🎙 Comment by Russian Ambassador to South Africa Roman Ambarov on Russia-South Africa cooperation in Culture, Education and Literature
The recent visit to the Republic of South Africa by the well-known Russian children’s writer and Chair of the Union of Children’s and Young Adult Writers, Svetlana Krivoshlykova, organized with the support of the Russian Embassy, became a vivid and meaningful event in the development of Russian–South African humanitarian cooperation.
☝️ Such initiatives clearly demonstrate that cooperation between our countries extends far beyond traditional political and economic interaction and continues to grow steadily in the fields of culture, education, and literature.
🇷🇺🇿🇦 Today, Russia and South Africa are actively implementing a wide range of joint projects within cultural and literary exchanges – from book festivals and exhibitions to educational programs and creative meetings. In December last year, a delegation including representatives of South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, as well as local writers, took part in the International Intellectual Literature Fair held in Moscow. In January 2025, another prominent Russian children’s author, Valentin Postnikov, visited South Africa. His meetings with young readers and their families were met with great success, laying a solid foundation for further literary cooperation.
It is especially important to us that presentations of Svetlana Krivoshlykova’s books took place not only in Pretoria – at the school of the Russian Embassy in South Africa, but also in Cape Town, where the author met with children of Russian compatriots at the Russian Children’s Center. I am confident that such events contribute to preserving the Russian language and cultural identity abroad, while also fostering a lasting interest among the younger generation in Russian literature and traditions.
🤝 We will continue our efforts to ensure that such visits become more frequent, develop on a reciprocal basis, and help the peoples of Russia and South Africa gain a deeper understanding of each other, discovering new points of connection through literature and cultural dialogue.
#RussiaSouthAfrica
The recent visit to the Republic of South Africa by the well-known Russian children’s writer and Chair of the Union of Children’s and Young Adult Writers, Svetlana Krivoshlykova, organized with the support of the Russian Embassy, became a vivid and meaningful event in the development of Russian–South African humanitarian cooperation.
☝️ Such initiatives clearly demonstrate that cooperation between our countries extends far beyond traditional political and economic interaction and continues to grow steadily in the fields of culture, education, and literature.
🇷🇺🇿🇦 Today, Russia and South Africa are actively implementing a wide range of joint projects within cultural and literary exchanges – from book festivals and exhibitions to educational programs and creative meetings. In December last year, a delegation including representatives of South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, as well as local writers, took part in the International Intellectual Literature Fair held in Moscow. In January 2025, another prominent Russian children’s author, Valentin Postnikov, visited South Africa. His meetings with young readers and their families were met with great success, laying a solid foundation for further literary cooperation.
It is especially important to us that presentations of Svetlana Krivoshlykova’s books took place not only in Pretoria – at the school of the Russian Embassy in South Africa, but also in Cape Town, where the author met with children of Russian compatriots at the Russian Children’s Center. I am confident that such events contribute to preserving the Russian language and cultural identity abroad, while also fostering a lasting interest among the younger generation in Russian literature and traditions.
🤝 We will continue our efforts to ensure that such visits become more frequent, develop on a reciprocal basis, and help the peoples of Russia and South Africa gain a deeper understanding of each other, discovering new points of connection through literature and cultural dialogue.
#RussiaSouthAfrica
❤5👏1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Outcomes2025
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: We are witnessing tectonic shifts affecting the entire global order.
It is telling that the West, which over the past decade actively sought to oppose international law in its original, principled interpretation with its own concept of a so-called “rules-based world order”, has now largely dropped this term from its vocabulary.
All Western European countries are currently trying to make sense of what is happening in the world in the context of the course announced and pursued by the US President, a course that formally fits into the “rules-based order”. The difference is that these “rules” are no longer written by the “collective West”, but by its single representative. For Europe, this has come as a profound shock. We are observing the situation closely.
👉 It is clear that the developments we are witnessing, as well as the actions announced by President Trump on the international stage, reflect an intensifying competitive struggle.
We have repeatedly spoken about recent trends in global economic development. China, operating within the very rules that the West – led by the US – laid down as the foundation of the globalization model promoted worldwide until recently, has outperformed its Western competitors in trade, the economy, investment and infrastructure projects. China's economic and financial indicators speak for themselves.
