🎙 President Vladimir Putin's New Year Address to the Nation

💬 We draw strength from within ourselves and from those who stand beside us – those who are dear and close to our hearts – and we are always ready to lend our shoulder in return. This mutual support gives us confidence that all our aspirations, hopes, and plans will definitely be realised.

Naturally, each of us has personal, unique dreams, very special in their own way. Yet they are inseparable from the destiny of our Motherland and from the sincere desire to be of service to it.

For we are united – the people of Russia. The labour, achievements, and successes of each of us add new chapters to its thousand-year history, while the strength of our unity determines the sovereignty and security of our Fatherland, its development, and its future.

The New Year is, above all, a time when we hope for the best, for goodness and good luck. It is a special and magical holiday, when we open our hearts to love, friendship, and compassion, to sympathy and generosity [...]

We welcome New Year together with the nearest and dearest: our children, parents, friends, and comrades-in-arms. Even those who are far away – you are still with us in spirit.

I wish you all good health and happiness, understanding and prosperity. And, above all, love which inspires us. May our traditions, faith, and memory bind all generations together, supporting us always and in everything.

☝️ We are one – a great, strong, and united family, and that is why we will continue to work and to create, to achieve our goals, moving only forward for the benefit of our children and grandchildren, for the benefit of our great Russia.

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⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement on the terrorist attack by the Kiev regime targeting civilians in the Kherson Region of the Russian Federation

In the early hours of January 1, 2026, the criminal neo-Nazi Kiev regime carried out a targeted attack using armed UAVs which took aim at a café and a hotel in Khorly, Kherson Region. Local residents were celebrating the New Year’s Eve there with their families. While the exact number of those who were killed and injured in these strikes and during the fire that they caused has yet to be established, it is already clear that several dozen civilians suffered in this attack, of whom 24 people died, including one minor.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal file on terrorist charges. Everyone who took part in this monstrous and bloody crime will be identified and would not be able to evade justice.

By perpetrating this barbarous atrocity, the Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its human-hating neo-Nazi nature. The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked civilians with their drones hot on the heels of Zelensky perorations, as repeated during his New Year speech, on Kiev’s commitment to peace. We have long grown accustomed to this cynical posture, which transcends all possible boundaries and demonstrates that he has totally lost his moral bearings.

The Kiev usurper decided to target helpless civilians in his impotent range, against the backdrop of the successful advancement of the Russian Armed Forces and the losses suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the failed attempt by the Ukrainian terrorists to carry out a strike against the President of the Russian Federation’s state residence in the Novgorod Region in the early hours of December 29, 2025. He is ready to kill women and children and to perpetrate crimes similar to what happened at the Trade Union House in Odessa for the sake of holding on to power and in an effort to intimidate people from the regions which have recently reunified with Russia by linking their destinies to it forever by holding referendums.

As for the attempts by the Kiev regime to target the Presidential residence in the Novgorod Region, these was a special technical review of a block from the navigation system of one of the Ukrainian drones which were downed in the Novgorod Region’s air space in the early hours of December 29, 2025. Members of the Russian special services have succeeded in extracting the file with the mission description, and these materials will be forwarded to the United States using the appropriate channels.

Every day, the Russian Defence Ministry’s air defence systems deflect drone attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against the regions of Russia, including its capital – there were about 10 attacks of this kind today.

❗️These attempts are designed to distract people in order to leave the frontline failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces unnoticed. The Kiev regime has been trying, in vain, to prove its viability using terrorist attacks.

It is just as obvious that Office of the President of Ukraine on Bankovaya Street has been intentionally seeking to derail any attempts to find peaceful solutions.

This latest criminal strike against civilians in Khorly is a bloody atrocity by the Kiev clique. Western leaders who continue sponsoring the bankrupt regime with money and weapons bear full responsibility for this crime.

The Foreign Ministry firmly condemns all the terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime.

◼️ We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends on the victims and wish the injured speedy recovery.

The Foreign Ministry calls on the governments of the responsible sovereign countries and the relevant international structures to publicly express their resolute condemnation of the bloody terrorist attack by the Kiev regime in the Kherson Region.

☝️ Ignoring this tragedy would amount to only one thing – openly encouraging neo-Banderite terrorist crimes and acting as accomplices, which will be interpreted in legal terms with the corresponding legal consequences.

⚡️ Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation regarding the armed aggression by the United States against Venezuela

This morning, the US committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This development gives rise to deep concern and warrants condemnation.

