🎙 Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia’s answers to media questions on the occasion of assuming UNSC Presidency by Russia (October 1, 2025)

Major talking points:

#KeyEvents

• The Council will travel to Addis Ababa in October. Russia is honored to be leading the UNSC together with our co-leads in Somalia. A new department – on Partnerships with Africa – has been recently established in the Russian Foreign Ministry. Therefore, the visit to Addis will be the highlight of our Presidency.

• October 23 – open debate on the Middle East: The unfolding catastrophe in Gaza will be in the focus of the Council’s attention. We expect Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov to brief the Council.

• October 24 – the UN Day (80th Anniversary of the UN Charter): an open debate titled UN: Looking into the Future. Aim: strict implementation of the principles of the UN Charter, restoring confidence in the Organization and long-term vision for its future. We expect the Secretary-General to brief the Council.

• October 6 – Women, Peace and Security: it is the 25th anniversary of the UNSC seminal Resolution 1325. This event hold special importance to us, as the Soviet Union pioneered the women’s agenda more than a hundred years ago promoting equal rights.

#JCPOA

• Our Western colleagues who initiated the so-called “snapback”, the legitimacy of which we do not recognize, forfeited a diplomatic solution by initiating an illegal procedure while being serial violators of Resolution 2231. Russia and China offered to extend Resolution 2231 to give diplomacy a chance, which they basically killed. We do not recognize this “snapback” as coming into force. We are not, frankly, happy that the Secretary-General rushed to implement the resolution, which has obvious legal flaws.

• We are looking forward to direct or indirect negotiations with the US that can bring results. Such dialogue is not happening now, and this situation is fraught with major escalation around Iran, opening the door to attempts to end its nuclear program – yet another destabilizing factor in an already fragile Middle East.

#RussiaUN

• We emphasize that the UN is indispensable, that its Charter must be applied in its entirety, and that attempts to bypass or weaken the Organization with "exclusive clubs" undermine global peace and security. Russia advocates a more representative, multipolar UN that reflects the voices of the Global South.

• The UN is a reflection of the geopolitical situation that is in the world. Should we blame the Organization for it? For me, the UN is a sum of its Member States. If they cannot agree on anything, it is unfair to blame the UN for it. Margaret Thatcher said once that if you want to blame the UN, go and look in the mirror.

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🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin's answer to a question regarding Michael Gloss during the Plenary Session of the 22st annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (October 2, 2025)

❓ A couple of months ago, there was this really unique piece of news that at the front lines of the special military operation in Donbass, an American citizen perished who fought on our side, Michael Gloss, who was the son of the deputy head of the CIA. An American already attracts attention, especially from such a family. Were you aware of him prior to when it has become known publicly?

💬 Vladimir Putin: No, I was not aware of it.
 
I found out when there was a draft decree on him acquiring a medal for bravery. And I will be very frank, I was quite surprised. He had complicated parents. His mother is the acting deputy of the investigative branch of the US. His father is the retired Navy officer in charge of one of the largest companies supplying Pentagon. So it's not a usual family.

When he tried to enter the university, his parents were not aware. He came to Turkey, then he came to Moscow. He came to the inscription office, and he said that he shared the same values as Russia, human rights, a person's right to his own language, to his own religion.
 
He advocated for human rights. And Russia fights for the very same values. And he's ready, and he wants to fight for those values with an arm in his hands.
 
He received special preparation. He wasn't just inscripted in the armed forces, but in the elite branch of armed forces, in the air defense forces. Of course, they're all fighters. He was fighting at the forefront. And he fought courageously. He was heavily wounded.
 
He received a strike wound together with his friend in battle. Another friend pulled him out of a burning vehicle, receiving 25 percent of burns across his body. He pulled them out, carried them to the woods.
 
And just imagine, this young man of 22 years old, bleeding out himself, tried to provide first aid to his friend who was wounded. Unfortunately, Ukrainian UAV noticed them, launched a mine, and both were killed. I believe that these people, they are the core of the MAGA organization, who support the current Trump administration, because they fight for the same values as himself.
 
They are like that, and he's like that as well. What's that they sing in the anthem? The US is the land of the brave. So he truly proved with his bravery, with his behavior, he laid down his life.
 
And a significant part of US citizens can be proud of him. How this US citizen that we just spoke about, I handed over this medal to Mr. Witkoff. And when we did that, I've asked to come, and they did come, his brothers in battle, and the head of the air defense forces, as well as the brigade commander, the commander of the group, the very same officer who took him out of the burning vehicle, and who, just as I've mentioned, were basically wounded, 25 percent of his skin was burned.
 