We see attempts to counter this situation through sanctions, tariffs and duties. The US seeks to negotiate, yet this is happening in the absence of any common criteria that until recently underpinned the work of the #IMF, the #WorldBank and the #WTO. All those rules on which a Western-friendly world order was supposed to be based have effectively been cast aside.
⚔️ What is unfolding is a game of “might makes right”. We are all witnessing this.
We can discuss how conceptual approaches to world order are changing and how concrete processes are developing in the course of an interactive dialogue. However, the consequences of this line are felt not only by countries of the Global South and East – crisis tendencies are also accumulating within Western societies themselves.
Greenland is a clear example. It is on everyone’s lips, and the debates unfolding around it would have been difficult to imagine not so long ago – including discussions about the prospects for NATO’s continued existence as a unified Western military-political bloc.
As for Greenland, our position is simple: if Western countries choose to deal with one another “by mob rules”, that is their choice and their right.
🇷🇺 For our part, Russia will conduct relations with all our partners – both from the Global Majority and from among Western countries – who are genuinely interested in engaging with Russia and discussing concrete, mutually beneficial projects ☝️ on the basis of equality.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: We are witnessing tectonic shifts affecting the entire global order.
It is telling that the West, which over the past decade actively sought to oppose international law in its original, principled interpretation with its own concept of a so-called “rules-based world order”, has now largely dropped this term from its vocabulary.
All Western European countries are currently trying to make sense of what is happening in the world in the context of the course announced and pursued by the US President, a course that formally fits into the “rules-based order”. The difference is that these “rules” are no longer written by the “collective West”, but by its single representative. For Europe, this has come as a profound shock. We are observing the situation closely.
👉 It is clear that the developments we are witnessing, as well as the actions announced by President Trump on the international stage, reflect an intensifying competitive struggle.
We have repeatedly spoken about recent trends in global economic development. China, operating within the very rules that the West – led by the US – laid down as the foundation of the globalization model promoted worldwide until recently, has outperformed its Western competitors in trade, the economy, investment and infrastructure projects. China's economic and financial indicators speak for themselves.
We see attempts to counter this situation through sanctions, tariffs and duties. The US seeks to negotiate, yet this is happening in the absence of any common criteria that until recently underpinned the work of the #IMF, the #WorldBank and the #WTO. All those rules on which a Western-friendly world order was supposed to be based have effectively been cast aside.
⚔️ What is unfolding is a game of “might makes right”. We are all witnessing this.
We can discuss how conceptual approaches to world order are changing and how concrete processes are developing in the course of an interactive dialogue. However, the consequences of this line are felt not only by countries of the Global South and East – crisis tendencies are also accumulating within Western societies themselves.
Greenland is a clear example. It is on everyone’s lips, and the debates unfolding around it would have been difficult to imagine not so long ago – including discussions about the prospects for NATO’s continued existence as a unified Western military-political bloc.
As for Greenland, our position is simple: if Western countries choose to deal with one another “by mob rules”, that is their choice and their right.
🇷🇺 For our part, Russia will conduct relations with all our partners – both from the Global Majority and from among Western countries – who are genuinely interested in engaging with Russia and discussing concrete, mutually beneficial projects ☝️ on the basis of equality.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
👍3
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (January 21, 2026)
💬 Vladimir Putin: As far as the US “Peace Council” initiative is concerned, we have indeed received a personal message from President Trump inviting us to join a new international structure being established on his initiative.
In this regard, I would like first of all to thank the US President for this proposal.
We have always supported and continue to support any efforts aimed at strengthening international stability.
We also note the contribution of the current US Administration to efforts to find solutions for settling the Ukrainian crisis.
As for our participation in the “Peace Council”, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to review the documents received, consult our strategic partners on this matter, and only after that will we be able to provide a response to the invitation conveyed to us.
The proposal made to us primarily concerns settlement in the Middle East and the search for possible ways to address the urgent problems facing the Palestinian people and to resolve the acute humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
In this context, I would like to stress the main point. The key issue is that the entire process should contribute to a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the relevant UN decisions.
Even before we decide on the issue of our participation in the composition and work of the “Peace Council”, taking into account Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people, we could, I believe, allocate 1 billion US dollars to the “Peace Council” from Russian assets that were frozen under the previous US Administration.
