Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ On February 1, the State Duma adopted an appeal to the Congress of the United States of America in connection with the recent terrorist attack by Ukraine which downed an aircraft on a humanitarian mission
Excerpts from the appeal
<...> Ukraine perpetrated a terrorist attack on January 24, 2024, shooting down an IL-76 military transport aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation above the territory of the Russian Federation near the village of Yablonovo, Korochansky District, Belgorod Region, which transported 65 Ukrainian POWs for a pre-arranged prisoner exchange.
The plane was shot down with a missile launched from the US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system by the Ukrainian military from the town of Liptsy, Kharkov Region.
☝️ The attack on the aircraft was premeditated murder, as the prisoner swap between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and the itinerary had been agreed upon earlier.
<...>
The members of the State Duma believe that the deliberate silencing of the truth about the victims of the Kiev regime’s criminal acts is a road to nowhere.
You represent the American people, not the corrupt bureaucrats or defence industry lobbyists. We are confident that American taxpayers are not particularly enthusiastic about their money being spent so that Ukraine can continue sending its soldiers to their deaths, and killing its prisoners of war and civilians.
The facts show that a significant portion of the lethal Western weapons supplied to the corrupt Kiev regime ends up in the hands of terrorists and radical extremists around the world through criminal machinations.
The members of the State Duma urge the members of the United States Congress to condemn the crimes committed by the terrorist Kiev regime, to stop supporting it, and to help bring to justice those directly responsible for this inhuman terrorist attack.
Read in full
Excerpts from the appeal
<...> Ukraine perpetrated a terrorist attack on January 24, 2024, shooting down an IL-76 military transport aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation above the territory of the Russian Federation near the village of Yablonovo, Korochansky District, Belgorod Region, which transported 65 Ukrainian POWs for a pre-arranged prisoner exchange.
The plane was shot down with a missile launched from the US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system by the Ukrainian military from the town of Liptsy, Kharkov Region.
☝️ The attack on the aircraft was premeditated murder, as the prisoner swap between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and the itinerary had been agreed upon earlier.
<...>
The members of the State Duma believe that the deliberate silencing of the truth about the victims of the Kiev regime’s criminal acts is a road to nowhere.
You represent the American people, not the corrupt bureaucrats or defence industry lobbyists. We are confident that American taxpayers are not particularly enthusiastic about their money being spent so that Ukraine can continue sending its soldiers to their deaths, and killing its prisoners of war and civilians.
The facts show that a significant portion of the lethal Western weapons supplied to the corrupt Kiev regime ends up in the hands of terrorists and radical extremists around the world through criminal machinations.
The members of the State Duma urge the members of the United States Congress to condemn the crimes committed by the terrorist Kiev regime, to stop supporting it, and to help bring to justice those directly responsible for this inhuman terrorist attack.
Read in full
👎1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the embassy roundtable discussion of a settlement in Ukraine (Moscow, January 30, 2024)
💬 The Ukraine crisis is a test for the emerging multipolar world order, for the global majority, which is coming to the realisation that exclusive reliance on the mechanisms of international relations created by the collective West has no prospects.
• Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, now a consultant or adviser for the Vladimir Zelensky team, said recently that the West viewed Ukraine as a “defensive wall” in front of Russia. According to this mindset, everything that is linked with Ukraine must be used to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
✍️ In 1942, the Nazi criminal Reichskommissar Erich Koch, later sentenced at the Nuremberg Trials, wrote, “Ukraine is merely an object of exploitation for us. It should pay for the expenses of the war, and its population to a certain extent should be utilised as second-rate people for the tasks of the war, even if they have to be caught with a lasso.” Doesn’t this remind you of anything❓
• In less than two years, the West has allocated over $200 billion to Ukraine to support its military programme and to shore up the budget of this totally insolvent country. To put this in perspective, the EU has appropriated less than 80 billion euros to be disbursed within seven years to provide socioeconomic support for the Global South and the Global East.
• Washington is forcing EU countries to send everything they have to Ukraine for next to nothing. The countries that do this are replenishing their arsenals with US-made weapons they buy at full price.
❗️ Weapons are spreading around the world. The Kiev regime has been famous for its efforts to seize every opportunity to make a profit, even if it deals in trading death.
💬 The Ukraine crisis is a test for the emerging multipolar world order, for the global majority, which is coming to the realisation that exclusive reliance on the mechanisms of international relations created by the collective West has no prospects.
• Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, now a consultant or adviser for the Vladimir Zelensky team, said recently that the West viewed Ukraine as a “defensive wall” in front of Russia. According to this mindset, everything that is linked with Ukraine must be used to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
✍️ In 1942, the Nazi criminal Reichskommissar Erich Koch, later sentenced at the Nuremberg Trials, wrote, “Ukraine is merely an object of exploitation for us. It should pay for the expenses of the war, and its population to a certain extent should be utilised as second-rate people for the tasks of the war, even if they have to be caught with a lasso.” Doesn’t this remind you of anything❓
• In less than two years, the West has allocated over $200 billion to Ukraine to support its military programme and to shore up the budget of this totally insolvent country. To put this in perspective, the EU has appropriated less than 80 billion euros to be disbursed within seven years to provide socioeconomic support for the Global South and the Global East.
• Washington is forcing EU countries to send everything they have to Ukraine for next to nothing. The countries that do this are replenishing their arsenals with US-made weapons they buy at full price.
❗️ Weapons are spreading around the world. The Kiev regime has been famous for its efforts to seize every opportunity to make a profit, even if it deals in trading death.
👎1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 On January 30, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke at a roundtable meeting organised by the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, titled Ukrainian Crisis: The Militarisation of Kiev’s Neo-Nazi Regime.
Around 70 representatives of the diplomatic missions from the Global South and East accredited in Moscow attended the event.
☝️ The Minister elaborated on the origins of the Ukrainian crisis, quoting facts indicating that the West had been intentionally making efforts to cultivate anti-Russia and neo-Nazi sentiments in Ukraine since it gained independence, and to transform the country into a tool for containing and delivering a strategic defeat to Russia.
The Minister presented facts and figures attesting to the fact that the Kiev regime had been undergoing militarisation for a prolonged period of time, stocking up on Western weapons that are now used in terrorist attacks against civilians, or end up, through the black market, in the hands of extremist organisations around the world. The minister warned against the potential violation of end-user certificate requirements in the course of military and technical cooperation.
❗️ On a separate note, Sergey Lavrov explained why the Zelensky Formula and associated events are inadequate and out of touch with reality. He pointed to the fact that Ukrainian leadership had breached the provisions of Ukraine’s neutral and non-aligned status and concerning the use and protection of the Russian language in the Declaration on State Sovereignty and the Constitution of Ukraine.
The participants in the roundtable meeting had an engaged exchange of opinions on other topical issues, including the situation in the Middle East, relations between the Global South and the collective West, and the international economic issues caused by the illegitimate sanctions.
Around 70 representatives of the diplomatic missions from the Global South and East accredited in Moscow attended the event.
☝️ The Minister elaborated on the origins of the Ukrainian crisis, quoting facts indicating that the West had been intentionally making efforts to cultivate anti-Russia and neo-Nazi sentiments in Ukraine since it gained independence, and to transform the country into a tool for containing and delivering a strategic defeat to Russia.
The Minister presented facts and figures attesting to the fact that the Kiev regime had been undergoing militarisation for a prolonged period of time, stocking up on Western weapons that are now used in terrorist attacks against civilians, or end up, through the black market, in the hands of extremist organisations around the world. The minister warned against the potential violation of end-user certificate requirements in the course of military and technical cooperation.
❗️ On a separate note, Sergey Lavrov explained why the Zelensky Formula and associated events are inadequate and out of touch with reality. He pointed to the fact that Ukrainian leadership had breached the provisions of Ukraine’s neutral and non-aligned status and concerning the use and protection of the Russian language in the Declaration on State Sovereignty and the Constitution of Ukraine.
The participants in the roundtable meeting had an engaged exchange of opinions on other topical issues, including the situation in the Middle East, relations between the Global South and the collective West, and the international economic issues caused by the illegitimate sanctions.
👎1
🔵Happy to visit Civil Defense Heritage Gallery (CDHG) and contribute several items to be displayed there. They were provided by Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergency Situations and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters Mr. Alexey Serko, who visited CDHG earlier in August 2023. Looking forward to further cooperation with Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on exchanging best practices in emergency response.
Many thanks to SCDF SAC Abdul Razak and his team.
Many thanks to SCDF SAC Abdul Razak and his team.
👍1
On February 2nd, at the Embassy of Russia in Singapore, a significant cultural event took place - the screening of the historical film "Amanat" for students of Nanyang University studying the Russian language.