And then he recovered, and he went back to the battlefield, by the way. So yes, just recently, at the initiative of the Donetsk People's Republic initiative, one of the schools in Donbass was awarded the name of the American and Russian soldier. That is the school with specialization in English language.
 
And we will do everything so it stays in great condition, as well as other schools in Donbass. We will give all our special attention to it. So that's the kind of person we are talking about.
 
His family and the country who supports his point of view can be proud of him. I've said about people of different nationalities who consider themselves Russian soldiers.

Despite being American, he was a Russian soldier.

From 29 September to 3 October 2025, the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was held in Sydney. The Russian delegation, which included leading figures from the Roscosmos State Corporation, rocket and space industry enterprises, and higher education institutions, was not allowed to attend due to the non-issuance or revocation of Australian visas.

The Russian side strongly protests this act of sabotage and discrimination, which contravenes Australia’s international obligations.

The IAC is an annual event jointly organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the space agency of the country that has won the bid to host it. Visas were denied by the Australian side to permanent IAF Russian members paying annual membership fees.

What was the point of holding the IAC in Sydney and officially inviting the Russian delegation if the visa ban was predetermined? To what extent was the effectiveness of the Congress undermined by the exclusion of a leading spacefaring nation? Incidentally, Sergei Krikalev, Russian cosmonaut with great first-hand experience in spaceflight, was scheduled to speak at the IAC.

How reliable does Australia look in this light as a host country for any major international event? Next time, the same ban could be applied by the Australian side to representatives of any other nation.

O shame, where is thy blush?

🎙 President Vladimir Putin's remarks at the Plenary Session of the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (Sochi, October 2, 2025):

💬 President Putin: This year’s Valdai Club report is devoted to a multipolar, polycentric world. The topic has long been on the agenda, but now it requires special attention. <...>

Let me try to explain what makes the present situation unique.

First, today’s world offers a much more open – indeed, one might say creative – space for foreign policy.

Second, multipolar space is highly dynamic. As I have said, change occurs rapidly, sometimes suddenly, almost overnight.

Third, and of particular importance, is the fact that this new space is more democratic. It opens opportunities and pathways for a wide range of political and economic players.

Next. The cultural, historical, and civilisational specificities of different countries now play a greater role than ever before. It is necessary to seek points of contact and convergence of interests.

The fifth point: any decisions are only possible through agreements that satisfy all interested parties or the overwhelming majority.

Finally, the opportunities and dangers of a multipolar world are inseparable from one another. Naturally, the weakening of the dictate that characterised the previous period and the expansion of freedom for all is undeniably a positive development. At the same time, under such conditions, it is much more difficult to find and establish this very solid balance, which in itself is an obvious and extreme risk.

International relations are undergoing a radical transformation. Paradoxically, multipolarity has become a direct consequence of attempts to establish and preserve global hegemony, a response by the international system and history itself to the obsessive desire to arrange everyone into a single hierarchy, with Western countries at the top. <...>

❗️ Western countries succumbed to the temptation of absolute power.

<...>

Some, in their arrogance, saw themselves entitled to lecture the rest of the world.

Others were content to play along with the powerful as obedient bargaining chips, eager to avoid unnecessary trouble in exchange for a modest but guaranteed bonus. There are still many such politicians in the old part of the world, in Europe.

Those who dared object and tried to defend their own interests, rights, and views, were at best dismissed as eccentrics and told, in effect: “You will not succeed, so give up and accept that compared to our power, you are nonentity.”

As for the truly stubborn, they were “educated” by the self-proclaimed global leaders, who no longer even bothered to hide their intent. The message was clear: resistance was pointless.

☝️ But this did not bring anything good.

Not a single global problem was resolved.

<...>

The subordination of the majority to the minority inherent in international relations during the period of Western domination, is giving way to a multilateral and more cooperative approach. <...> the fundamentally new global atmosphere, increasingly shaped by the countries of the global majority, gives reason to hope that all actors will, in one way or another, have to take each other’s interests into account when addressing regional and global challenges.. <...>

The global balance cannot be built without Russia. Those who tried to destroy all of this have begun to realise it.

<...>

If anyone still feels tempted to challenge us militarily – let them try. Russia has proven time and again: when threats arise to our security, to the peace and tranquillity of our citizens, to our sovereignty and the very foundations of our statehood, we respond swiftly.

🇷🇺 Through all its trials, Russia has proved one thing: it was, is, and always will be. <...>

In today’s multipolar world, that very harmony and balance can only be achieved through a joint, common effort. And I want to assure you today that Russia is ready for this work.

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