By the way, the remaining funds from our assets frozen in the US could also be used for the restoration of territories affected by hostilities after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. This possibility is also being discussed with representatives of the US Administration.
☝️ I plan to discuss all these issues with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also arriving in Moscow on January 22 to continue the dialogue on Ukrainian settlement.
***
❌ What is happening with Greenland does not concern us at all.
However, we do have experience in resolving similar issues with the US. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. If my memory serves me right, the area of Alaska is about 1 million 717 thousand square kilometres, slightly more. The US bought Alaska from us for 7.2 million US dollars.
The area of Greenland is slightly more than, I believe, 2 million 166 thousand square kilometres. That is, the difference is roughly 449-450 thousand square kilometres. If we compare this with the cost of the US acquisition of Alaska, the price for Greenland would be somewhere around 200-250 million US dollars.
If we compare this with gold prices of that period, the figure would probably be closer to one billion. But I think the US could handle that amount as well.
Most importantly, Denmark and the US also have their own experience in this regard. If I am not mistaken, in 1917 Denmark sold, and the US purchased, the Virgin Islands. So such experience also exists.
By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and treated it rather harshly, if not brutally. However, this is a separate issue and is hardly relevant to the current discussion.
👉 In any case, this definitely does not concern us. I think they will sort it out between themselves.
💬 Vladimir Putin: As far as the US “Peace Council” initiative is concerned, we have indeed received a personal message from President Trump inviting us to join a new international structure being established on his initiative.
In this regard, I would like first of all to thank the US President for this proposal.
We have always supported and continue to support any efforts aimed at strengthening international stability.
We also note the contribution of the current US Administration to efforts to find solutions for settling the Ukrainian crisis.
As for our participation in the “Peace Council”, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to review the documents received, consult our strategic partners on this matter, and only after that will we be able to provide a response to the invitation conveyed to us.
The proposal made to us primarily concerns settlement in the Middle East and the search for possible ways to address the urgent problems facing the Palestinian people and to resolve the acute humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
In this context, I would like to stress the main point. The key issue is that the entire process should contribute to a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the relevant UN decisions.
Even before we decide on the issue of our participation in the composition and work of the “Peace Council”, taking into account Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people, we could, I believe, allocate 1 billion US dollars to the “Peace Council” from Russian assets that were frozen under the previous US Administration.
By the way, the remaining funds from our assets frozen in the US could also be used for the restoration of territories affected by hostilities after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. This possibility is also being discussed with representatives of the US Administration.
☝️ I plan to discuss all these issues with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also arriving in Moscow on January 22 to continue the dialogue on Ukrainian settlement.
***
❌ What is happening with Greenland does not concern us at all.
However, we do have experience in resolving similar issues with the US. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. If my memory serves me right, the area of Alaska is about 1 million 717 thousand square kilometres, slightly more. The US bought Alaska from us for 7.2 million US dollars.
The area of Greenland is slightly more than, I believe, 2 million 166 thousand square kilometres. That is, the difference is roughly 449-450 thousand square kilometres. If we compare this with the cost of the US acquisition of Alaska, the price for Greenland would be somewhere around 200-250 million US dollars.
If we compare this with gold prices of that period, the figure would probably be closer to one billion. But I think the US could handle that amount as well.
Most importantly, Denmark and the US also have their own experience in this regard. If I am not mistaken, in 1917 Denmark sold, and the US purchased, the Virgin Islands. So such experience also exists.
By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and treated it rather harshly, if not brutally. However, this is a separate issue and is hardly relevant to the current discussion.
👉 In any case, this definitely does not concern us. I think they will sort it out between themselves.
👍2
🎬 #OTD 128 years ago, Sergei Eisenstein, a revolutionary Soviet director, the “father of montage cinema”, was born.
His contributions to filmmaking and dialectical theories on montage editing remain subjects of ongoing study.
S.Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film “Battleship Potemkin", the story of one of the tragic episodes of the 1905 Russian Revolution, is a landmark of revolutionary cinema, in which editing was masterfully used to create intense emotion. Its iconic Odessa Steps massacre scene has profoundly influenced filmmakers like Brian De Palma (The Untouchables), Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Bastards).
☝️ Sergey Eisenstein believed in cinema's intellectual power and thought-provoking. But his US tour revealed Hollywood's commercial focus on "art-for-art's-sake" (or rather, spectacle over substance) clashed with his vision, leading to his American projects being shelved and never put into production.
