not brutally. However, this is a separate issue and is hardly relevant to the current discussion.
👉 In any case, this definitely does not concern us. I think they will sort it out between themselves.
💬 Vladimir Putin: As far as the US “Peace Council” initiative is concerned, we have indeed received a personal message from President Trump inviting us to join a new international structure being established on his initiative.
In this regard, I would like first of all to thank the US President for this proposal.
We have always supported and continue to support any efforts aimed at strengthening international stability.
We also note the contribution of the current US Administration to efforts to find solutions for settling the Ukrainian crisis.
As for our participation in the “Peace Council”, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to review the documents received, consult our strategic partners on this matter, and only after that will we be able to provide a response to the invitation conveyed to us.
The proposal made to us primarily concerns settlement in the Middle East and the search for possible ways to address the urgent problems facing the Palestinian people and to resolve the acute humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
In this context, I would like to stress the main point. The key issue is that the entire process should contribute to a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the relevant UN decisions.
Even before we decide on the issue of our participation in the composition and work of the “Peace Council”, taking into account Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people, we could, I believe, allocate 1 billion US dollars to the “Peace Council” from Russian assets that were frozen under the previous US Administration.
By the way, the remaining funds from our assets frozen in the US could also be used for the restoration of territories affected by hostilities after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. This possibility is also being discussed with representatives of the US Administration.
☝️ I plan to discuss all these issues with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also arriving in Moscow on January 22 to continue the dialogue on Ukrainian settlement.
***
❌ What is happening with Greenland does not concern us at all.
However, we do have experience in resolving similar issues with the US. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. If my memory serves me right, the area of Alaska is about 1 million 717 thousand square kilometres, slightly more. The US bought Alaska from us for 7.2 million US dollars.
The area of Greenland is slightly more than, I believe, 2 million 166 thousand square kilometres. That is, the difference is roughly 449-450 thousand square kilometres. If we compare this with the cost of the US acquisition of Alaska, the price for Greenland would be somewhere around 200-250 million US dollars.
If we compare this with gold prices of that period, the figure would probably be closer to one billion. But I think the US could handle that amount as well.
Most importantly, Denmark and the US also have their own experience in this regard. If I am not mistaken, in 1917 Denmark sold, and the US purchased, the Virgin Islands. So such experience also exists.
By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and treated it rather harshly, if not brutally. However, this is a separate issue and is hardly relevant to the current discussion.
👉 In any case, this definitely does not concern us. I think they will sort it out between themselves.
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🎙Read excerpts from the statement by Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy «On ongoing attempts by some participating States to undermine efforts of finding a long-term and sustainable peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 22, 2026)
💬 Everything we heard today at the OSCE Permanent Council confirms that the European sponsors of the Kievregime remain interested in continuing the armed confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. What happens to Ukraine itself is of little concern to Berlin, Paris, London, or "collective Brussels" in general - the West has long since sacrificed it, writing it off as a "used resource" along with its population.
⚡️The Kiev regime under Zelensky's leadership is cynically and deliberately pursuing a terrorist policy against Russia's civilian population. Its provocations know no bounds: it attempted to attack the Presidential state residence, and on New Year's Eve deliberately struck civilians with drones in the village of Khorly, Kherson region, killing 29 people. This campaign of terror continues, with another 75 civilians becoming victims just in the past week.
☝️Criticism of Russia's strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure is false. Russia's actions are exclusively retaliatory. The Kiev regime was the first to violate the "energy truce" by launching systematic attacks on Russian facilities and openly declared this its strategy. Russia stated it would respond. Now Ukraine is suffering the consequences of its own aggressive policy, and its leadership is using the suffering of its citizens merely to beg for more aid from the West.
💥 The Kiev regime's large-scale terrorist activity against peaceful Russian citizens would be impossible without massive weapons supplies from foreign sponsors of the war, primarily from Europe. Therefore, remember that by writing another check to Zelensky and his accomplices, you are increasing the suffering of ordinary Ukrainians.
🇷🇺 Russia remains consistently ready for a diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, but only on the basis of serious negotiations that address its root causes. We will not allow this process to be replaced by unscrupulous schemes to artificially prop up the Kiev regime. We will not accept any pseudo-peace plans that imply the militarization of Ukraine, the preservation of its Russophobic essence, or the entrenchment of Western military presence.
⚠️ The OSCE is experiencing an existential crisis, and Europe is sliding toward a military catastrophe. We must find the strength to stop this degradation and use the potential of the Organization itself for this purpose. This requires an honest analysis of the causes of the crisis and an understanding of when and why the European security architecture collapsed. Without this, we will only continue endless mutual recriminations.