The pretexts used to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologized animosity has prevailed over pragmatic engagement, as well as over any readiness to build relations based on trust and predictability.

In the current situation, it is essential above all to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a solution through dialogue. We proceed from the understanding that all parties that may have grievances against one another must seek solutions through dialogue-based mechanisms. We stand ready to support such efforts.

Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it proclaimed itself in 2014. Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny, free from any destructive – let alone military – external interference.

We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the course pursued by its Bolivarian leadership, aimed at safeguarding the country’s national interests and sovereignty.

We support the statements by the Venezuelan authorities and by the leaders of Latin American countries calling for the urgent convening of a meeting of the UN Security Council.

Russia's Embassy in Caracas is operating as normal, taking into account the situation on the ground, and maintains constant contact with the Venezuelan authorities as well as with Russian nationals present in Venezuela.

At present, there is no information indicating that any citizens of the Russian Federation have been injured.

⚡️ Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation regarding the further development of the situation around Venezuela

We are extremely concerned by reports that the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his spouse were forcibly taken out of the country during today’s aggressive actions by the United States.

We demand immediate clarification of these reports.

If such actions did in fact take place, they represent an unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, the respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law.

☦️ Russia's President Vladimir Putin congratulated Orthodox Christians and all Russians celebrating Christmas (January 7, 2026)

✍️ Vladimir Putin: This wonderful holiday illuminates the world with the light of kindness and love, giving millions of people hope and the joy of communion with the spiritual traditions of our forebears, passed down from generation to generation.

I would like to note with deep appreciation the immense and truly unique contribution made by the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations to strengthening social unity, preserving our rich historical and cultural heritage, and fostering the patriotic and moral upbringing of young people.

Religious organisations devote tireless attention to works of mercy and charity, care for those in need, support participants and veterans of the special military operation, and do much to promote harmonious interfaith and interethnic dialogue in our country. This important and much-needed work deserves the most sincere recognition.

I wish Orthodox Christians and all those who celebrate Christmas good health, success and all the very best.

⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement regarding the forcible seizure of the oil tanker Marinera

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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses grave concern over the illegal use of force by the United States Armed Forces against the oil tanker Marinera on January 7.

The Marinera, which was temporarily authorised to fly the Russian flag on December 24 in accordance with international and Russian law, was transiting peacefully through international waters of the North Atlantic en route to a Russian port.

US authorities, including through official communications with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were repeatedly provided with reliable information confirming the vessel’s Russian registration and its civilian, non-military status.

There could have been no doubt regarding this fact, nor any basis for alleging that the tanker was sailing “without a flag” or “under a false flag.”

International maritime law explicitly grants the flag state exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas. Stopping and inspecting a vessel in international waters is permitted only under narrowly defined circumstances, such as suspected piracy or slave trading – neither of which apply to the Marinera.

In all other cases, such actions require the consent of the flag state, which in this instance is Russia.

❗️ Not only did Russia refuse to provide such consent, it formally protested to US authorities in recent weeks over the continued pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel, demanding an immediate end to the pursuit and the withdrawal of unlawful demands made to the Russian ship’s captain.

Under these circumstances, the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by US military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law and the freedom of navigation.

This constitutes a serious infringement upon the legitimate rights and interests of the shipowner. The lives and health of the Marinera’s crew, which includes citizens of several countries, are now at risk.

We consider the threats of legal action against them on absurd grounds by US authorities to be utterly unacceptable.

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❌ References by the United States to its domestic “sanctions legislation” are without legal foundation. The unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the US and other Western countries are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to assert jurisdiction, let alone the seizure of vessels, on the high seas.

Suggestions from certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington’s unlimited control over Venezuela’s natural resources are profoundly cynical.

We categorically reject such neo-colonial ambitions.

Alongside the US administration’s disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington’s readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which are already severely strained, is both regrettable and alarming.

The Marinera incident can only lead to a further escalation of military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and a dangerous lowering of the threshold for using force against civilian shipping.

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☝️ We call on Washington to return to the established norms and principles of international maritime law and to immediately cease its unlawful actions against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas.

We reiterate our demand that the United States ensure appropriate and humane treatment of the Russian citizens on board, fully respect their rights, and facilitate their swift return home.

💬 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova: The unlawful sanctions pressure exerted by the West, to which Iran has been subjected for many years, impedes the nation's development and gives rise to economic and social challenges, primarily affecting ordinary Iranians.