#OutstandingRussians
His contributions to filmmaking and dialectical theories on montage editing remain subjects of ongoing study.
S.Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film “Battleship Potemkin", the story of one of the tragic episodes of the 1905 Russian Revolution, is a landmark of revolutionary cinema, in which editing was masterfully used to create intense emotion. Its iconic Odessa Steps massacre scene has profoundly influenced filmmakers like Brian De Palma (The Untouchables), Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Bastards).
☝️ Sergey Eisenstein believed in cinema's intellectual power and thought-provoking. But his US tour revealed Hollywood's commercial focus on "art-for-art's-sake" (or rather, spectacle over substance) clashed with his vision, leading to his American projects being shelved and never put into production.
#OutstandingRussians
👍2❤1👏1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🇷🇺🇵🇸 Opening remarks by President of Russia Vladimir Putin during his talks with President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas (January 22, 2026, Moscow)
💬 Vladimir Putin: Relations between Russia and Palestine have deep roots and are distinguished by their special nature and quality. Back in 1988, the Soviet Union recognized the Palestinian state, and we continue to adhere to this position today.
Our approach to the Palestinian question and to the Middle East settlement is principled and non-conjunctural.
❗️ We proceed from the understanding that only the establishment and full-fledged functioning of a Palestinian State can lead to a final settlement of the Middle East conflict.
We recall your visit last year to attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and we are grateful to you for taking part.
I would like to note that our relations are developing today despite all the difficulties associated with the situation in the region. Of course, in absolute terms, our trade turnover remains modest so far, but the upward trend is evident – trade has increased threefold.
We continue cooperation in the humanitarian sphere as well, including the training of personnel for Palestine. This year, 150 young Palestinians are studying – and will continue to study – at Russian universities and other educational institutions.
Naturally, security issues are among the most important topics. You know that during the most difficult periods of the crisis in Gaza, we provided humanitarian assistance – and did so primarily at your request.
Over 800 tonnes of cargo were delivered to the Gaza Strip, around 32 humanitarian operations were carried out, wheat was supplied both directly and through international organizations, again at your request.
Of course, today we will also discuss the current situation in the Gaza Strip, in Palestine as a whole, and along the Israeli-Palestinian track.
We will also address the initiative of the US President concerning the creation of a new structure which, judging by what we see, is primarily aimed at settling the situation in Palestine and the Gaza Strip.
You may have heard that we are prepared to allocate $1 billion to this new structure – the “Board of Peace” – first and foremost to support the Palestinian people, to channel these funds into the reconstruction of Gaza and, more broadly, into addressing Palestine’s problems. As I have already said, these funds would come from assets frozen in the US under the previous administration. I believe this is quite feasible. We have discussed such options before with representatives of the US administration, a meeting and discussion on this matter are scheduled to take place in Moscow today.
🤝 In any case, we are very pleased that our contacts with you continue. They take place at various levels, and we are glad that high-level contacts are also being maintained.
#RussiaPalestine
💬 Vladimir Putin: Relations between Russia and Palestine have deep roots and are distinguished by their special nature and quality. Back in 1988, the Soviet Union recognized the Palestinian state, and we continue to adhere to this position today.
Our approach to the Palestinian question and to the Middle East settlement is principled and non-conjunctural.
❗️ We proceed from the understanding that only the establishment and full-fledged functioning of a Palestinian State can lead to a final settlement of the Middle East conflict.
We recall your visit last year to attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and we are grateful to you for taking part.
I would like to note that our relations are developing today despite all the difficulties associated with the situation in the region. Of course, in absolute terms, our trade turnover remains modest so far, but the upward trend is evident – trade has increased threefold.
We continue cooperation in the humanitarian sphere as well, including the training of personnel for Palestine. This year, 150 young Palestinians are studying – and will continue to study – at Russian universities and other educational institutions.
Naturally, security issues are among the most important topics. You know that during the most difficult periods of the crisis in Gaza, we provided humanitarian assistance – and did so primarily at your request.
Over 800 tonnes of cargo were delivered to the Gaza Strip, around 32 humanitarian operations were carried out, wheat was supplied both directly and through international organizations, again at your request.
Of course, today we will also discuss the current situation in the Gaza Strip, in Palestine as a whole, and along the Israeli-Palestinian track.
