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🇷🇺 Excerpts from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement to the press following the 80th Victory Day anniversary events:
📍 May 11, 2025, Moscow
❌ Russia has repeatedly put forward initiatives for a ceasefire, but they have been sabotaged time and again by the Ukrainian side. For example, the Kiev regime blatantly violated around 130 times the 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy facilities, which was in effect from March 18 to April 17 and was declared in accordance with our agreement with President Trump.
❌ The Easter truce, initiated by Russia, was also not observed: the ceasefire was violated nearly 5,000 times by Ukrainian forces. Nevertheless, for the celebration of Victory Day which we also consider a sacred holiday we declared a ceasefire for the third time. We also communicated our position on this issue to the Western colleagues who, in my view, are sincerely seeking ways to resolve the situation. We made it clear that we do not rule out the possibility of extending the ceasefire in the future — but, of course, only after analyzing what happens over these few days and how the Kiev regime responds to our proposal.
❌ And what do we see? What are the results? The Kiev authorities not only rejected our proposal for a Victory Day ceasefire, but, as we all saw, they also tried to intimidate the leaders of the states who came to the celebrations in Moscow.
❗️ Let me reiterate: we have repeatedly proposed steps toward a ceasefire. We have never refused dialogue with the Ukrainian side. Let me also remind you: we were not the ones who broke off negotiations in 2022 – the Ukrainian side did. In this regard, despite everything, we propose that the Kiev authorities resume negotiations, which they broke off at the end of 2022 — resume direct talks. And I emphasize: without any preconditions.
❗️ We propose to begin without delay, next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where the negotiations were previously held and where they were interrupted.
🇹🇷 As is known, our Turkish colleagues have repeatedly offered their services to organize such negotiations, and President Erdoğan has done a great deal to facilitate them. I remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared and initialed by the head of the Kiev delegation, but under pressure from the West, it was simply discarded. Tomorrow, we have a scheduled conversation with President Erdoğan. I intend to ask him to provide such an opportunity for holding negotiations in Türkiye. I hope he will confirm his desire to facilitate the search for peace in Ukraine.
🕊️ We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine. The goal is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to establish a long-term, sustainable peace with historical perspective. We do not rule out that during these negotiations, it may be possible to agree on new ceasefires or a new cessation of hostilities. A real truce – one that would be observed not only by Russia but also by Ukraine – could be the first step, I repeat, toward long-term, stable peace, rather than a prelude to the continuation of armed conflict after the rearming and reorganization of the Ukrainian armed forces and the frantic digging of new trenches and strongholds.
🇺🇦 Our proposal, as they say, is on the table. The decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities and their handlers, who, it seems, are driven by personal political ambitions rather than the interests of their people and who want to continue the war against Russia with the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.
📖 FULL STATEMENT
📍 May 11, 2025, Moscow
❌ Russia has repeatedly put forward initiatives for a ceasefire, but they have been sabotaged time and again by the Ukrainian side. For example, the Kiev regime blatantly violated around 130 times the 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy facilities, which was in effect from March 18 to April 17 and was declared in accordance with our agreement with President Trump.
❌ The Easter truce, initiated by Russia, was also not observed: the ceasefire was violated nearly 5,000 times by Ukrainian forces. Nevertheless, for the celebration of Victory Day which we also consider a sacred holiday we declared a ceasefire for the third time. We also communicated our position on this issue to the Western colleagues who, in my view, are sincerely seeking ways to resolve the situation. We made it clear that we do not rule out the possibility of extending the ceasefire in the future — but, of course, only after analyzing what happens over these few days and how the Kiev regime responds to our proposal.
❌ And what do we see? What are the results? The Kiev authorities not only rejected our proposal for a Victory Day ceasefire, but, as we all saw, they also tried to intimidate the leaders of the states who came to the celebrations in Moscow.
❗️ Let me reiterate: we have repeatedly proposed steps toward a ceasefire. We have never refused dialogue with the Ukrainian side. Let me also remind you: we were not the ones who broke off negotiations in 2022 – the Ukrainian side did. In this regard, despite everything, we propose that the Kiev authorities resume negotiations, which they broke off at the end of 2022 — resume direct talks. And I emphasize: without any preconditions.
❗️ We propose to begin without delay, next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where the negotiations were previously held and where they were interrupted.
🇹🇷 As is known, our Turkish colleagues have repeatedly offered their services to organize such negotiations, and President Erdoğan has done a great deal to facilitate them. I remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared and initialed by the head of the Kiev delegation, but under pressure from the West, it was simply discarded. Tomorrow, we have a scheduled conversation with President Erdoğan. I intend to ask him to provide such an opportunity for holding negotiations in Türkiye. I hope he will confirm his desire to facilitate the search for peace in Ukraine.
🕊️ We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine. The goal is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to establish a long-term, sustainable peace with historical perspective. We do not rule out that during these negotiations, it may be possible to agree on new ceasefires or a new cessation of hostilities. A real truce – one that would be observed not only by Russia but also by Ukraine – could be the first step, I repeat, toward long-term, stable peace, rather than a prelude to the continuation of armed conflict after the rearming and reorganization of the Ukrainian armed forces and the frantic digging of new trenches and strongholds.
🇺🇦 Our proposal, as they say, is on the table. The decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities and their handlers, who, it seems, are driven by personal political ambitions rather than the interests of their people and who want to continue the war against Russia with the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.
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🌐 География участников «Бессмертного полка» оказалась широкой – каждый желающий мог оставить запись о своём родном городе. Праздник объединил наших соотечественников и друзей из России, Украины, Болгарии, Белоруссии, Латвии и Сербии.
🤝 От всей души благодарим организаторов мероприятия – членов оргкомитета международной историко-патриотической акции, а также всех, кто присоединился к нам в этот важный день. Мы выражаем признательность властям Женевы, которые дали возможность людям почтить память своих великих предков, а также тем, кто не стал портить общий праздник и воздержался от дешёвых провокаций.
💬 Как отметил Постпред России при Отделении ООН в Женеве Г.М.Гатилов:
🇨🇭 То, что кантональные власти Женевы разрешили проведение «Бессмертного полка», – уже хорошая новость. Хотелось бы надеяться, что швейцарцы и впредь будут действовать в таком конструктивном русле, восстанавливая нейтральный статус Конфедерации – как в отношении России, так и на международной арене в целом.
#Победа80
#БессмертныйПолк
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🌐 The “Immortal Regiment” had a broad geography – participants had a chance to leave notes indicating their hometowns. The event brought together compatriots and friends from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belarus, Latvia, and Serbia.
🤝 We sincerely thank the organizers – members of the organizing committee of this international historical and patriotic initiative – as well as everyone who joined us on this important day. We are grateful to the Geneva authorities for giving people the opportunity to honor the memory of their great ancestors, and to those who chose not to disrupt the event with cheap provocations.