Hostile external forces are seeking to exploit mounting public tension to destabilise and undermine the Iranian state. The notorious methods of colour revolutions are being employed, whereby peaceful protests are transformed — through the efforts of provocateurs trained and armed abroad — into brutal and senseless acts of violence, including riots, the murder of law enforcement officers and civilians, and even children.

We unequivocally condemn subversive external interference in Iran's internal political processes. It is particularly noteworthy that the Iranian government has demonstrated a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with society to identify effective means of mitigating the adverse socioeconomic consequences of the West's hostile policies.

❗️ The threats emanating from Washington regarding further military strikes against Iran are categorically unacceptable.

Those who contemplate using externally instigated unrest as a pretext to repeat the aggression against Iran, as witnessed in June 2025, must be fully aware of the detrimental repercussions such actions would have for the Middle East and global international security. We also firmly reject the brazen attempts to blackmail Iran's foreign partners through the imposition of increased trade tariffs.

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⚡️ On January 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation summoned the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United Kingdom in Russia Danae Dholakia and issued a strong protest in connection with information obtained by the competent Russian authorities indicating that one of the diplomatic staff members of the British Embassy is affiliated with the UK’s special services.

Danae Dholakia was informed that, in view of this and in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, the accreditation of the said individual is being withdrawn.

The individual concerned is required to leave the territory of the Russian Federation within two weeks.

It was once again emphasized that Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared officers of the British intelligence services on Russian territory.

It was noted that Russia’s uncompromising line on this matter will continue to be pursued in strict accordance with the interests of the country’s national security.

A warning was also issued that, should London choose to escalate the situation, the Russian Side will deliver a firm, reciprocal response.

🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Namibia's Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi (Moscow, 14 January 2026)

💬 When the United States begins to act in disregard of all the norms it once promoted, advocating a model it termed "globalisation", and subsequently abandons all its own principles, it raises the question of whether our American colleagues appear unreliable when behaving in such a manner.

They are betting on the idea that wherever there is oil or other strategically important natural resources, they should think only of how to advance their own interests, employing threats and methods of direct pressure, such as tariffs, to achieve this [...]

When a powerful country like the United States resorts to such unscrupulous methods – methods of unfair competition – it only indicates that the competitive standing of the United States is steadily deteriorating. However, there must be more equitable ways to defend one's position than the blatantly discriminatory deployment of sanctions.

This cannot persist indefinitely, as it will lead to an even more severe crisis in international economic and political relations. We openly discuss this issue in our ongoing dialogue with Washington, and we wish to continue it. There must be some semblance of a foundational order in the methods employed on the international stage.

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🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's remarks during the ceremony for presenting letters of credence from newly appointed ambassadors of foreign nations (Moscow, 15 January 2026)

💬 Russia is sincerely committed to the ideals of a multipolar world. Our country has always pursued and will continue to pursue a balanced, constructive foreign policy course that takes into account both our national interests and the objective trends of global development.

We are determined to maintain truly open and mutually advantageous relations with all partners interested in cooperation, deepening ties in politics, the economy and culture, and jointly confronting acute challenges and common threats.

Russia advocates for strengthening the key, central role of the United Nations in global affairs.

Eight decades ago, our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, having emerged victorious in the Second World War, were able to unite, find a balance of interests, and agree on the fundamental rules and principles of international communication, enshrining them in their entirety, completeness, and interconnectedness in the UN Charter.

The imperatives of this foundational document, such as equality, respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue, are now more relevant than ever.

Most importantly, we must proceed from the understanding that security must be truly comprehensive and, therefore, equal and indivisible, and it cannot be ensured for some at the expense of the security of others.

Disregarding this basic, vital principle has never led to anything good and never will. This has been clearly demonstrated by the crisis around Ukraine, which became a direct consequence of years of ignoring Russia's legitimate interests and a deliberate policy of creating threats to our security, including the advancement of the NATO bloc towards Russia's borders – contrary to the public promises made to us [...]

🌐 Russia has repeatedly put forward initiatives to build a new, reliable, and fair architecture of European and global security. We have proposed options and rational solutions that could satisfy everyone in America, Europe, Asia, and across the world.

We believe it would be worthwhile to return to a substantive discussion of these proposals to establish the conditions under which a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine could be achieved – and the sooner, the better.

It is precisely a long-term and sustainable peace, one that reliably ensures the security of all and everyone, that our country strives for. Not everywhere, including in Kiev and the capitals that support it, are they ready for this.

But we hope that an awareness of this necessity will come sooner or later. Until then, Russia will continue to consistently pursue its objectives.

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