We will also address the initiative of the US President concerning the creation of a new structure which, judging by what we see, is primarily aimed at settling the situation in Palestine and the Gaza Strip.
You may have heard that we are prepared to allocate $1 billion to this new structure – the “Board of Peace” – first and foremost to support the Palestinian people, to channel these funds into the reconstruction of Gaza and, more broadly, into addressing Palestine’s problems. As I have already said, these funds would come from assets frozen in the US under the previous administration. I believe this is quite feasible. We have discussed such options before with representatives of the US administration, a meeting and discussion on this matter are scheduled to take place in Moscow today.
🤝 In any case, we are very pleased that our contacts with you continue. They take place at various levels, and we are glad that high-level contacts are also being maintained.
#RussiaPalestine
👍2
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Announcement
⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large on the Kiev Regime’s War Crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, will hold a briefing and present the Annual report on the crimes commited by the Kiev regime in 2025 at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Press centre at 11.00 am MSK on January 30, 2026.
The briefing will be held online.
Accreditation is open until 11.00 am on January 28.
⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large on the Kiev Regime’s War Crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, will hold a briefing and present the Annual report on the crimes commited by the Kiev regime in 2025 at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Press centre at 11.00 am MSK on January 30, 2026.
The briefing will be held online.
Accreditation is open until 11.00 am on January 28.
📆 118 years ago, #OTD in 1908, Lev Landau, a brilliant Soviet physicist and a giant in theoretical physics, was born.
In 1962 he received the Nobel Prize for his development of a mathematical theory of superfluidity that accounts for the properties of liquid helium II at temperatures below -270.98 °C.
He was very talented and graduated with honours from grammar school at the age of 13. In 1922, aged 14 L.Landau entered the Baku University and by the time he turned 19, he had already published four scientific papers; in one of the works, he first mentioned the statistical matrix – a notion that is nowadays widely used in mathematical circles to describe quantum states.
🏆 A fortnight before his 54th birthday, on 7 January 1962, Lev Landau was seriously injured in a car accident. He had to miss the awarding ceremony of the 1962 Nobel Prize in physics. The prize was handed to him in Moscow by the Swedish Ambassador later that year.
Being an intelligent man, Lev Landau is remembered to have possessed a wonderful sense of humour. He became the main character of numerous funny stories that were handed down from person to person.
#OutstandingRussians
In 1962 he received the Nobel Prize for his development of a mathematical theory of superfluidity that accounts for the properties of liquid helium II at temperatures below -270.98 °C.
He was very talented and graduated with honours from grammar school at the age of 13. In 1922, aged 14 L.Landau entered the Baku University and by the time he turned 19, he had already published four scientific papers; in one of the works, he first mentioned the statistical matrix – a notion that is nowadays widely used in mathematical circles to describe quantum states.
🏆 A fortnight before his 54th birthday, on 7 January 1962, Lev Landau was seriously injured in a car accident. He had to miss the awarding ceremony of the 1962 Nobel Prize in physics. The prize was handed to him in Moscow by the Swedish Ambassador later that year.
Being an intelligent man, Lev Landau is remembered to have possessed a wonderful sense of humour. He became the main character of numerous funny stories that were handed down from person to person.
#OutstandingRussians
❤2
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Outcomes2025
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Speaking of Greenland, this is in fact part of a broader problem linked to the legacy of the colonial era.
From the 13th century, Greenland was essentially a colony of Norway, and later a Danish colony. Only in the mid-20th century was an agreement signed under which it became part of Denmark not as a colony, but as an associated territory. It was associated with the EU.
But, in essence, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark. That is true, is it not? It was neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark – it was a colonial conquest.
The fact that the population has now become accustomed to this situation and feels comfortable is a different matter. However, the issue of former colonial possessions is becoming ever more acute. According to the UN register, there are currently 17 territories worldwide that are either deprived of sovereignty or are in direct dependence on administering powers.
🇫🇷 France, in defiance of resolutions of the UN General Assembly, continues to retain the island of Mayotte, which, according to all decisions of the UN, forms part of the Comoros.
🇬🇧 Britain continues to hold on to the Falkland Islands (the Malvinas), likewise in violation of numerous UN General Assembly resolutions. The UK also clings to its presence in the Chagos Archipelago of Mauritius.