🇪🇺 For now, the logic of escalation prevails over problem analysis. The "war party" in Europe, invested in the Ukrainian "anti-Russia" project, has been dismantling all mechanisms of interaction with our country since 2014. Russia has repeatedly attempted to bring the situation back to a civilized path, but the West demonstratively rejected all our proposals on security guarantee treaties. Europe had opportunities to resolve the Ukrainian crisis - in February 2014, with the Minsk agreements, and in December 2021. Each time, it chose confrontation, sabotaging peace initiatives and betraying trust. Now we are reaping the bitter fruits of this course.
❗️It is urgently necessary to restore the quality of dialogue in the OSCE: stop turning it into a propaganda platform, balance the agenda, and return unconditional respect for the principle of consensus. The Organization's ability to make a positive contribution or fade into political oblivion depends on this.
💬 Everything we heard today at the OSCE Permanent Council confirms that the European sponsors of the Kievregime remain interested in continuing the armed confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. What happens to Ukraine itself is of little concern to Berlin, Paris, London, or "collective Brussels" in general - the West has long since sacrificed it, writing it off as a "used resource" along with its population.
⚡️The Kiev regime under Zelensky's leadership is cynically and deliberately pursuing a terrorist policy against Russia's civilian population. Its provocations know no bounds: it attempted to attack the Presidential state residence, and on New Year's Eve deliberately struck civilians with drones in the village of Khorly, Kherson region, killing 29 people. This campaign of terror continues, with another 75 civilians becoming victims just in the past week.
☝️Criticism of Russia's strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure is false. Russia's actions are exclusively retaliatory. The Kiev regime was the first to violate the "energy truce" by launching systematic attacks on Russian facilities and openly declared this its strategy. Russia stated it would respond. Now Ukraine is suffering the consequences of its own aggressive policy, and its leadership is using the suffering of its citizens merely to beg for more aid from the West.
💥 The Kiev regime's large-scale terrorist activity against peaceful Russian citizens would be impossible without massive weapons supplies from foreign sponsors of the war, primarily from Europe. Therefore, remember that by writing another check to Zelensky and his accomplices, you are increasing the suffering of ordinary Ukrainians.
🇷🇺 Russia remains consistently ready for a diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, but only on the basis of serious negotiations that address its root causes. We will not allow this process to be replaced by unscrupulous schemes to artificially prop up the Kiev regime. We will not accept any pseudo-peace plans that imply the militarization of Ukraine, the preservation of its Russophobic essence, or the entrenchment of Western military presence.
⚠️ The OSCE is experiencing an existential crisis, and Europe is sliding toward a military catastrophe. We must find the strength to stop this degradation and use the potential of the Organization itself for this purpose. This requires an honest analysis of the causes of the crisis and an understanding of when and why the European security architecture collapsed. Without this, we will only continue endless mutual recriminations.
🇪🇺 For now, the logic of escalation prevails over problem analysis. The "war party" in Europe, invested in the Ukrainian "anti-Russia" project, has been dismantling all mechanisms of interaction with our country since 2014. Russia has repeatedly attempted to bring the situation back to a civilized path, but the West demonstratively rejected all our proposals on security guarantee treaties. Europe had opportunities to resolve the Ukrainian crisis - in February 2014, with the Minsk agreements, and in December 2021. Each time, it chose confrontation, sabotaging peace initiatives and betraying trust. Now we are reaping the bitter fruits of this course.
❗️It is urgently necessary to restore the quality of dialogue in the OSCE: stop turning it into a propaganda platform, balance the agenda, and return unconditional respect for the principle of consensus. The Organization's ability to make a positive contribution or fade into political oblivion depends on this.
👍5❤3🙏3💯1
🎙Read excerpts from the statement by Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy «In the response to the Address by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, H.E.
Mr. Pere Joan Pons Sampietro» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 22, 2026)
💬 Bias, discrimination, double standards, and manifestations of Russophobia, coupled with a lack of readiness for substantive dialogue on urgent issues of equal and indivisible security, have led what was once an effective mechanism of inter-parliamentary cooperation into a dead end.
ℹ️ The Assembly could have been preserved from a complete loss of relevance through practical measures undertaken by its members to prevent further escalation of the military and political crisis in Europe.
❌ The unwillingness of Western states to reassess the range of factors that resulted in a profound imbalance of the security architecture once again underscores the soundness and consistency of the decision adopted in 2024 by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to suspend its participation in the Assembly’s activities.
Mr. Pere Joan Pons Sampietro» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 22, 2026)
💬 Bias, discrimination, double standards, and manifestations of Russophobia, coupled with a lack of readiness for substantive dialogue on urgent issues of equal and indivisible security, have led what was once an effective mechanism of inter-parliamentary cooperation into a dead end.
ℹ️ The Assembly could have been preserved from a complete loss of relevance through practical measures undertaken by its members to prevent further escalation of the military and political crisis in Europe.
❌ The unwillingness of Western states to reassess the range of factors that resulted in a profound imbalance of the security architecture once again underscores the soundness and consistency of the decision adopted in 2024 by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to suspend its participation in the Assembly’s activities.