💬 Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Ambassador Gennady Gatilov:
🇨🇭 “The fact that the cantonal authorities of Geneva allowed the ‘Immortal Regiment’ to take place is already good news. We hope that Switzerland will continue to act in this constructive spirit, restoring the Confederation’s neutral status – both in relation to Russia and on the international stage as a whole”.
#Victory80
#ImmortalRegiment
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🤝 На празднике мы были рады видеть наших добрых друзей и коллег из Посольства России в Берне и Генконсульства в Женеве, российского представительства при ВТО, постпредств Азербайджана, Армении, Белоруссии, Казахстана, Кыргызстана, Таджикистана и Туркменистана, сотрудников международных организаций системы ООН, а также швейцарских друзей и наших соотечественников – участников «Бессмертного полка», который состоялся на площади Наций.
🎶 По традиции «маёвка» запомнилась своей душевной творческой программой. Спасибо ученикам и преподавателям нашей школы, музыкальному коллективу ВИА «Вторая молодость», солисту Большого театра Женевы Д.Тихонову, белорусской певице М.Мельниковой, а также коллегам из Постпредства Армении за национальный танец «Кочари», который советские воины станцевали на ступенях поверженного Рейхстага в мае 1945 г.
🐺 Особую признательность выражаем байкерам швейцарского отделения «Ночных волков». Они помогали обеспечивать порядок на «Бессмертном полку» и проехали сотни километров, чтобы разделить с нами этот важный день. В этом году в нашу дипмиссию также была доставлена частица Вечного огня с Красной площади, которая проделала большой путь через Европу: Москва – Минск – Берлин – Базель – Берн – Женева. Это стало возможным благодаря усилиям активистов движения «Народный фронт».
💬 Постпред России при Отделении ООН в Женеве Г.М.Гатилов:
🥇 «В этот особенный праздник я бы хотел процитировать маршала Победы, Г.К.Жукова: ‘Время не имеет власти над величием всего, что мы пережили в войну. А народ, переживший однажды большие испытания, будет и впредь черпать силы в этой Победе’. Эти слова Георгия Константиновича всегда остаются с нами и служат верным ориентиром».
#Победа80
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🤝 We were delighted to welcome our dear friends and colleagues from the Russian Embassy in Bern and the Consulate General in Geneva, the Russian Mission to the WTO, the Permanent Missions of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, staff of international organizations within the UN, as well as our Swiss friends and compatriots – participants of the “Immortal Regiment” held at the Place des Nations.
🎶 As always, the Mayovka was remembered for its heartfelt cultural program. Our thanks go to the students and teachers of our school, the “Second Youth” ensemble, soloist of the Grand Théâtre de Genève Dmitry Tikhonov, Belarusian singer Marina Melnikova, and our colleagues from the Armenian Mission for performing the national dance Kochari – the same dance Soviet soldiers performed on the steps of the conquered Reichstag in May 1945.
🐺 We extend special gratitude to the “Night Wolves”. These bikers helped maintain order during the “Immortal Regiment” and rode hundreds of kilometers to share this important day with us. This year, the Eternal Flame from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow was brought to our Mission – a symbol of remembrance that traveled a long way through Europe: Moscow – Minsk – Berlin – Basel – Bern – Geneva. This was made possible through the efforts of activists from the "People’s Front" movement.
💬 Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Ambassador Gennady Gatilov:
🥇 “On this special holiday, I would like to quote Marshal Zhukov: ‘Time holds no power over the greatness of all that we lived through during the war. And the nation that once endured great trials will continue to draw strength from this Victory.’ These words of Georgy Zhukov continue to guide us”.
#Victory80
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🎙 Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question
❓ Question: Zelensky said that he was ready to travel to Istanbul on May 15 to take part in the talks on settling the Ukraine crisis. In their reporting on this matter, certain media outlets have recalled that Vladimir Putin has met Zelensky only once – it happened in Paris back in December 2019. During the meeting, they discussed renewing the Minsk agreements which were signed in 2014 and 2015, but were unable to agree on a treaty. But what was the actual situation at that time with respect to that matter?
💬 Maria Zakharova: Indeed, the Normandy format summit in Paris on December 9, 2019, was the one and only time when President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Zelensky. However, extending the Minsk agreements was not and could not have been on the agenda. Signed on February 12, 2015 in Minsk, this Package of Measures was designed as an open-ended agreement (with no expiration date), setting forth a final settlement in the intra-Ukrainian conflict between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk. The UN Security Council approved this document.
As during the earlier Normandy Format summits in Paris in 2015 and in Berlin in 2016, the 2019 summit focused on specific steps the parties to the agreements, primarily Kiev, had to take in order to ensure that the specific provisions of the Minsk Package of Measures are fully carried out.
We remember well the 2019 summit in Paris for Zelensky’s provocative negotiating tactic when he suddenly refused to approve the outcome document despite the fact that it was already drafted and coordinated by the parties involved, including Kiev. He asked to remove the provision on the separation of forces along the entire line of contact and insisted on replacing it with a provision which provided for the separation of forces in three sections only. However, he failed to deliver even on these commitments which he had articulated himself.
In August 2022, then Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Alexey Danilov, who no longer serves in this position, acknowledged that Kiev did not intend to deliver on any of its commitments at that time, while focusing all its efforts on preparing for war with Russia. This is what he told NTA, a Ukrainian television network: “War preparations started after the December 9, 2019 meeting in Paris when Zelensky did not accept the terms Russia, France and Germany were offering. Zelensky said that there would be no Minsk 3 deal. The next day, it started to become increasingly clear to us that a big war with Russia was imminent.”
Later, it turned out that Berlin and Paris were helping Kiev prepare for war. In 2022, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French president François Hollande said that no one planned to execute the Minsk agreements, and that the sole purpose of this deal consisted of winning time for preparing Ukraine to settle the so-called Donbass issue by force.
❗️ Today, these same countries are pushing for a 30-day truce to give Kiev a respite and enable it to restore its military capabilities to be able to continue confronting Russia.
❓ Question: Zelensky said that he was ready to travel to Istanbul on May 15 to take part in the talks on settling the Ukraine crisis. In their reporting on this matter, certain media outlets have recalled that Vladimir Putin has met Zelensky only once – it happened in Paris back in December 2019. During the meeting, they discussed renewing the Minsk agreements which were signed in 2014 and 2015, but were unable to agree on a treaty. But what was the actual situation at that time with respect to that matter?
💬 Maria Zakharova: Indeed, the Normandy format summit in Paris on December 9, 2019, was the one and only time when President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Zelensky. However, extending the Minsk agreements was not and could not have been on the agenda. Signed on February 12, 2015 in Minsk, this Package of Measures was designed as an open-ended agreement (with no expiration date), setting forth a final settlement in the intra-Ukrainian conflict between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk. The UN Security Council approved this document.
As during the earlier Normandy Format summits in Paris in 2015 and in Berlin in 2016, the 2019 summit focused on specific steps the parties to the agreements, primarily Kiev, had to take in order to ensure that the specific provisions of the Minsk Package of Measures are fully carried out.