It is no coincidence that, within the framework of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter, we adopted an important initiative to launch a campaign at the UN aimed at eliminating all remnants of the colonial era. As I have already said, at our initiative, 14 December will be marked every year at the UN as the International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations.
As for Greenland specifically, I have noted several quotes. For example, President of Croatia, in my view a very experienced and far-sighted politician, urged US President Donald Trump not to place his interests above the rights of the people of Greenland: “Greenland’s future can be decided exclusively by the people of Greenland“.
👉 Replace “the people of Greenland” with “the people of Crimea”, and much will become clear.
In Crimea, people went to a referendum after the unconstitutional coup in 2014, when the radicals who came to power declared war on the Russian language and sent militants to storm the Supreme Council of Crimea.
In Greenland, the was no such coups. It is simply that, as President Trump said, this territory is important for the security of the US.
❗️ Crimea is no less important for the security of Russia than Greenland is for the US.
When what is happening around Greenland is justified by claims that otherwise it would be seized by Russia or China, there is no evidence to support this. Western economists and political analysts have already refuted such assertions.
In any case, we proceed from the understanding that we have no involvement in this matter. At the same time, we are certainly monitoring this serious geopolitical situation and will draw conclusions once the issue is resolved.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his annual news conference on the Russian diplomacy outcomes in 2025 (January 20, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Speaking of Greenland, this is in fact part of a broader problem linked to the legacy of the colonial era.
From the 13th century, Greenland was essentially a colony of Norway, and later a Danish colony. Only in the mid-20th century was an agreement signed under which it became part of Denmark not as a colony, but as an associated territory. It was associated with the EU.
But, in essence, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark. That is true, is it not? It was neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark – it was a colonial conquest.
The fact that the population has now become accustomed to this situation and feels comfortable is a different matter. However, the issue of former colonial possessions is becoming ever more acute. According to the UN register, there are currently 17 territories worldwide that are either deprived of sovereignty or are in direct dependence on administering powers.
🇫🇷 France, in defiance of resolutions of the UN General Assembly, continues to retain the island of Mayotte, which, according to all decisions of the UN, forms part of the Comoros.
🇬🇧 Britain continues to hold on to the Falkland Islands (the Malvinas), likewise in violation of numerous UN General Assembly resolutions. The UK also clings to its presence in the Chagos Archipelago of Mauritius.
It is no coincidence that, within the framework of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter, we adopted an important initiative to launch a campaign at the UN aimed at eliminating all remnants of the colonial era. As I have already said, at our initiative, 14 December will be marked every year at the UN as the International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations.
As for Greenland specifically, I have noted several quotes. For example, President of Croatia, in my view a very experienced and far-sighted politician, urged US President Donald Trump not to place his interests above the rights of the people of Greenland: “Greenland’s future can be decided exclusively by the people of Greenland“.
👉 Replace “the people of Greenland” with “the people of Crimea”, and much will become clear.
In Crimea, people went to a referendum after the unconstitutional coup in 2014, when the radicals who came to power declared war on the Russian language and sent militants to storm the Supreme Council of Crimea.
In Greenland, the was no such coups. It is simply that, as President Trump said, this territory is important for the security of the US.
❗️ Crimea is no less important for the security of Russia than Greenland is for the US.
When what is happening around Greenland is justified by claims that otherwise it would be seized by Russia or China, there is no evidence to support this. Western economists and political analysts have already refuted such assertions.
In any case, we proceed from the understanding that we have no involvement in this matter. At the same time, we are certainly monitoring this serious geopolitical situation and will draw conclusions once the issue is resolved.
📺 Watch the news conference in full
👍1
🌍 Russia Integrates Supply Routes into Global Transport Corridors Toward Africa and Latin America
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia is actively developing its logistics and port infrastructure, as well as industrial sites along key transport routes. These efforts will help companies reduce risks and costs by cutting reliance on foreign transshipment hubs.
The work is being carried out as part of the national project International Cooperation and Export, which aims to integrate Russian exports into global transport corridors serving Africa and Latin America, with the involvement of Russian ports.
📈 As a result of these measures, Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports grew by nearly 10% in the first 10 months of 2025, driven mainly by machinery, chemical products, and metallurgy.