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🎙Read excerpts from the statement by Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy «On continuing violations of human rights of Russian and Russian-speaking population in Latvia» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 22, 2026)
🇱🇻 Latvia's continuing violations of its obligations in the area of democratic freedoms and human rights, including with regard to national minorities, are of particular concern. The Latvian authorities are consistently pursuing a course to abolish everything Russian. At the same time, Riga does not particularly taking into account the fact that such "cancel culture" primarily affects its own population, history, and traditions, which are inextricably linked to our country.
🔻Let us recall that Latvia, along with Canada, Lithuania, and Estonia, contrary to the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal, as well as numerous international acts, including the UN General Assembly resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism adopted annually, continues to demonstratively honor SS criminals. The "Forest Brothers," many of whom are former legionaries of the "Waffen-SS," are in a privileged position, unlike the veterans of the Great Patriotic War who fought against the Nazis.
🔻The apogee of the revanchist aspirations of the Latvian leadership was the legislative consolidation of bans on celebrating Victory Day – May 9 – and displaying symbols of the Victory over Nazism, as well as holding events near Soviet military memorial sites. The unleashed "war on monuments," the blasphemous exhumation of burials, and the desecration of memorials to soldier-liberators have become everyday reality in Latvia.
🔻Over the past few years, Latvian authorities, under contrived pretexts, have been persecuting well-known human rights defenders and public figures. There are hundreds of such politically motivated criminal cases. The crowning ,,achievement’’ of these odious Russophobic repressions was the arrest in December 2025 of the prominent historian and human rights activist Viktor Gushchin. What made him so displeasing to Riga? The answer is obvious. Not only is the detainee an ethnic Russian, but he is also an active fighter against the falsification of history and a defender of the rights of compatriots.
🔻And what about the shameful institution of non-citizenship? Just think about it: about 165 thousand residents of the country (almost 9% of the population) belong to this category. Latvian authorities do not recognize them as belonging to national minorities and, accordingly, have excluded them from the scope of application of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Non-citizens living in the country are in a discriminatory position. All of them are deprived of a whole range of social, economic, and political rights.
🔻Latvian authorities continue to position the Russian language as one of their main threats. In the
,,Guidelines for State Language Policy for 2021-2027’’ among the main tasks is the fight against the consequences of the "Soviet occupation" in the linguistic behavior of society. Hence the squeezing out of the Russian language from all spheres of public life in the country. From January 1, 2026, Russian-language television and radio broadcasting in state media is not allowed. In addition, the VAT on the sale of books in Russian is multiplied. And this despite the fact that the country is carrying out strict censorship of the information space (blocking TV channels, websites, and Russian information resources).
❗️All the above-mentioned facts, which are hard to dispute, indicate not just the indulgence of Latvian authorities toward neo-Nazis, but also the adoption of a course to implement their ideology in life. This is served by the policy of racial discrimination against the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Latvia. We call on the relevant OSCE executive structures to finally assess the ongoing repressions and respond to the large-scale discrimination against the Russian and Russian-speaking population in Latvia.
🇱🇻 Latvia's continuing violations of its obligations in the area of democratic freedoms and human rights, including with regard to national minorities, are of particular concern. The Latvian authorities are consistently pursuing a course to abolish everything Russian. At the same time, Riga does not particularly taking into account the fact that such "cancel culture" primarily affects its own population, history, and traditions, which are inextricably linked to our country.
🔻Let us recall that Latvia, along with Canada, Lithuania, and Estonia, contrary to the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal, as well as numerous international acts, including the UN General Assembly resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism adopted annually, continues to demonstratively honor SS criminals. The "Forest Brothers," many of whom are former legionaries of the "Waffen-SS," are in a privileged position, unlike the veterans of the Great Patriotic War who fought against the Nazis.
🔻The apogee of the revanchist aspirations of the Latvian leadership was the legislative consolidation of bans on celebrating Victory Day – May 9 – and displaying symbols of the Victory over Nazism, as well as holding events near Soviet military memorial sites. The unleashed "war on monuments," the blasphemous exhumation of burials, and the desecration of memorials to soldier-liberators have become everyday reality in Latvia.
🔻Over the past few years, Latvian authorities, under contrived pretexts, have been persecuting well-known human rights defenders and public figures. There are hundreds of such politically motivated criminal cases. The crowning ,,achievement’’ of these odious Russophobic repressions was the arrest in December 2025 of the prominent historian and human rights activist Viktor Gushchin. What made him so displeasing to Riga? The answer is obvious. Not only is the detainee an ethnic Russian, but he is also an active fighter against the falsification of history and a defender of the rights of compatriots.
🔻And what about the shameful institution of non-citizenship? Just think about it: about 165 thousand residents of the country (almost 9% of the population) belong to this category. Latvian authorities do not recognize them as belonging to national minorities and, accordingly, have excluded them from the scope of application of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Non-citizens living in the country are in a discriminatory position. All of them are deprived of a whole range of social, economic, and political rights.
