🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's remarks at the plenary session of the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (2 October 2025)

💬 Take note of how Europe is sliding to the periphery of global competition. We know perfectly well how groundless are the threats about Russia’s so-called aggressive plans with which Europe frightens itself. I have just mentioned this. But self-suggestion is a dangerous thing. And we simply cannot ignore what is happening; we have no right to do so, for the sake of our own security, to reiterate, for the sake of our defence and safety.

That is why we are closely monitoring the growing militarisation of Europe. Is it just rhetoric, or is it time for us to respond? We hear, and you are aware of this as well, that the Federal Republic of Germany is saying its army must once again become the strongest in Europe. Well, alright, we are listening carefully and following everything to see what exactly is meant by that.

I believe no one has any doubt that Russia’s response will not be long in coming. To put it mildly, the reply to these threats will be highly convincing. And it will indeed be a reply – we ourselves have never initiated military confrontation. It is senseless, unnecessary, and simply absurd; it distracts from real problems and challenges. Sooner or later, societies will inevitably hold their leaders and elites to account for ignoring their hopes, aspirations, and needs.

However, if anyone still feels tempted to challenge us militarily – as we say in Russia, freedom is for the free – 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.

❗️There is no need for provocation. There has not been a single instance where this ultimately ended well for the provocateur. And no exceptions should be expected in the future – there will be none.

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🎙 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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📺 Watch Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with RT presenter Charlotte Dubenskij (9 October 2025)

Key talking points:

• UK officials speak of the immediate and unconditional ceasefire [in Ukraine] without thinking about […] the real long-term settlement of the conflict that would eliminate [the root causes] of the Ukraine crisis.

• In London, they still consider the option of bringing Ukraine into NATO and deploying a NATO contingent on its territory. This demonstrates that the so-called “coalition of the willing” is primarily aimed at preserving Ukraine’s anti-Russian potential.

• Western countries that speak about the “price Russia must pay” should understand that they will also receive their own bill. The longer they finance and [support] the Kiev regime, the higher that price will be.

• The British establishment and its aligned media are spreading fake news about supposed Russian threats and are creating a toxic atmosphere around those who are willing to maintain contact with Russia.


Watch the interview on our YouTube channel

🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to Arab media questions (Moscow, 13 October 2025)

💬 President Trump has put forward his plan [for Gaza], which we have repeatedly assessed as the best available option on the negotiating table, although, of course, it does not address all aspects of the Palestinian issue. Nevertheless, it is crucial to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and to address the grave humanitarian issues faced by the people.

Thousands of Gaza residents are returning home. <...>

I hope that all agreements will get implemented, although we are hearing both Hamas and Tel Aviv say that the situation has not yet been fully resolved and that there could be more crisis outbreaks.

It is important, in my view, that those who initiated this forum, first and foremost President Trump <...> prevent such scenarios and focus on an immediate ceasefire, adherence to the agreed-upon line for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the organisation of humanitarian aid and the rebuilding of this beautiful place on Earth, which, perhaps more than any other territory in the world, has suffered in the postwar years.

☝️ Without a doubt, a lasting settlement can only be achieved by implementing UN resolutions on establishing a Palestinian state.

We have noted that President Trump's peace plan mentions only the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but does so in rather general terms. These approaches will need to be clarified and what will happen on the West Bank of the Jordan River will need to be determined as well, since the UN resolutions envisage the creation of a single and territorially integral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

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#Announcement

📺 Coming soon: Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with TRT World's Roundtable programme hosted by Enda Brady.

Watch today at 16:00 (BST) on TRT.

Key topics:
• Ukraine conflict and paths to its settlement
• Consequences of supplying long-distance missiles to Kiev
• Drone incidents across Europe
• Russia-NATO relations and European security
• Gaza peace plan

Take a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for this conversation.

🗓 15 October marks the 211th birth anniversary of Mikhail Lermontov.

One of Russia's greatest poets, novelists and thinkers – often hailed as the heir to Pushkin – Lermontov gave voice to the restless spirit of his generation. His work blends lyrical beauty with a deep philosophical edge. Though his life was cut short in a duel at just 26, his influence on Russian literature remains profound.

Lermontov's works, such as A Hero of Our Time, The Demon and Mtsyri (The Novice) explore themes of freedom, fate and the inner turmoil of the human soul. More than two centuries on, his legacy endures as a symbol of artistic passion and the eternal search for meaning.

DYK there is a bronze bust of the poet in Scotland? Sculpted by Stepan Mokrousov and unveiled in the town of Earlston in 2015, it stands as a nod to Lermontov's roots — his ancestor, a Scottish soldier named George Learmonth, is said to have set out from this region for Russia in the early 17th century.