#RussiaAfrica
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia is actively developing its logistics and port infrastructure, as well as industrial sites along key transport routes. These efforts will help companies reduce risks and costs by cutting reliance on foreign transshipment hubs.
The work is being carried out as part of the national project International Cooperation and Export, which aims to integrate Russian exports into global transport corridors serving Africa and Latin America, with the involvement of Russian ports.
📈 As a result of these measures, Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports grew by nearly 10% in the first 10 months of 2025, driven mainly by machinery, chemical products, and metallurgy.
#RussiaAfrica
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🤩 #OTD 95 years ago, Anna Pavlova, the legendary Russian ballerina, one of the XX century’s greatest classical dancers, passed away.
When she was eight years old, she had an opportunity to watch Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” as a gift from her mother. It was there that she fell in love with ballet once and for all.
The future ballet star was a slender girl with an “airy” constitution, was initially refused entry to ballet school. At that time a strong build was considered necessary for a dancer in order to perform complicated movements and figures. It was the great ballet master Marius Petipa who finally recognized her talent.
Upon graduating from the Imperial Ballet School, A.Pavlova became a leading ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre and gained international fame with S.Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
🩰 Throughout her career she danced it about 4.000 times!
📺 Watch her iconic 1909 performance of Mikhail Fokine's “The Dying Swan”
#RussianCulture
When she was eight years old, she had an opportunity to watch Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” as a gift from her mother. It was there that she fell in love with ballet once and for all.
The future ballet star was a slender girl with an “airy” constitution, was initially refused entry to ballet school. At that time a strong build was considered necessary for a dancer in order to perform complicated movements and figures. It was the great ballet master Marius Petipa who finally recognized her talent.
Upon graduating from the Imperial Ballet School, A.Pavlova became a leading ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre and gained international fame with S.Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
🩰 Throughout her career she danced it about 4.000 times!
📺 Watch her iconic 1909 performance of Mikhail Fokine's “The Dying Swan”
#RussianCulture
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Comment by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov regarding President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (January 23, 2026)
Read in full
💬 Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
Read in full
💬 Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum also attended the meeting. The latter is a White House Senior Advisor who specialises in economic matters. This was his first time joining the US team.
🤝 The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally in-depth, constructive, and, I should say, constituted an extremely frank and heart-to-heart conversation.
As you know, our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement. These meetings literally lasted until it was time for them to leave for Moscow.
They provided first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and Zelensky in Davos. <...>
An agreement on the next step in this direction has been reached. An agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security matters today, this Friday, January 23, in Abu Dhabi, with Russia, the United States and Ukraine. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the heads of the bilateral working group on economic matters. This bilateral group was formed by Russia and the United States, led by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff.
Our negotiating team on security matters has already been formed and will depart for the Emirates in a few hours. The group includes senior officials from the Defence Ministry, led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff Admiral Kostyukov.
I would also like to inform you that the President of Russia has given our delegation specific instructions based on today's conversation with the United States.
Importantly, the participants in the conversation between the President of Russia and the Americans reaffirmed the fact that:
☝️ achieving a lasting settlement is unlikely without addressing the territorial issue based on the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
Vladimir Putin has emphasised Russia’s sincere commitment to settling the Ukraine crisis by political and diplomatic means.
However, as long as this is not the case, Russia will persist in its consistent effort to achieve the special military operation’s goals on the battlefield, where Russia’s Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative.
During the meeting at the Kremlin, we also discussed Donald Trump’s idea of a Board of Peace, a host of regional matters and the Greenland issue.
While exchanging views on the Board of Peace, we emphasised our readiness to transfer US$1 billion from Russia’s assets frozen under the previous US administration to its budget. The remaining Russian assets frozen in the US can be used for rebuilding the territories damaged during the hostilities after a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine. Discussions on this issue will continue in the bilateral economic group.
I would like to note that the further development of bilateral Russian-US relations was discussed conceptually, considering the vast potential for cooperation in various spheres.
American representatives are already considering certain plans that could be implemented after the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
<...>
Overall, as I mentioned, the meeting that has just ended at the Kremlin was beneficial in every sense for both us and the American Side.
It was decided that the Russian and American Sides will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
#RussiaUSA
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 On January 23, 1930, Tanya Savicheva, a schoolgirl who kept a diary during the Siege of Leningrad, marking the days and hours of her relatives’ death, was born.