🔻Latvian authorities continue to position the Russian language as one of their main threats. In the
,,Guidelines for State Language Policy for 2021-2027’’ among the main tasks is the fight against the consequences of the "Soviet occupation" in the linguistic behavior of society. Hence the squeezing out of the Russian language from all spheres of public life in the country. From January 1, 2026, Russian-language television and radio broadcasting in state media is not allowed. In addition, the VAT on the sale of books in Russian is multiplied. And this despite the fact that the country is carrying out strict censorship of the information space (blocking TV channels, websites, and Russian information resources).
❗️All the above-mentioned facts, which are hard to dispute, indicate not just the indulgence of Latvian authorities toward neo-Nazis, but also the adoption of a course to implement their ideology in life. This is served by the policy of racial discrimination against the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Latvia. We call on the relevant OSCE executive structures to finally assess the ongoing repressions and respond to the large-scale discrimination against the Russian and Russian-speaking population in Latvia.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Comment by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov regarding President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (January 23, 2026)
Read in full
💬 Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
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💬 Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Outcomes2025
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly and comprehensively addressed this issue, including during his address in this hall in June 2024. Once again, he explained in detail our approaches to the Ukrainian settlement and presented his vision for shaping a Eurasian security architecture.
❗️ We proceed from the understanding that Eurasian security concerns the entire continent – a single geographical, geopolitical, and geo-economic space cannot be fragmented.
Until recently, those promoting the concept of Euro-Atlanticism were doing precisely that. They created a “club” called NATO, with an appendage in the form of the EU. Together with the USSR – albeit under different conditions – they created the OSCE, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union these instruments began to be used to eliminate any influence of the Russian Federation in this geopolitical space.
In recent years, #NATO, the #EU, and the #OSCE have been used to push into areas of our country’s traditional influence – the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far Eastern regions. Without creating an equal, pan-continental architecture, they sought to manage everything from a Euro-Atlantic centre.
These ideas remain relevant for them to this day, and they are clinging to them with all their might. I do not know what will become of NATO in the wake of the “Greenland drama”, but this mindset is deeply entrenched in the thinking of most of today’s European “elites”.
Instead of a pan-continental, equal structure – the formation of which we advocate and in which the interests of all would be balanced – they want to govern this vast, richest, and most populous continent from a Euro-Atlantic centre. At least until recently, this was the plan.
☝️ NATO and the EU are in a deep crisis, and the OSCE is barely "clinging to life". All their schemes are doomed to fail.
👉 Those who are more far-sighted are welcome to join our efforts, together with our Belarusian friends, to promote the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st century.
As I have already noted, a number of European ministers and representatives are already taking part in the relevant annual conferences in Minsk. Their number will grow.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly and comprehensively addressed this issue, including during his address in this hall in June 2024. Once again, he explained in detail our approaches to the Ukrainian settlement and presented his vision for shaping a Eurasian security architecture.
❗️ We proceed from the understanding that Eurasian security concerns the entire continent – a single geographical, geopolitical, and geo-economic space cannot be fragmented.
Until recently, those promoting the concept of Euro-Atlanticism were doing precisely that. They created a “club” called NATO, with an appendage in the form of the EU. Together with the USSR – albeit under different conditions – they created the OSCE, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union these instruments began to be used to eliminate any influence of the Russian Federation in this geopolitical space.
In recent years, #NATO, the #EU, and the #OSCE have been used to push into areas of our country’s traditional influence – the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far Eastern regions. Without creating an equal, pan-continental architecture, they sought to manage everything from a Euro-Atlantic centre.
These ideas remain relevant for them to this day, and they are clinging to them with all their might. I do not know what will become of NATO in the wake of the “Greenland drama”, but this mindset is deeply entrenched in the thinking of most of today’s European “elites”.
Instead of a pan-continental, equal structure – the formation of which we advocate and in which the interests of all would be balanced – they want to govern this vast, richest, and most populous continent from a Euro-Atlantic centre. At least until recently, this was the plan.
☝️ NATO and the EU are in a deep crisis, and the OSCE is barely "clinging to life". All their schemes are doomed to fail.
👉 Those who are more far-sighted are welcome to join our efforts, together with our Belarusian friends, to promote the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st century.
As I have already noted, a number of European ministers and representatives are already taking part in the relevant annual conferences in Minsk. Their number will grow.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
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🎙Read excerpts from the statement by Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy «On ongoing attempts by some participating States to undermine efforts of finding a long-term and sustainable peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 29, 2026)
⚡️Against the backdrop of peace negotiations, the Kiev regime continues to strike civilian targets in Russia. The attack on an ambulance in the Kherson region on January 24 killed three medics. This is a direct war crime requiring objective assessment by international institutions. Over the week from January 19 to 25, shelling by Ukrainian formations claimed the lives of 15 civilians and injured 84 people. The strikes are deliberately targeting residential buildings, transport, and civilian infrastructure. Since the beginning of the year, the number of affected civilians has already reached 328 people. Each such attack is a planned war crime. All organizers and perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice.