We remember well the 2019 summit in Paris for Zelensky’s provocative negotiating tactic when he suddenly refused to approve the outcome document despite the fact that it was already drafted and coordinated by the parties involved, including Kiev. He asked to remove the provision on the separation of forces along the entire line of contact and insisted on replacing it with a provision which provided for the separation of forces in three sections only. However, he failed to deliver even on these commitments which he had articulated himself.
In August 2022, then Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Alexey Danilov, who no longer serves in this position, acknowledged that Kiev did not intend to deliver on any of its commitments at that time, while focusing all its efforts on preparing for war with Russia. This is what he told NTA, a Ukrainian television network: “War preparations started after the December 9, 2019 meeting in Paris when Zelensky did not accept the terms Russia, France and Germany were offering. Zelensky said that there would be no Minsk 3 deal. The next day, it started to become increasingly clear to us that a big war with Russia was imminent.”
Later, it turned out that Berlin and Paris were helping Kiev prepare for war. In 2022, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French president François Hollande said that no one planned to execute the Minsk agreements, and that the sole purpose of this deal consisted of winning time for preparing Ukraine to settle the so-called Donbass issue by force.
❗️ Today, these same countries are pushing for a 30-day truce to give Kiev a respite and enable it to restore its military capabilities to be able to continue confronting Russia.
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"ТОРГОВЛЯ И РАЗВИТИЕ" - АПРЕЛЬ 2025
❗ В ежемесячном дайджесте Постпредства России в Женеве «Торговля и развитие» - ключевая аналитика и новости ЮНКТАД, а также других экономических организаций ООН в Женеве.
📊 В фокусе за апрель: прогноз развития мировой экономики в 2025 г., влияние повышения торговых тарифов на развивающиеся страны, потенциал рынка искусственного интеллекта и другие темы.
📁 СКАЧАТЬ (PDF)
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🇷🇺🇫🇷🇨🇭 On May 8, when European countries commemorated Victory Day over Nazi Germany, Russian compatriots from Switzerland and France gathered in the picturesque French village of Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières to honor the memory of Soviet soldiers who bravely fought as part of the French Resistance, within the Liberté-Chérie ("Beloved Freedom") unit.
🪦 Buried in the cemetery of the local church lie Pavel Zimmermann (codenames Alex/Vladimir) and Vasily Dorganov. Pavel was the son of a Russian imperial officer in exile, Vasily – a Red Army soldier from Kiev and a participant in the Battle of Stalingrad. Fate brought them together thousands of kilometers from their Motherland, yet both managed to escape from German captivity and join the French partisans of Haute-Savoie.
🧧 Pavel Zimmermann’s heroism is remembered here. In January 1944, his unit encountered a German convoy. After being wounded, Pavel stayed behind to cover his comrades’ retreat and fought alone against vastly superior enemy forces. He heroically held the line for an entire hour, thereby saving the lives of his fellow partisans. The Germans buried his body – a rare gesture at the time, a recognition of Pavel’s bravery, even by the enemy.
🧧 Vasily Dorganov’s courage was no less remarkable. In March 1944, he took part in the defense of the Glières Plateau, where several hundred partisans faced thousands of Wehrmacht soldiers and French collaborators. Dorganov’s group was one of the few that managed to retain their weapons and break out of the encirclement without losses. On August 2, 1944 – just two weeks before the full liberation of the Haute-Savoie region – Vasily tragically died from an accidental rifle shot during the inspection of a truck at a partisan checkpoint.
🕯️ Years ago, French comrades-in-arms of Pavel and Vasily placed a memorial plaque on their grave with the inscription: “Soviet soldiers who escaped from Germany and joined the Resistance. Heroically died in battle for freedom and for France”.
💬 As our compatriots noted:
#Victory80
🪦 Buried in the cemetery of the local church lie Pavel Zimmermann (codenames Alex/Vladimir) and Vasily Dorganov. Pavel was the son of a Russian imperial officer in exile, Vasily – a Red Army soldier from Kiev and a participant in the Battle of Stalingrad. Fate brought them together thousands of kilometers from their Motherland, yet both managed to escape from German captivity and join the French partisans of Haute-Savoie.
🕯️ Years ago, French comrades-in-arms of Pavel and Vasily placed a memorial plaque on their grave with the inscription: “Soviet soldiers who escaped from Germany and joined the Resistance. Heroically died in battle for freedom and for France”.
💬 As our compatriots noted:
💐 “The least we can do is preserve the memory of the wartime paths of Pavel and Vasily, and the heroism of all Soviet soldiers who fought in the ranks of the French Resistance and brought the shared Victory closer. It was especially heartbreaking to see today that, on the 80th anniversary of Victory, no one had yet come to the graves of the French Resistance fighters, buried right beside Zimmermann and Dorganov. Perhaps this is how history and memory slowly ‘fade away’ from people’s hearts. But we have no moral right to let that happen!”
#Victory80
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🎙 Head of the Russian delegation at the Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky:
📍 May 16, 2025, Türkiye
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Negotiations with the Ukrainian side, organized at the initiative of the Russian President, have just concluded.
❗️ Overall, we are satisfied with the outcome and are ready to continue contacts. Here is what was agreed upon:
1️⃣ First, a large-scale POW exchange – 1,000 for 1,000 – will take place in the coming days.
2️⃣ Second, the Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the heads of state. We have taken note of this request.
3️⃣ Third, we agreed that each side will present its vision for a possible future ceasefire in detailed written form. Once these proposals are submitted, we deem it necessary to proceed with further negotiations, as we agreed.
📍 May 16, 2025, Türkiye
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Negotiations with the Ukrainian side, organized at the initiative of the Russian President, have just concluded.
❗️ Overall, we are satisfied with the outcome and are ready to continue contacts. Here is what was agreed upon:
1️⃣ First, a large-scale POW exchange – 1,000 for 1,000 – will take place in the coming days.
2️⃣ Second, the Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the heads of state. We have taken note of this request.
3️⃣ Third, we agreed that each side will present its vision for a possible future ceasefire in detailed written form. Once these proposals are submitted, we deem it necessary to proceed with further negotiations, as we agreed.
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📩 Вчера направили в адрес Управления Верховного комиссара ООН по правам человека (УВКПЧ) очередной документ, в котором приводятся конкретные примеры систематического подавления свободы слова, преследования российских журналистов и СМИ более чем в 15 западных странах.
🔇 В числе зафиксированных нарушений – необоснованные блокировки российских и русскоязычных СМИ, введение санкций в отношении редакций и корреспондентов, запугивание, давление и даже физическое устранение отдельных представителей прессы. По сути, речь идёт о грубой цензуре и подавлении альтернативных точек зрения под предлогом борьбы с так называемой «дезинформацией».
🇺🇳 В соответствующей ноте Постпредства потребовали довести изложенные факты до сведения Верховного комиссара ООН по правам человека Ф.Тюрка, Специального докладчика по вопросам свободы мнений и их свободного выражения И.Хан, а также членов Комитета по правам человека.