She grew up in Leningrad together with her elder sisters Yevgenia (Zhenya) and Nina and her brothers Leonid (Lyoka) and Mikhail. Their father died in 1936.
In late May 1941, Tanya finished the third grade. When the Great Patriotic War broke out the family stayed in Leningrad, working in the rear, doing everything they could to help the Red Army. On September 8, 1941, the Siege of Leningrad commenced. According to Hitler’s plans, all its residents were supposed to die.
📖 One day, Tanya found a notebook her elder sister left behind. It was in that notebook that she made her short and horribly tragic entries, which make your heart ache:
Keeping the diary helped Tanya cope with anxiety, fear, and loss. Amid hunger, constant shelling, bombings, and the death of her loved ones, the piece of paper and pencil became a form of self-comfort and support.
After her mother’s death, the severely ill Tanya lived in an orphanage, which was evacuated to the Gorky region in August 1942. She fought for her life for almost two years. In March 1944, Tanya, who was diagnosed with bone tuberculosis, scurvy, dystrophy, nervous exhaustion and blindness, was transported to a nursing home. She succumbed, worn out by her diseases.
🕯 Tanya Savicheva passed away on July 1, 1944, at the age of 14.
The only Savichevs who survived the war were her sister Nina, who was registered as missing, and her brother Mikhail, who joined the partisans. Nina, upon returning to Leningrad, found Tanya’s diary.
In 1946, the public saw Tanya’s diary at the exhibition about the heroic defence of Leningrad. In 1953, the diary was transferred to the Museum of the History of Leningrad (St Petersburg), where it has been kept since then.
Tanya Savicheva’s diary is one of many heartbreaking testimonies of the Great Patriotic War, Nazi crimes, and the inhuman trials endured by the Soviet people. Tanya became a symbol of true courage and the tragedy of besieged Leningrad.
#WeRemember #NoStatuteOfLimitations
She grew up in Leningrad together with her elder sisters Yevgenia (Zhenya) and Nina and her brothers Leonid (Lyoka) and Mikhail. Their father died in 1936.
In late May 1941, Tanya finished the third grade. When the Great Patriotic War broke out the family stayed in Leningrad, working in the rear, doing everything they could to help the Red Army. On September 8, 1941, the Siege of Leningrad commenced. According to Hitler’s plans, all its residents were supposed to die.
📖 One day, Tanya found a notebook her elder sister left behind. It was in that notebook that she made her short and horribly tragic entries, which make your heart ache:
• Zhenya died on December 28 at 12 noon, 1941.
• Grandma died on January 25 at 3 pm, 1942.
• Lyoka died on March 17 at 5 in the morning, 1942.
• Uncle Vasya died on April 13 at 2 in the morning, 1942.
• Uncle Lyosha, May 10, at 4 in the afternoon, 1942.
• Mom, May 13 at 7:30 in the morning, 1942.
• The Savichevs are dead.
• Everyone is dead.
• Only Tanya is left.
Keeping the diary helped Tanya cope with anxiety, fear, and loss. Amid hunger, constant shelling, bombings, and the death of her loved ones, the piece of paper and pencil became a form of self-comfort and support.
After her mother’s death, the severely ill Tanya lived in an orphanage, which was evacuated to the Gorky region in August 1942. She fought for her life for almost two years. In March 1944, Tanya, who was diagnosed with bone tuberculosis, scurvy, dystrophy, nervous exhaustion and blindness, was transported to a nursing home. She succumbed, worn out by her diseases.
🕯 Tanya Savicheva passed away on July 1, 1944, at the age of 14.
The only Savichevs who survived the war were her sister Nina, who was registered as missing, and her brother Mikhail, who joined the partisans. Nina, upon returning to Leningrad, found Tanya’s diary.
In 1946, the public saw Tanya’s diary at the exhibition about the heroic defence of Leningrad. In 1953, the diary was transferred to the Museum of the History of Leningrad (St Petersburg), where it has been kept since then.
Tanya Savicheva’s diary is one of many heartbreaking testimonies of the Great Patriotic War, Nazi crimes, and the inhuman trials endured by the Soviet people. Tanya became a symbol of true courage and the tragedy of besieged Leningrad.
#WeRemember #NoStatuteOfLimitations
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