🇷🇺 Russia consistently advocates for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement based on unchanging principles. These principles include resolving the territorial issue according to the Anchorage formula, respecting the will of the residents in the new regions of the Russian Federation, Ukraine’s neutral status, guarantees for the rights of Russian-speaking people, and denazification. Russia’s diplomatic activity, including negotiations with the U.S. delegation and trilateral consultations in Abu Dhabi, confirms its commitment to a political solution. The Kiev regime and its sponsors are sabotaging the peace process, seeking to preserve the "Anti-Russia" project.
☝️The Ukrainian conflict is a symptom of a systemic security crisis in Europe, caused by an outdated and dangerous architecture based on NATO expansion. Existing institutions, including the OSCE, have failed to prevent escalation. It is necessary to develop a new system of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, based on dialogue, shared responsibility, respect for sovereignty, and centered on the principle of the indivisibility of security, which means that no one can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.
⚡️Against the backdrop of peace negotiations, the Kiev regime continues to strike civilian targets in Russia. The attack on an ambulance in the Kherson region on January 24 killed three medics. This is a direct war crime requiring objective assessment by international institutions. Over the week from January 19 to 25, shelling by Ukrainian formations claimed the lives of 15 civilians and injured 84 people. The strikes are deliberately targeting residential buildings, transport, and civilian infrastructure. Since the beginning of the year, the number of affected civilians has already reached 328 people. Each such attack is a planned war crime. All organizers and perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice.
🇷🇺 Russia consistently advocates for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement based on unchanging principles. These principles include resolving the territorial issue according to the Anchorage formula, respecting the will of the residents in the new regions of the Russian Federation, Ukraine’s neutral status, guarantees for the rights of Russian-speaking people, and denazification. Russia’s diplomatic activity, including negotiations with the U.S. delegation and trilateral consultations in Abu Dhabi, confirms its commitment to a political solution. The Kiev regime and its sponsors are sabotaging the peace process, seeking to preserve the "Anti-Russia" project.
☝️The Ukrainian conflict is a symptom of a systemic security crisis in Europe, caused by an outdated and dangerous architecture based on NATO expansion. Existing institutions, including the OSCE, have failed to prevent escalation. It is necessary to develop a new system of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, based on dialogue, shared responsibility, respect for sovereignty, and centered on the principle of the indivisibility of security, which means that no one can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.
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🎙Read excerpts from the statement by Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy «Address by the chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance» (meeting of the OSCE PC, January 29, 2026)
🗓 January 27, 1945, is the day when Soviet troops liberated the death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, which became one of the most horrific symbols of Nazi crimes against humanity. When Red Army soldiers entered Auschwitz, they found about 7 thousand survivors — people on the brink of death. They discovered mountains of clothing, shoes, suitcases, glasses, children's toys, and about seven tons of human hair. These were silent but irrefutable evidence of murder carried out on an industrial scale.
🇵🇱 Many Poles write to us that they are ashamed of their authorities' refusal to invite Russian representatives to the annual January 27 ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Moreover, in 2022, under a contrived pretext and without notifying the Russian side, an exhibition dedicated to Soviet prisoners of war was closed. All of this is done so that visitors do not start asking themselves the question: who actually stopped the German "death factory" in Oświęcim from operating?
❗️Let us not forget that January 27 is also the anniversary of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. For nearly 900 days, the city was encircled. More than a million people — including tens of thousands of children — died from bombings, cold, and starvation. People died right on the streets, in homes, and at workplaces. The daily bread ration dropped to as low as 125 grams. This was a true genocide carried out by the Nazi aggressors and their accomplices. The Siege of Leningrad and Auschwitz are crimes that resulted from one and the same criminal ideology, at the core of which lay the terrifying madness of the idea that some nations have the right to live while others do not.
⚖️ No one should have any illusions that the truth about the crimes of Hitler’s Germany can ever be obscured. These crimes have no statute of limitations. In the Russian Federation, due to new and newly discovered circumstances and information, the legal recording of facts of the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War continues. To date, Russian courts have issued 34 corresponding decisions.
🗓 In addition, on December 29, 2025, President V.V. Putin signed a federal law establishing a commemorative date: “April 19 — Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People Committed by the Nazis and their Accomplices during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
🇨🇭We note the intention of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship to dedicate its first event in the human dimension to combating antisemitism. We would also like to emphasize the imperative need to take into account the issue of neo-Nazism when coordinating the agendas of events in the “third basket” of the OSCE. No matter how inconvenient or unpleasant this topic may be for some here, the conversation has long been overdue, as it is precisely the spread of neo-Nazi ideology in a number of OSCE participating States that has become the root cause of the current crisis in Europe.