❌ 15 октября власти Соединённого Королевства объявили о расширении незаконных ограничительных мер в отношении российских энергетических компаний и ряда коммерческих организаций третьих стран. <...>

Попытки Лондона «задушить» российскую экономику будут иметь «эффект бумеранга». Нападки на ведущие российские нефтегазовые компании ведут к дестабилизации мировых энергетических рынков и в конечном счёте бьют по потребителям по всему миру, в т.ч. рядовым британцам и местному бизнесу, на плечи которых ложатся дополнительные издержки в условиях и без того непростой социально-экономической ситуации в Соединённом Королевстве.

Кроме того, подобные меры негативно скажутся на энергобезопасности государств Глобального Юга, что лишний раз подчёркивает циничное неоколониально-потребительское отношение британской элиты к развивающимся странам.

Вопреки громким заверениям британских руководителей, никакого воздействия на российский внешнеполитический курс эти ограничения не окажут.

❗️ Лондону давно пора уяснить, что попытки шантажировать нашу страну, говорить с нами языком санкций и угроз бессмысленны и бесперспективны. Россия продолжит последовательно защищать свои национальные интересы и обеспечивать стабильное экономическое развитие.

Отмечаем также, что налицо явная незаинтересованность авторов антироссийских ограничений в урегулировании украинского кризиса. Санкционный прессинг лишь осложняет мирный диалог и ведёт к дальнейшей эскалации.

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🗓️ On October 15, 1814, Mikhail Lermontov was born. One of the ancestors of the great Russian poet and writer was the Scotsman George Learmonth. In 1613, he enlisted in the Russian military and, after converting to Orthodoxy, received the name Yuri Andreevich. Learmonth served his adopted country faithfully and died in 1633 in battle against the Polish-Lithuanian invaders.

📜 Mikhail Lermontov never forgot his Scottish roots. In 1831, in his poem "A Wish", calling himself "the last descendant of brave fighters," he wrote of distant Scotland:

…Where blossoming fields of my ancestors lie,
Where high on a hill, in a castle forlorn,
Remains of my fathers still rest in a tomb.
Where shields of my kinsmen and the glorious sword
Still hang on the wall in the empty parlour;
I’d fly to the sword and the shield overnight,
I’d brush dust away with a wing in a flight.
And the harps of the Scots I would touch as I pass,
And the sound would rise to the vault, long suppressed…

(translated by Victor Postnikov)

👉 In 2015, a bronze bust of the poet, sculpted by Stepan Mokrousov, was unveiled in the town of Earlston in southeast Scotland. The choice of location was no coincidence, as it was the former home of the legendary Scottish bard Thomas the Rhymer, who also belonged to the ancient Clan of Learmonth.

Denis Moskalenko, Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, visited Earlston to honour the memory of the great Russian poet and laid flowers at his monument.

❌ On 15 October the UK authorities announced an expansion of their unlawful restrictive measures targeting Russian energy companies and a number of commercial entities from third countries.

London's actions are clearly driven by the growing desperation of the British establishment, as its Kiev clientele faces an increasingly dire situation. [...]

London's attempts to "strangle" the Russian economy will inevitably backfire.

Attacks on leading Russian oil and gas companies destabilise global energy markets and ultimately hit consumers worldwide, including ordinary Britons and local businesses who will shoulder the burden of additional costs amid an already challenging socio-economic climate in the United Kingdom.

Moreover, such measures will have a detrimental impact on the energy security of Global South nations, once again underlining the cynical, neocolonial and exploitative attitude of the British elite towards developing countries.

Contrary to the loud assurances of the UK officials, these restrictions will have no effect on Russia’s foreign policy.

❗️ It is high time London realised that attempts to blackmail our country, to speak to us in the language of sanctions and threats, are both futile and meaningless. Russia will continue to consistently defend its national interests and ensure steady economic development.

We also note that the authors of the anti-Russian restrictions have clearly shown no interest in resolving the Ukraine crisis. Sanctions pressure only complicates peaceful dialogue and leads to further escalation.

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🎙 Watch Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with Roundtable programme on TRT World hosted by Enda Brady

Key talking points:

• The Tomahawk missiles themselves, if provided to the Ukrainians, will not [...] change the situation on the battlefield. But we will have to react very seriously to this escalation and to the involvement of the US military in launching them [against Russia].

• We are open to talks, we also stand for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict. But this resolution must be long-term and resilient. Russia's interests, as well as those of all neighbouring countries, must be taken into account. Most importantly, this type of agreement must eliminate the root causes of the conflict.

• The idea that Ukraine has some local successes [on the battlefield] is just a way to boost morale, especially among Europeans, so that they do not abandon their efforts to finance the war and continue to provide weapons. This will only prolong the conflict.

• President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has no intention of attacking any NATO countries. Unfortunately, his words are often overlooked in [Western media] news reports, Europeans simply do not hear them.

• We are supportive of [President Trump's] Gaza peace plan. With regard to the Middle East it is probably the best peace plan that has been put on the table in recent years. However, it is inconclusive, as many countries believe it should lead to the two-state solution, to the creation of a real Palestinian state. [...] It is certainly a great achievement. But there is still a long way to go.