❗️ Рассчитываю, что у Верховного комиссара и экспертов-правозащитников, упорно закрывающих глаза на творящийся в западных странах произвол в данной сфере, всё же проснётся совесть и они смогут дать, наконец, принципиальную оценку вопиющим фактам преследования российских СМИ.
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📩 Yesterday, we submitted another document to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), providing specific examples of the systematic suppression of free speech and the persecution of Russian journalists and media in more than 15 Western countries.
🔇 Among the documented violations are unjustified blocking of Russian and Russian-language media, imposition of sanctions against editorial offices and correspondents, intimidation, pressure, and even physical elimination of members of the press. In essence, this is blatant censorship and suppression of alternative viewpoints under the pretext of combating so-called “disinformation”.
🇺🇳 In the corresponding diplomatic note, our Permanent Mission demanded that these facts be brought to the attention of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan, and the members of the Human Rights Committee.
❗️ We expect that the High Commissioner and human rights experts, who have persistently turned a blind eye to the lawlessness taking place in Western countries in this area, will finally find the courage to give a principled assessment of the blatant persecution of Russian media.
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⚡️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s statement to the media following a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump (May 19, 2025)
💬 Vladimir Putin: Good evening.
Our colleagues asked me to briefly comment on the outcome of my telephone conversation with the President of the United States.
This conversation has effectively taken place and lasted more than two hours. I would like to emphasise that it was both substantive and quite candid. Overall, I believe it was a very productive exchange.
First and foremost, I expressed my gratitude to the President of the United States for the support provided by the United States in facilitating the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at potentially reaching a peace agreement and resuming the talks which, as we know, were thwarted by the Ukrainian side in 2022.
The President of the United States shared his position on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most effective ways towards achieving peace.
We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would include outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary agreements be reached.
Contacts among participants of the Istanbul meeting and talks have resumed, which gives reason to believe that we are on the right track overall.
I would like to reiterate that the conversation was highly constructive, and I assess it positively.
The key issue, of course, is now for the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to show their firm commitment to peace and to forge a compromise that would be acceptable to all parties.
☝️ Notably, Russia’s position is clear. Eliminating the root causes of this crisis is what matters most to us.
Should any clarifications be necessary, Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov and my aide, Mr Yuri Ushakov, will provide further details on today’s telephone talks with President Trump.
💬 Vladimir Putin: Good evening.
Our colleagues asked me to briefly comment on the outcome of my telephone conversation with the President of the United States.
This conversation has effectively taken place and lasted more than two hours. I would like to emphasise that it was both substantive and quite candid. Overall, I believe it was a very productive exchange.
First and foremost, I expressed my gratitude to the President of the United States for the support provided by the United States in facilitating the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at potentially reaching a peace agreement and resuming the talks which, as we know, were thwarted by the Ukrainian side in 2022.
The President of the United States shared his position on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most effective ways towards achieving peace.
We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would include outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for settlement, the timeframe for a possible peace deal, and other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary agreements be reached.
Contacts among participants of the Istanbul meeting and talks have resumed, which gives reason to believe that we are on the right track overall.
I would like to reiterate that the conversation was highly constructive, and I assess it positively.
The key issue, of course, is now for the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to show their firm commitment to peace and to forge a compromise that would be acceptable to all parties.
☝️ Notably, Russia’s position is clear. Eliminating the root causes of this crisis is what matters most to us.
Should any clarifications be necessary, Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov and my aide, Mr Yuri Ushakov, will provide further details on today’s telephone talks with President Trump.
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📍 21 мая 2025 г.
✅ 20 мая 2025 г. Всемирная ассамблея здравоохранения (ВАЗ) одобрила резолюцию, которая зафиксировала результаты работы созданного в 2021 г. Межправительственного переговорного органа (МППО) для подготовки и согласования проекта соглашения по предупреждению пандемий, обеспечению готовности к ним и реагированию на них.
🦠 При рассмотрении итогового доклада МППО в рамках Комитета «А» сессии ВАЗ российская делегация в составе представителей Минздрава, Роспотребнадзора, МИД и других профильных ведомств напомнила о первопричине, побудившей начать переговоры о разработке Соглашения – махинациях коллективного Запада и западных фармацевтических гигантов во время пандемии COVID-19, перед которыми оказались беззащитны страны Глобального Юга.
🤝 Россия оказывала помощь нуждающимся странам, и готова и далее задействовать весь спектр возможностей для наращивания содействия развивающимся государствам с учётом их потребностей и без политических условий в целях обретения партнёрами подлинной независимости в деле защиты здоровья своего населения от угрозы инфекций.
📄 Несмотря на попытки навязать в проекте Соглашения несогласованные подходы и концепции, создать механизмы внешнего мониторинга, расширить мандат Всемирной организации здравоохранения, российской делегации удалось сфокусировать документ на таких приоритетных задачах, как формирование условий для равноправного диалога по вопросам здравоохранения и обмена передовым опытом. В тексте документа зафиксированы предложенные российской стороной положения о незыблемости суверенного права государств принимать законы и применять законодательство в пределах своей юрисдикции, необходимости обеспечения биобезопасности.
🚧 Работа над Соглашением не завершена. В июле 2025 г. пройдёт первое заседание Межправительственной рабочей группы открытого состава, созданной в целях согласования неотъемлемой части Соглашения – Приложения, определяющего модальности функционирования «Системы обеспечения доступа к патогенам и справедливого распределения выгод».
🇷🇺 При голосовании по проекту резолюции российская делегация воздержалась. В заявлении по мотивам голосования было подчеркнуто, что Российская Федерация выстраивает работу в сфере реагирования на чрезвычайные ситуации в здравоохранении, исходя из интересов российского народа, приоритетов в области защиты здоровья населения, национальных правил, норм и стандартов, с опорой на Конституцию Российской Федерации.
❌ Принятие резолюции на сессии ВАЗ не означает присоединения стран к Соглашению и уж тем более - начала работы по его реализации.
❌ Соглашение не будет открыто для подписания до тех пор, пока не будет разработано и одобрено ВАЗ Приложение о «Системе обеспечения доступа к патогенам и справедливого распределения выгод».
❗️После вступления в силу Соглашение будет носить юридически обязывающий характер только для присоединившихся к нему сторон, а не для всех государств-членов ВОЗ.
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📍 May 21, 2025
✅ On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a resolution endorsing the results of the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established in 2021 to draft and negotiate an agreement for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
🦠 During the discussion on the INB report in Committee A of the WHA session, the Russian delegation – comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, Rospotrebnadzor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant agencies – reminded participants of the key reason that triggered negotiations on the Agreement: the manipulations of the collective West and major Western pharmaceutical corporations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which left countries of the Global South vulnerable.
🤝 Russia provided assistance to countries in need and remains ready to utilize all available tools to further support developing nations, taking into account their needs and without political conditionalities, to help them achieve genuine independence in protecting the health of their populations from infectious diseases.