🎖The Victory over Nazism was achievedthrough the joint efforts of the peoples of the anti-Hitler coalition, but the decisive contribution to the defeat of the Third Reich and the liberation of Europe was made by the Soviet Union. This fact is not subject to revision. Just as the verdict handed down to the Hitlerite leaders at the Nuremberg Tribunal is not subject to revision. And no amount of mockery or “dancing on the bones” will change this truth.
🗓 January 27, 1945, is the day when Soviet troops liberated the death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, which became one of the most horrific symbols of Nazi crimes against humanity. When Red Army soldiers entered Auschwitz, they found about 7 thousand survivors — people on the brink of death. They discovered mountains of clothing, shoes, suitcases, glasses, children's toys, and about seven tons of human hair. These were silent but irrefutable evidence of murder carried out on an industrial scale.
🇵🇱 Many Poles write to us that they are ashamed of their authorities' refusal to invite Russian representatives to the annual January 27 ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Moreover, in 2022, under a contrived pretext and without notifying the Russian side, an exhibition dedicated to Soviet prisoners of war was closed. All of this is done so that visitors do not start asking themselves the question: who actually stopped the German "death factory" in Oświęcim from operating?
❗️Let us not forget that January 27 is also the anniversary of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. For nearly 900 days, the city was encircled. More than a million people — including tens of thousands of children — died from bombings, cold, and starvation. People died right on the streets, in homes, and at workplaces. The daily bread ration dropped to as low as 125 grams. This was a true genocide carried out by the Nazi aggressors and their accomplices. The Siege of Leningrad and Auschwitz are crimes that resulted from one and the same criminal ideology, at the core of which lay the terrifying madness of the idea that some nations have the right to live while others do not.
⚖️ No one should have any illusions that the truth about the crimes of Hitler’s Germany can ever be obscured. These crimes have no statute of limitations. In the Russian Federation, due to new and newly discovered circumstances and information, the legal recording of facts of the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War continues. To date, Russian courts have issued 34 corresponding decisions.
🗓 In addition, on December 29, 2025, President V.V. Putin signed a federal law establishing a commemorative date: “April 19 — Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People Committed by the Nazis and their Accomplices during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
🇨🇭We note the intention of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship to dedicate its first event in the human dimension to combating antisemitism. We would also like to emphasize the imperative need to take into account the issue of neo-Nazism when coordinating the agendas of events in the “third basket” of the OSCE. No matter how inconvenient or unpleasant this topic may be for some here, the conversation has long been overdue, as it is precisely the spread of neo-Nazi ideology in a number of OSCE participating States that has become the root cause of the current crisis in Europe.
🎖The Victory over Nazism was achievedthrough the joint efforts of the peoples of the anti-Hitler coalition, but the decisive contribution to the defeat of the Third Reich and the liberation of Europe was made by the Soviet Union. This fact is not subject to revision. Just as the verdict handed down to the Hitlerite leaders at the Nuremberg Tribunal is not subject to revision. And no amount of mockery or “dancing on the bones” will change this truth.
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🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Turkish media (Moscow, January 29, 2026)
Key points:
• Do we view the Ukrainian conflict as a broader confrontation between Russia and the West? The answer is yes. Ukraine is a pawn – a tool used by the West to build up a bulwark directly on Russia's borders in order to create direct threats to our security.
• Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence clearly proclaimed a policy of non-alignment with military blocs, neutrality and renunciation of nuclear weapons. It was precisely on the basis of this policy, declared by the Ukrainian leadership after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, that Russia – as well as the majority of other world countries – recognized Ukraine.
• The situation in Ukraine was a “battle” that had been prepared in advance. It was financed, including by the Americans. As the then US Deputy Secretary of State Nuland – the “architect” of Ukraine policy – recently admitted once again, already after leaving the State Department, they spent 5 billion US dollars on preparing Ukraine for a coup and turning it into an “anti-Russia”.
• The Zelensky regime is, in many ways, a repetition of history – but not as a farce, because too many people have been killed for that, sacrificed by Zelensky and his “masters”, his Western patrons.
• We have stated this repeatedly, and President Vladimir Putin has often recalled it: the ceasefire that Zelensky is once again seeking – for at least 60 days, preferably longer – is unacceptable to us. This is because all previous periods associated with diplomatic efforts during the special military operation ended the same way: any ceasefire was immediately used to pump Ukraine full of new weapons, to give this regime a breather, to once again round up as many people as possible on the streets of Ukrainian cities and shove them to the frontline as “cannon fodder”, and, overall, to gain time to regroup and continue the war against Russia.
• Honest security guarantees were formulated in Istanbul in April 2022 following several rounds of negotiations, excellently organized by our Turkish friends. It was clearly spelled out what security guarantees meant – no foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory, no exercises involving foreign forces unless such exercises were approved by all guarantor states – everything was detailed and specific. In other words, everything was ready, but Boris Johnson said “no”.