Watch the interview on our YouTube channel

🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Kommersant (Moscow, 15 October)

💬 President Donald Trump and his team are, in fact, the only representatives from the Western camp who have publicly addressed the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. It is not just that they use the term; they, and Donald Trump personally, try to look deeply into their essence.

Drawing Ukraine into NATO is one such root cause. President Trump has stated multiple times that this was Joe Biden's mistake, one that must be corrected and not allowed to happen. Similarly, when President Trump and US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff began discussing issues of territory and demarcation, it represented an unprecedented Western recognition of reality.

Of course, we have always insisted it is not merely about land, but about the people who have lived on that land for centuries – who continued their ancestors' work, founded cities, built plants, factories, roads, and ports and were then reduced to a humiliating, discriminated status. Therefore, the American side's recognition that these territories should have a status reflecting the will of the local people is a positive sign.

In Alaska, the Presidents discussed how to move forward, taking these two root causes into account: NATO expansion and the fate of the people in the territories developed by Russians, which the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev now threatens to claim.

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🎙 Commentary by Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov following a telephone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump

💬 Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation, the eighth one, with US President Donald Trump.

The conversation lasted almost two and a half hours. Clearly, it was a rather substantive and at the same time very open and frank exchange. [...]

A special emphasis during the conversation was placed on the Ukraine crisis. Vladimir Putin provided a detailed assessment of the current situation, stressing Russia's interest in achieving a peaceful resolution through political and diplomatic methods.

In particular, it was noted that during the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces hold full strategic initiative along the entire line of contact. Under these circumstances, the Kiev regime resorts to terrorist methods, attacking civilian targets and energy infrastructure facilities, to which we are forced to respond accordingly.

Donald Trump repeatedly emphasised the imperative of establishing peace in Ukraine at the earliest opportunity. The notion that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has proven the most intractable issue in all peacekeeping efforts of the US President was palpably evident throughout his remarks during the conversation. [...]

☝️ The issue of potential supplies of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine was also raised. Vladimir Putin reiterated his position that Tomahawks would not change the situation on the battlefield but would inflict substantial damage to relations between our countries, to say nothing of the prospects for a peaceful settlement.

In this context, it is worthy of note that the Presidents discussed the possibility of holding another personal meeting. This is indeed a very significant development. It was agreed that representatives of both countries would immediately begin preparations for the summit, which could potentially be organised in Budapest, for instance.

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🎙 Excerpt from Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova's weekly briefing on topical foreign policy issues (15 October 2025)

💬 The Kiev regime and its Western curators lack political will to achieve peace.

By consciously prolonging the conflict, they are pursuing their own mercenary goals, wishing to prevent the collapse of the world order they created and to inflict as much damage as possible to our country without consideration for inevitable consequences, including for themselves.

Let's take a look at how they profit from this. On October 10, a British newspaper suggested, citing a document leak, that the actions of the former prime minister Boris Johnson who, in early April 2022, prohibited the Kiev regime from negotiating with Russia and demanded the hostilities be continued, show signs of direct material benefits.

According to the media outlet, the former prime minister may have received one million pounds from businessman Christopher Harborne, the biggest shareholder of QinetiQ, a defence company that supplies drones and robots to Ukraine. The British media outlet reports that in September 2023, Boris Johnson took Christopher Harborne to Kiev on a private jet, to a closed meeting at a military technical centre. This scenario suggested by British journalists appears quite plausible.

❌ It is thanks to the artificially inflated anti-Russia hysteria that Western military companies continue to ink multi-billion contracts on which people like Boris Johnson capitalise, in tow with corrupt Kiev officials.

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💬 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova: On 16 October, in the Zaporozhye Region, Kiev regime militants once again attacked unarmed media personnel – this time, targeting a RIA Novosti film crew on an editorial assignment.

Frontline reporter Ivan Zuyev was killed by a strike from an AFU drone carrying a deadly warhead, succumbing to numerous shrapnel wounds. His colleague Yury Voitkevich was seriously injured and is currently receiving medical care in hospital.

We offer our sincere condolences, mourning together with the family, friends, and colleagues of Ivan Zuyev, who performed his professional duty selflessly until the very end. We wish Yury Voitkevich a speedy and full recovery.

Dozens of accredited journalists and frontline reporters have been killed or injured due to the terrorist tactics of the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. For the Rossiya Segodnya media group, which includes the RIA Novosti agency, this is the third irreparable loss since the beginning of the conflict in Donbass. In 2014, they lost photojournalist Andrey Stenin and in 2023, frontline reporter Rostislav Zhuravlev.

Deliberate attacks on civilians, a category that includes media workers under international law, have become routine practice for these Ukro-Banderite armed formations.

Meanwhile, the relevant international organisations continue to turn a blind eye. Through their inaction, these organisations are, in effect, condoning the Zelensky regime's brutal crimes and consequently bear their own measure of responsibility for them [...]

❗️ Those responsible for the death of the Russian journalist will be identified and will face inevitable punishment.

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