📄 Despite attempts to impose uncoordinated approaches and concepts in the draft Agreement, create external monitoring mechanisms, and expand the mandate of the World Health Organization, the Russian delegation succeeded in focusing the document on such priorities as creating conditions for equal dialogue on health issues and sharing best practices. The document includes provisions proposed by Russia regarding the inviolability of the sovereign right of states to enact and enforce laws within their jurisdictions and the importance of ensuring biosafety.
🚧 The Agreement is far from being finalized. In July 2025, the first meeting of the open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group will take place to negotiate an essential component of the Agreement – its Annex, which will define the modalities of the “Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System”.
🇷🇺 The Russian delegation abstained during the vote on the draft resolution. In explanation of position after the vote, it emphasized that the Russian Federation builds its emergency health response based on the interests of the Russian people, national priorities in public health protection, domestic laws, rules, and standards, and in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
❌ The adoption of the resolution by the WHA does not mean that countries are joining the Agreement – much less that its implementation has begun.
❌ The Agreement will not be open for signature until the Annex on the “Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System” is developed and approved by the WHA.
❗️ Once in force, the Agreement will be legally binding only for its signatories – not for all WHO Member States.
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🎙 21 мая "на полях" 78-й сессии Всемирной Ассамблеи здравоохранения министерства здравоохранения 🇷🇺России, 🇧🇷Бразилии, 🇨🇳Китая, 🇨🇺Кубы, 🇮🇩Индонезии и 🇿🇦Южной Африки организовали официальное сопутствующее мероприятие по теме "Новые перспективы для мира без туберкулёза".
🤝 В мероприятии участвовали Министр здравоохранения Кубы Хосе Анхель Порталь Миранда, Генеральный директор Всемирной организации здравоохранения Тедрос Адханом, руководство министерств здравоохранения стран БРИКС, представители гражданского общества и профильных международных организаций.
🔬 Участники обсудили достигнутый странами прогресс в борьбе с туберкулёзом на глобальном и национальном уровнях, стратегические инициативы и скоординированные действия, направленные на искоренение туберкулёза – ведущей причины смерти в мире от инфекционных заболеваний. Только в 2023 г. от туберкулёза умерло 1,25 миллиона человек, включая 161,000 ВИЧ-инфицированных. Несмотря на то, что с 2000 г. благодаря глобальным усилиям удалось спасти около 79 миллионов жизней, заболевание по-прежнему непропорционально сильно сказывается на уязвимых группах населения и препятствует устойчивому развитию.
🎯 Участники мероприятия рассмотрели ход выполнения обязательств, принятых на Совещании высокого уровня ГА ООН по туберкулёзу в 2023 г., по итогам которого главы государств и правительств одобрили ряд амбициозных целей. В настоящее время приоритетными задачами являются устойчивое управление мерами по борьбе с заболеванием, активизация исследований и инноваций, наращивание финансирования.
🇷🇺 Россия вносит весомый вклад в борьбу туберкулёзом, добилась значительных успехов в данной сфере и готова продолжать наращивать конструктивное взаимодействие с партнёрами в интересах снижения бремени этого опасного заболевания.
🤝 В мероприятии участвовали Министр здравоохранения Кубы Хосе Анхель Порталь Миранда, Генеральный директор Всемирной организации здравоохранения Тедрос Адханом, руководство министерств здравоохранения стран БРИКС, представители гражданского общества и профильных международных организаций.
🔬 Участники обсудили достигнутый странами прогресс в борьбе с туберкулёзом на глобальном и национальном уровнях, стратегические инициативы и скоординированные действия, направленные на искоренение туберкулёза – ведущей причины смерти в мире от инфекционных заболеваний. Только в 2023 г. от туберкулёза умерло 1,25 миллиона человек, включая 161,000 ВИЧ-инфицированных. Несмотря на то, что с 2000 г. благодаря глобальным усилиям удалось спасти около 79 миллионов жизней, заболевание по-прежнему непропорционально сильно сказывается на уязвимых группах населения и препятствует устойчивому развитию.
🎯 Участники мероприятия рассмотрели ход выполнения обязательств, принятых на Совещании высокого уровня ГА ООН по туберкулёзу в 2023 г., по итогам которого главы государств и правительств одобрили ряд амбициозных целей. В настоящее время приоритетными задачами являются устойчивое управление мерами по борьбе с заболеванием, активизация исследований и инноваций, наращивание финансирования.
🇷🇺 Россия вносит весомый вклад в борьбу туберкулёзом, добилась значительных успехов в данной сфере и готова продолжать наращивать конструктивное взаимодействие с партнёрами в интересах снижения бремени этого опасного заболевания.
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🎙 On May 21, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the World Health Assembly, the Ministries of Health of 🇷🇺Russia, 🇧🇷Brazil, 🇨🇳China, 🇨🇺Cuba, 🇮🇩Indonesia, and 🇿🇦South Africa organized an official side event on the topic “New Perspectives for a World Free of Tuberculosis”.
🤝 The event was attended by Cuban Minister of Health José Ángel Portal Miranda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, senior officials from BRICS health ministries, representatives of civil society, and relevant international organizations.
🔬 Participants discussed the progress made by countries in combating tuberculosis at both global and national levels, as well as strategic initiatives and coordinated actions aimed at eradicating tuberculosis - the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. In 2023 alone, 1.25 million people died from tuberculosis, including 161,000 people living with HIV. Although around 79 million lives have been saved since 2000 through global efforts, the disease continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and hinders sustainable development.
🎯 Participants reviewed the progress in fulfilling the commitments made at the 2023 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, where heads of state and government endorsed a set of ambitious targets. Current priorities include sustainable disease control efforts, intensified research and innovation, and increased funding.
🇷🇺 Russia is making a significant contribution to the fight against tuberculosis, has achieved notable progress in this area, and is ready to further strengthen constructive cooperation with partners to reduce the burden of this dangerous disease.
🤝 The event was attended by Cuban Minister of Health José Ángel Portal Miranda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, senior officials from BRICS health ministries, representatives of civil society, and relevant international organizations.
🔬 Participants discussed the progress made by countries in combating tuberculosis at both global and national levels, as well as strategic initiatives and coordinated actions aimed at eradicating tuberculosis - the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. In 2023 alone, 1.25 million people died from tuberculosis, including 161,000 people living with HIV. Although around 79 million lives have been saved since 2000 through global efforts, the disease continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and hinders sustainable development.
🎯 Participants reviewed the progress in fulfilling the commitments made at the 2023 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, where heads of state and government endorsed a set of ambitious targets. Current priorities include sustainable disease control efforts, intensified research and innovation, and increased funding.
🇷🇺 Russia is making a significant contribution to the fight against tuberculosis, has achieved notable progress in this area, and is ready to further strengthen constructive cooperation with partners to reduce the burden of this dangerous disease.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answers to media questions (Moscow, May 23, 2025)
Read in full
💬 Sergey Lavrov: From May 20 until 8:00 am on May 23, the Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones - 788 in total - against civilian targets and civilians in Russia. All attacks were repelled, though, regrettably, there are fatalities and injuries. The Foreign Ministry issued a special statement to this effect, which is being widely circulated among governments and international organisations.