• We have not seen the document that Zelensky constantly refers to as a “20-point plan”. As we understand it, Ukrainians and Europeans have “reworked” it compared to the original US plan and are now trying to “sell” their own “vision” of this “peace” to the US administration.
• We do not draw a distinction between the foreign policies of independent states that defend their national interests and the #MultipolarWorld. On the contrary, a multipolar world can only take shape if it is founded on the positions of precisely such self-respecting states – with their own national interests and with common sense underlying their actions – states that, while defending their own interests, respect the interests of others.
Read in full
Key points:
• Do we view the Ukrainian conflict as a broader confrontation between Russia and the West? The answer is yes. Ukraine is a pawn – a tool used by the West to build up a bulwark directly on Russia's borders in order to create direct threats to our security.
• Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence clearly proclaimed a policy of non-alignment with military blocs, neutrality and renunciation of nuclear weapons. It was precisely on the basis of this policy, declared by the Ukrainian leadership after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, that Russia – as well as the majority of other world countries – recognized Ukraine.
• The situation in Ukraine was a “battle” that had been prepared in advance. It was financed, including by the Americans. As the then US Deputy Secretary of State Nuland – the “architect” of Ukraine policy – recently admitted once again, already after leaving the State Department, they spent 5 billion US dollars on preparing Ukraine for a coup and turning it into an “anti-Russia”.
• The Zelensky regime is, in many ways, a repetition of history – but not as a farce, because too many people have been killed for that, sacrificed by Zelensky and his “masters”, his Western patrons.
• We have stated this repeatedly, and President Vladimir Putin has often recalled it: the ceasefire that Zelensky is once again seeking – for at least 60 days, preferably longer – is unacceptable to us. This is because all previous periods associated with diplomatic efforts during the special military operation ended the same way: any ceasefire was immediately used to pump Ukraine full of new weapons, to give this regime a breather, to once again round up as many people as possible on the streets of Ukrainian cities and shove them to the frontline as “cannon fodder”, and, overall, to gain time to regroup and continue the war against Russia.
• Honest security guarantees were formulated in Istanbul in April 2022 following several rounds of negotiations, excellently organized by our Turkish friends. It was clearly spelled out what security guarantees meant – no foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory, no exercises involving foreign forces unless such exercises were approved by all guarantor states – everything was detailed and specific. In other words, everything was ready, but Boris Johnson said “no”.
• We have not seen the document that Zelensky constantly refers to as a “20-point plan”. As we understand it, Ukrainians and Europeans have “reworked” it compared to the original US plan and are now trying to “sell” their own “vision” of this “peace” to the US administration.
• We do not draw a distinction between the foreign policies of independent states that defend their national interests and the #MultipolarWorld. On the contrary, a multipolar world can only take shape if it is founded on the positions of precisely such self-respecting states – with their own national interests and with common sense underlying their actions – states that, while defending their own interests, respect the interests of others.
Read in full
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🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” programme (February 1, 2026)
❓ Question: On relations between the US and Europe. A lot is happening there… Does it mean that Europeans have driven themselves into a trap by cutting off all contacts with Russia and are now fully dependent on the US, which treats them the way it does?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: That is hardly our problem. As they, if you are enjoying it, then it is your problem.
It would be difficult to accuse Russia of “driving wedges”. It was Europe that tried – and is still trying – to “drive wedges” between Russia and the US, seeing in US policy under President Trump, as they believe, a “tilt” in Russia’s favour and to the detriment of Europe’s interests.
The word "interests" is precisely the key here. When a country, as Russia does – as well as our friends in China, the UAE, India and other states – defends its national interests, 👉 then it is treated accordingly. But when, as in the case of most European elites, they have swapped their own interests for those of the Ukrainian regime, exploit it in every possible way to wage a war against Russia without hiding it, and are openly preparing for war with their own direct involvement, 👉 then the attitude towards them will be exactly what it is.
I have already recalled our meeting in Riyadh in February 2025 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Presenting the position of President Trump's administration, he said that the guiding principle was national interest. The US, he noted, would always respect the positions of other major powers that also build their policies on the basis of national interests.
Secretary Rubio added that the national interests of major countries such as Russia and the US will not always coincide. But when they do, it would be a mistake not to use that convergence to implement mutually beneficial economic, trade and investment projects.
❗️ And when they do not coincide, it would no longer be a mistake, but a crime to allow such divergence to spiral into confrontation – all the more so into a hot one. This is the approach we proceed from.
As for how relations between Europe and the US are being built, we never interfere in these processes. How one proves oneself is how one is treated.
❓ Question: On relations between the US and Europe. A lot is happening there… Does it mean that Europeans have driven themselves into a trap by cutting off all contacts with Russia and are now fully dependent on the US, which treats them the way it does?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: That is hardly our problem. As they, if you are enjoying it, then it is your problem.