We believe these attacks are a direct result of the support provided to Ukrainian Nazis, primarily by a number of European countries, led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the EU leadership. We are convinced that they bear a portion of responsibility for these crimes. We will push to bring an end to this policy.
We are witnessing a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul following an agreement between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump which included a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange and further work on documents setting out specific conditions and requirements that are necessary to reach an agreement.
We will continue working on that despite provocations.
❓Question: Does Russia remain committed to a peaceful settlement?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Yes, we remain committed to a peaceful resolution. We remain open to talks. President Putin has confirmed this many times publicly and in his conversations with foreign leaders. <...> We are finalising preparations for the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange.
We are also working hard on the second part of the agreement, which involves each party preparing a draft document outlining the terms for achieving a durable, lasting, and comprehensive resolution. Once the prisoner exchange is completed, we will be ready to present our draft to the Ukrainian side. The Russian side is in the process of finalising this document.
❓Question: You mentioned that international organisations would be informed about the Foreign Ministry statement. How do you expect them to react?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> We look forward to a response from the UN. So far, statements made by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his official representatives for as long as the special military operation has been underway suggest reluctance - or inability - to carry out their basic duties, especially those relating to upholding the principles of the UN Charter.
❓Question: In the past few weeks, numerous EU leaders and officials visited Kiev, including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Kaja Kallas, among others. Following their visits, there was a noticeable surge in terrorist attacks carried out by Kiev. Do you believe there’s a link? Should Zelensky’s foreign backers bear a portion of responsibility for killing civilians?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: I believe the connection is undeniable.
Those sustaining the Kiev regime, including the figures you mentioned, don’t conceal their role. <...> There certainly is a degree of European responsibility involved. I think that when the conflict is finally resolved, and its outcomes are assessed, it will be difficult for those backing Kiev to avoid accountability.
❓Question: Do you believe that the Western European leaders you mentioned are deliberately trying to thwart President Trump’s mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict? Could jealousy be a factor?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> Their actions is that they still hope to use some people from the US establishment to bring President Trump and his administration back into an anti-Russia camp and share responsibility or even shift the blame. But I believe they won’t succeed this time.
Read in full
💬 Sergey Lavrov: From May 20 until 8:00 am on May 23, the Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones - 788 in total - against civilian targets and civilians in Russia. All attacks were repelled, though, regrettably, there are fatalities and injuries. The Foreign Ministry issued a special statement to this effect, which is being widely circulated among governments and international organisations.
We believe these attacks are a direct result of the support provided to Ukrainian Nazis, primarily by a number of European countries, led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the EU leadership. We are convinced that they bear a portion of responsibility for these crimes. We will push to bring an end to this policy.
We are witnessing a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul following an agreement between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump which included a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange and further work on documents setting out specific conditions and requirements that are necessary to reach an agreement.
We will continue working on that despite provocations.
❓Question: Does Russia remain committed to a peaceful settlement?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Yes, we remain committed to a peaceful resolution. We remain open to talks. President Putin has confirmed this many times publicly and in his conversations with foreign leaders. <...> We are finalising preparations for the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange.
We are also working hard on the second part of the agreement, which involves each party preparing a draft document outlining the terms for achieving a durable, lasting, and comprehensive resolution. Once the prisoner exchange is completed, we will be ready to present our draft to the Ukrainian side. The Russian side is in the process of finalising this document.
❓Question: You mentioned that international organisations would be informed about the Foreign Ministry statement. How do you expect them to react?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> We look forward to a response from the UN. So far, statements made by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his official representatives for as long as the special military operation has been underway suggest reluctance - or inability - to carry out their basic duties, especially those relating to upholding the principles of the UN Charter.
❓Question: In the past few weeks, numerous EU leaders and officials visited Kiev, including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Kaja Kallas, among others. Following their visits, there was a noticeable surge in terrorist attacks carried out by Kiev. Do you believe there’s a link? Should Zelensky’s foreign backers bear a portion of responsibility for killing civilians?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: I believe the connection is undeniable.
Those sustaining the Kiev regime, including the figures you mentioned, don’t conceal their role. <...> There certainly is a degree of European responsibility involved. I think that when the conflict is finally resolved, and its outcomes are assessed, it will be difficult for those backing Kiev to avoid accountability.
❓Question: Do you believe that the Western European leaders you mentioned are deliberately trying to thwart President Trump’s mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict? Could jealousy be a factor?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> Their actions is that they still hope to use some people from the US establishment to bring President Trump and his administration back into an anti-Russia camp and share responsibility or even shift the blame. But I believe they won’t succeed this time.
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💬 High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova:
🕊️ On May 23, following the results of the Istanbul negotiation process, an unprecedented prisoner exchange took place.
🫂 This day was awaited by families, friends, and the entire country – the day our defenders returned home, those who protected the interests of the Motherland, who were essentially held hostage and became victims of the cynical policies of the Ukrainian authorities. The first to arrive were civilian residents of the Kursk region and political prisoners. Each of their stories is worthy of an adventure novel or political thriller.
🇷🇺 Today’s group of returning Russians includes 120 civilians, among them 20 residents of the Kursk Region who had been held in isolation since February. These people are physically and emotionally exhausted. We will support them in every way possible as they return to peaceful life in Russia.
❗ We will not stop until we have done everything possible to bring every Russian citizen home. With pain, we note that 34 individuals are still being held by the Ukrainian side in Sumy.
🙏 I wish all those who have returned from captivity sound health, strength, and a speedy return to a full life. May each of them feel the warmth of their loved ones’ embrace, the support of our country and its people. We stand by your side, and we never abandon our own!
🕊️ On May 23, following the results of the Istanbul negotiation process, an unprecedented prisoner exchange took place.
🫂 This day was awaited by families, friends, and the entire country – the day our defenders returned home, those who protected the interests of the Motherland, who were essentially held hostage and became victims of the cynical policies of the Ukrainian authorities. The first to arrive were civilian residents of the Kursk region and political prisoners. Each of their stories is worthy of an adventure novel or political thriller.
🇷🇺 Today’s group of returning Russians includes 120 civilians, among them 20 residents of the Kursk Region who had been held in isolation since February. These people are physically and emotionally exhausted. We will support them in every way possible as they return to peaceful life in Russia.
❗ We will not stop until we have done everything possible to bring every Russian citizen home. With pain, we note that 34 individuals are still being held by the Ukrainian side in Sumy.
🙏 I wish all those who have returned from captivity sound health, strength, and a speedy return to a full life. May each of them feel the warmth of their loved ones’ embrace, the support of our country and its people. We stand by your side, and we never abandon our own!
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡ Foreign Ministry statement on Kiev’s latest drone attack targeting Russian civilians (May 23, 2025)
The Kiev regime is relentless in its terror attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in numerous Russian regions, including Moscow.
According to the Defence Ministry, from May 20 to 8 am on May 23, the number of aerial attacks amounted to multiples of what it used to be with 788 strikes by fixed-wing UAVs and Western-made missiles targeting Russian territory outside the area of the special military operation. Our air defence forces destroyed 776 drones and missiles, though unfortunately, 12 UAVs made it through our defences and hit their targets.
Casualties have been reported. On May 22, an attack on the village of Panteleymonovka, the Donetsk People’s Republic, wounded eight people. On the same day, a drone strike in the Vasilyevsky Municipal District, Zaporozhye Region, killed a woman born in 1990 and injured four children aged 10, 9, 8, and 1.
On the night of May 23, a downed UAV triggered fire in an industrial zone of Yelets, Lipetsk Region, injuring eight people. Additionally, the Ukrainian forces launched two HIMARS missiles on civilian targets in the city of Lgov, Kursk Region, also resulting in casualties, including two children.
Notably, even after the Ukrainian forces had been ousted from the Kursk Region, they keep trying to infiltrate our territory and launch drone, long-range artillery, and missile attacks.
Under these circumstances, the President was compelled to make a decision on establishing a security buffer zone on adjacent territory in order to minimise the ability of the Ukrainian forces to infiltrate and to attack our border regions using various munitions.
The latest barbaric terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime were carried out in an attempt to thwart direct Russia-Ukraine talks facilitated by the US Administration, which are designed to settle the conflict definitively. They also appear intended to derail the implementation of initial agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, including a massive prisoner exchange.
These attacks are part of the strategy pursued by Ukraine’s party of war, which also includes violations of energy and Easter ceasefires that Russia has strictly observed, as well as the unilateral ceasefire declared by us during the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory celebrations.
Without a doubt, Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime.
Unlike the Ukrainian side, our targets will be strictly limited to military facilities and defence industry plants.
☝️ To reiterate, our fundamental commitment to a constructive search for a peaceful settlement through dialogue remains unchanged.
The Kiev regime is relentless in its terror attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in numerous Russian regions, including Moscow.
According to the Defence Ministry, from May 20 to 8 am on May 23, the number of aerial attacks amounted to multiples of what it used to be with 788 strikes by fixed-wing UAVs and Western-made missiles targeting Russian territory outside the area of the special military operation. Our air defence forces destroyed 776 drones and missiles, though unfortunately, 12 UAVs made it through our defences and hit their targets.
Casualties have been reported. On May 22, an attack on the village of Panteleymonovka, the Donetsk People’s Republic, wounded eight people. On the same day, a drone strike in the Vasilyevsky Municipal District, Zaporozhye Region, killed a woman born in 1990 and injured four children aged 10, 9, 8, and 1.
On the night of May 23, a downed UAV triggered fire in an industrial zone of Yelets, Lipetsk Region, injuring eight people. Additionally, the Ukrainian forces launched two HIMARS missiles on civilian targets in the city of Lgov, Kursk Region, also resulting in casualties, including two children.
Notably, even after the Ukrainian forces had been ousted from the Kursk Region, they keep trying to infiltrate our territory and launch drone, long-range artillery, and missile attacks.
Under these circumstances, the President was compelled to make a decision on establishing a security buffer zone on adjacent territory in order to minimise the ability of the Ukrainian forces to infiltrate and to attack our border regions using various munitions.
The latest barbaric terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime were carried out in an attempt to thwart direct Russia-Ukraine talks facilitated by the US Administration, which are designed to settle the conflict definitively. They also appear intended to derail the implementation of initial agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, including a massive prisoner exchange.
These attacks are part of the strategy pursued by Ukraine’s party of war, which also includes violations of energy and Easter ceasefires that Russia has strictly observed, as well as the unilateral ceasefire declared by us during the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory celebrations.
Without a doubt, Russia will deliver a matching response to barrages of terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime.
Unlike the Ukrainian side, our targets will be strictly limited to military facilities and defence industry plants.
☝️ To reiterate, our fundamental commitment to a constructive search for a peaceful settlement through dialogue remains unchanged.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🌍 May 25 is African Liberation Day or #AfricaDay.
On this day in 1963, the first conference of 32 independent African states took place in Addis Ababa, marking the birth of the Organisation of African Unity — the predecessor of today's African Union (since 2002).
This was how the first stage in the decolonisation process on the African continent reached its culminating point.
👉 Read our feature article on Africa Day
Long before arrival of Europeans, African societies had well-developed, self-sufficient economic and social systems, as well as their own forms of governance.
Everything changed during the Age of Discovery, when the Portuguese and Spanish were the first to establish trade routes along Africa’s west coast in the 15th century.
⛓ The main tool for generating maximum returns was the slave trade, which began in the 7th and 6th centuries BC and brought about a boom with the discovery of the New World, when colonisers needed free labour.
Apart from the slave trade, the colonisers (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium) ruthlessly exploited natural resources. They exported Africa's gold, ivory and other valuable goods.
According to official UN data, approximately 17 million individuals were forcibly taken from Africa (and reached their destination) throughout the history of the slave trade. At least as many died in transit. Some researchers estimate the total number of lives lost to be close to 50 million people... At the same time, Africa’s economic potential was severely damaged, $777 trillions were extracted by the colonial powers.
With the outbreak of World War II, Africa found itself at the centre of global change, sparking the emergence and strengthening of national liberation movements across the continent.
After years of struggle, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence in 1957, inspiring other nations and national liberation movements.
The Soviet Union was proactive in assisting African states in their struggle for independence and in helping establish these young nations.
📃 It was the Soviet Union that initiated the adoption of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which proclaimed the need to end colonialism and discrimination in all its forms.
In fact, the USSR helped build 37 African economies by signing bilateral economic and technical cooperation agreements with them. Soviet military advisors and experts worked in Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mozambique and several other African countries at different times.
Today, Africa is the fastest-growing macro-region on the planet. African countries are experiencing explosive economic growth. According to projections, by 2050, Africans will make up around 40% of the world’s population.
💬 Maria Zakharova:
(From Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s briefing on May 20, 2025)
☝️ African Liberation Day is an important symbol of solidarity and unity for all African nations. It commemorates the long and arduous path that Africans have travelled in the struggle for their independence and the right to self-determination.
Unfortunately, Western powers not only continue to exploit the African nations by siphoning off their resources and helping their corporations earn hefty profits, but also seek to erase or rewrite their own unsightly record there.
The descendants of colonisers are trying to pretend that they have nothing to do with the suffering many generations of Africans have had to endure, including racism, slave trade and punitive operations.
❗️ But Africa remembers it all.
#AfricaDay
On this day in 1963, the first conference of 32 independent African states took place in Addis Ababa, marking the birth of the Organisation of African Unity — the predecessor of today's African Union (since 2002).
This was how the first stage in the decolonisation process on the African continent reached its culminating point.