It would be difficult to accuse Russia of “driving wedges”. It was Europe that tried – and is still trying – to “drive wedges” between Russia and the US, seeing in US policy under President Trump, as they believe, a “tilt” in Russia’s favour and to the detriment of Europe’s interests.
The word "interests" is precisely the key here. When a country, as Russia does – as well as our friends in China, the UAE, India and other states – defends its national interests, 👉 then it is treated accordingly. But when, as in the case of most European elites, they have swapped their own interests for those of the Ukrainian regime, exploit it in every possible way to wage a war against Russia without hiding it, and are openly preparing for war with their own direct involvement, 👉 then the attitude towards them will be exactly what it is.
I have already recalled our meeting in Riyadh in February 2025 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Presenting the position of President Trump's administration, he said that the guiding principle was national interest. The US, he noted, would always respect the positions of other major powers that also build their policies on the basis of national interests.
Secretary Rubio added that the national interests of major countries such as Russia and the US will not always coincide. But when they do, it would be a mistake not to use that convergence to implement mutually beneficial economic, trade and investment projects.
❗️ And when they do not coincide, it would no longer be a mistake, but a crime to allow such divergence to spiral into confrontation – all the more so into a hot one. This is the approach we proceed from.
As for how relations between Europe and the US are being built, we never interfere in these processes. How one proves oneself is how one is treated.
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🗓 On 1 February 2026, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE D.Polyanskiy took part in a commemorative event organised by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Austria and dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the escape of Soviet soldiers from Block 20 of the Mauthausen concentration camp.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
The Nazis began building this “factory of death” in 1938, near the Austrian city of Linz. Mauthausen was classified as a a “Category 3” camp with the harshest possible treatment. Over seven years, around 335,000 people passed through it; more than 120,000 were murdered.
In the summer of 1944, the camp opened the notorious “Block No. 20”, known among prisoners as the “barrack for the condemned”. This isolated compound held inmates sentenced to “execution by shooting”. Its prisoners were mainly soldiers and officers of the Red Army: men who had refused to betray their Fatherland, who had already attempted escapes or uprisings in other camps.
The prisoners of Block No. 20 were exterminated systematically and with deliberate cruelty. They were fed once every few days, kept in an unheated barrack, and subjected daily to exhausting “physical exercises”. For the slightest infraction, they were beaten – often to death. The block also served as a training ground for SS recruits, who practised torture and killing on the inmates.
The captured Red Army soldiers harboured no hope of liberation. By early 1945, they began preparing an escape. Of the 570 prisoners held in Block No. 20, around 70 were unable to walk. Knowing that the escape of the others would trigger their immediate execution, they asked only one thing: “Comrades, make it back to your own. Tell them our story”.
The escape was originally planned for January 29. But on that day, SS troops stormed the barrack and took away around thirty prisoners. As later became clear, not a single Soviet prisoner gave up the planned escape. All of them were burned alive by the Nazis.
⚔️ On the night of February 1-2, Mauthausen was jolted awake by cries of “Ura!” and bursts of machine-gun fire. Exhausted but unbroken in spirit, the prisoners charged the camp guards with virtually bare hands, using whatever was at hand – fire extinguishers, stones, and wooden shoe clogs. They seized one of the machine-gun towers and neutralised the others. Breaking through the barriers, more than 400 condemned prisoners scaled a 3.5-metre wall, crossed a water-filled ditch, and forced their way past barbed-wire fences, managing to escape the concentration camp.
They fled in –8 °C, through deep snow, without shoes or warm clothing. By the morning of February 2, the Nazis had launched a full-scale manhunt.
💬 From the testimony of François Boix, a Mauthausen prisoner and witness for the French prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials:
The camp commandant, Franz Ziereis, addressed civilians by radio, urging them to assist in the manhunt for escaped Russian prisoners. He said: “You are passionate hunters – and this will be more fun than hunting hares”.
The pursuit involved everyone – SS units, Wehrmacht soldiers, police, Volkssturm, Hitler Youth, and even civilians. Most of the escapees were unable to get far. A few days later, the camp authorities reported that all of the escaped prisoners had been eliminated.
But the Nazis were wrong. Of the hundreds who took part in the uprising, between 11 and 19 survived, according to various estimates.
❗️ In May 1945, Mauthausen was liberated by US Army units. Camp personnel were arrested and brought to trial in 1946. All 61 defendants were found guilty – 58 were sentenced to death, and three to life imprisonment. The death sentences were carried out on May 27-28, 1947.
The organiser of the so-called “hare hunt” and commandant of Mauthausen, Franz Ziereis, was wounded by US troops on May 23, 1945 while attempting to escape. He was taken to hospital, gave testimony, and later died under unclear circumstances. Former prisoners of Mauthausen hung the body of their tormentor on the camp fence. US forces did not intervene.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
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