👉 Read our feature article on Africa Day
Long before arrival of Europeans, African societies had well-developed, self-sufficient economic and social systems, as well as their own forms of governance.
Everything changed during the Age of Discovery, when the Portuguese and Spanish were the first to establish trade routes along Africa’s west coast in the 15th century.
⛓ The main tool for generating maximum returns was the slave trade, which began in the 7th and 6th centuries BC and brought about a boom with the discovery of the New World, when colonisers needed free labour.
Apart from the slave trade, the colonisers (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium) ruthlessly exploited natural resources. They exported Africa's gold, ivory and other valuable goods.
According to official UN data, approximately 17 million individuals were forcibly taken from Africa (and reached their destination) throughout the history of the slave trade. At least as many died in transit. Some researchers estimate the total number of lives lost to be close to 50 million people... At the same time, Africa’s economic potential was severely damaged, $777 trillions were extracted by the colonial powers.
With the outbreak of World War II, Africa found itself at the centre of global change, sparking the emergence and strengthening of national liberation movements across the continent.
After years of struggle, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence in 1957, inspiring other nations and national liberation movements.
The Soviet Union was proactive in assisting African states in their struggle for independence and in helping establish these young nations.
📃 It was the Soviet Union that initiated the adoption of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which proclaimed the need to end colonialism and discrimination in all its forms.
In fact, the USSR helped build 37 African economies by signing bilateral economic and technical cooperation agreements with them. Soviet military advisors and experts worked in Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mozambique and several other African countries at different times.
Today, Africa is the fastest-growing macro-region on the planet. African countries are experiencing explosive economic growth. According to projections, by 2050, Africans will make up around 40% of the world’s population.
💬 Maria Zakharova:
"During the Soviet era, our country made a substantial contribution to liberating African nations from colonial dependence, selflessly and consistently assisting the continent’s young states in strengthening their sovereignty, developing their economies and training local personnel.
Today, our relations are moving along an upward trajectory. Building a truly strategic partnership with Africa is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities."
(From Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s briefing on May 20, 2025)
☝️ African Liberation Day is an important symbol of solidarity and unity for all African nations. It commemorates the long and arduous path that Africans have travelled in the struggle for their independence and the right to self-determination.
Unfortunately, Western powers not only continue to exploit the African nations by siphoning off their resources and helping their corporations earn hefty profits, but also seek to erase or rewrite their own unsightly record there.
The descendants of colonisers are trying to pretend that they have nothing to do with the suffering many generations of Africans have had to endure, including racism, slave trade and punitive operations.
❗️ But Africa remembers it all.
#AfricaDay
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
📄 Russia's Foreign Ministry's report on the "Situation in several European countries with the desecration and destruction of monuments dedicated to those who fought against Nazism during World War II"
Full text of the report
Since the end of the World War II, approximately 4'000 monuments to Soviet soldiers have been erected in Europe. A total of more than one million Red Army soldiers are buried in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. In general, the peoples of the USSR and Europe paid a much higher price for the Victory over Nazism, measured in tens of millions of lives.
The Soviet army liberated Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria (the eastern part of the country and Vienna), Romania, Yugoslavia and a number of other European countries from Nazism.
The majority of Soviet monuments were erected specifically in these countries. There are also monuments to the Soviet soldier in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, and France.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many memorials ended up on the territory of states bordering Russia that emerged from the former Soviet republics. In several of these countries, the chosen course toward reviving Nazism and rewriting history has had a serious impact on the memorial legacy of the Great Patriotic War.
❌ Decommunization, the destruction of monuments to our common history and culture, the desecration of the graves of fallen Soviet soldiers, neo-Nazi torch marches, the glorification of Nazis and their collaborators, the physical elimination of ideological opponents — many of these practices, and often all of them at once, have become commonplace in Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as well as in Poland, the Czech Republic and a number of other European countries.
These very countries are the focus of this report. Under the guise of "decommunization" laws and by dismantling monuments to Soviet soldiers, the governments of these countries are attempting to "reinforce an anti-Russian front".
At the same time, monuments to Nazi criminals are being erected, their protection is being enshrined in law, and rare acts of activists opposing Nazi memorials are harshly prosecuted. The key objective of such steps is the complete erasure of historical memory.
This report has been prepared as part of the Russia's Foreign Ministry's efforts to draw attention to the manifestations of various forms of Nazi glorification, neo-Nazism, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance in foreign countries.
The report focuses on the actions of certain countries, primarily the Baltic states, Poland, and Ukraine, which, using Russia’s special military operation aimed at denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, as well as the protection of the peaceful population of Donbass, as a pretext, have sharply escalated a long-standing practice of destroying Soviet, Russian, and often their own memorial heritage on their territories.
👉 Detailed account of the unlawful actions by authorities of Ukraine, the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Moldova, Poland, Finland, Germany, and the Czech Republic, targeting Russian and Soviet monuments.
Full text of the report
Since the end of the World War II, approximately 4'000 monuments to Soviet soldiers have been erected in Europe. A total of more than one million Red Army soldiers are buried in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. In general, the peoples of the USSR and Europe paid a much higher price for the Victory over Nazism, measured in tens of millions of lives.
The Soviet army liberated Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria (the eastern part of the country and Vienna), Romania, Yugoslavia and a number of other European countries from Nazism.
The majority of Soviet monuments were erected specifically in these countries. There are also monuments to the Soviet soldier in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, and France.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many memorials ended up on the territory of states bordering Russia that emerged from the former Soviet republics. In several of these countries, the chosen course toward reviving Nazism and rewriting history has had a serious impact on the memorial legacy of the Great Patriotic War.
❌ Decommunization, the destruction of monuments to our common history and culture, the desecration of the graves of fallen Soviet soldiers, neo-Nazi torch marches, the glorification of Nazis and their collaborators, the physical elimination of ideological opponents — many of these practices, and often all of them at once, have become commonplace in Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as well as in Poland, the Czech Republic and a number of other European countries.
These very countries are the focus of this report. Under the guise of "decommunization" laws and by dismantling monuments to Soviet soldiers, the governments of these countries are attempting to "reinforce an anti-Russian front".
At the same time, monuments to Nazi criminals are being erected, their protection is being enshrined in law, and rare acts of activists opposing Nazi memorials are harshly prosecuted. The key objective of such steps is the complete erasure of historical memory.
This report has been prepared as part of the Russia's Foreign Ministry's efforts to draw attention to the manifestations of various forms of Nazi glorification, neo-Nazism, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance in foreign countries.
The report focuses on the actions of certain countries, primarily the Baltic states, Poland, and Ukraine, which, using Russia’s special military operation aimed at denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, as well as the protection of the peaceful population of Donbass, as a pretext, have sharply escalated a long-standing practice of destroying Soviet, Russian, and often their own memorial heritage on their territories.
👉 Detailed account of the unlawful actions by authorities of Ukraine, the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Moldova, Poland, Finland, Germany, and the Czech Republic, targeting Russian and Soviet monuments.
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