This joint event, organized in collaboration with the Russian House, marked a significant step in strengthening cultural ties and knowledge exchange with the youth of Singapore.
Moreover, during the gathering, students learned about educational programs in Russia, including master's and doctoral studies, and explored the opportunities offered by the "New Generation" program under Rossotrudnichestvo.
Guests also had a unique opportunity to personally interact with the Russian Ambassador to Singapore, N.R. Kudashev. This was a delightful surprise for the young attendees, introducing an element of unexpectedness and adding special value to this significant event.
We were particularly pleased to witness the enthusiasm of the students, who not only enjoyed the cinematic masterpiece but actively participated in a dialogue about cultural heritage and mutual understanding. This event stands as a bright example of successful collaboration and friendly exchange of ideas 🎥🌍
🔗 https://t.me/rossot_singapore/4512
This joint event, organized in collaboration with the Russian House, marked a significant step in strengthening cultural ties and knowledge exchange with the youth of Singapore.
Moreover, during the gathering, students learned about educational programs in Russia, including master's and doctoral studies, and explored the opportunities offered by the "New Generation" program under Rossotrudnichestvo.
Guests also had a unique opportunity to personally interact with the Russian Ambassador to Singapore, N.R. Kudashev. This was a delightful surprise for the young attendees, introducing an element of unexpectedness and adding special value to this significant event.
We were particularly pleased to witness the enthusiasm of the students, who not only enjoyed the cinematic masterpiece but actively participated in a dialogue about cultural heritage and mutual understanding. This event stands as a bright example of successful collaboration and friendly exchange of ideas 🎥🌍
🔗 https://t.me/rossot_singapore/4512
Telegram
Russian House Singapore
2 февраля в Посольстве России в Сингапуре состоялось важное культурное мероприятие – показ исторического художественного фильма "Аманат" для студентов Наньянского университета, изучающих русский язык.
Данное совместное мероприятие, организованное в сотрудничестве…
Данное совместное мероприятие, организованное в сотрудничестве…
👍2
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🇷🇺🇨🇳 On 1 February in Beijing Russian-Chinese consultations on the military use of AI technologies in an inter-agency format took place.
The Sides exchanged their assessments of the current situation in this area. They discussed Russia’s and China’s doctrinal attitudes and initiatives related to the AI use for military purposes. Particular attention was given to the coordination of actions within the Group of Governmental Experts of the States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS).
🤝 The meeting confirmed the proximity of Russian and Chinese approaches to the above-mentioned issue. It was noted that there is a need for further close coordination in this area both in a bilateral format, and at specialized multilateral platforms, primarily within the GGE on LAWS.
The Sides exchanged their assessments of the current situation in this area. They discussed Russia’s and China’s doctrinal attitudes and initiatives related to the AI use for military purposes. Particular attention was given to the coordination of actions within the Group of Governmental Experts of the States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS).
🤝 The meeting confirmed the proximity of Russian and Chinese approaches to the above-mentioned issue. It was noted that there is a need for further close coordination in this area both in a bilateral format, and at specialized multilateral platforms, primarily within the GGE on LAWS.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the ruling of the UN International Court of Justice to reject Ukraine’s accusations that Russia violated the Genocide Convention
💬 On February 2, 2024, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague issued a judgment in the case “Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation).” For the time being, the judgment is limited by the procedural issue of the court’s jurisdiction.
However, even at that preliminary stage, the case concocted by Ukraine has already fallen apart.
<...>
The court accepted Russia’s preliminary objections and agreed that Kiev’s accusations have nothing to do with the convention. The issue is not even about Russia committing genocide or failing to fulfil its commitments to prevent it.
<...>
☝️ The collective West’s unprecedented interference in the case did not help Ukraine. As many as 47 countries (mostly NATO and EU members) declared their intention to support Ukraine by joining the process. Out of this number, 33 countries have already filed relevant applications at the jurisdiction stage. <...> Thus, thirty two teams of lawyers spoke in turn at the hearings in The Hague in September 2023, turning them into a total farce.
It is worth noting that these same NATO countries, when earlier accused by Serbia of violating the Genocide Convention by bombing Yugoslavia, argued to the same court that the convention did not regulate the use of force and that the military campaign “in defence” of the Kosovo Albanians was justified. At that time, the court listened to these arguments and refused to review all Serbian-filed cases.
<...>
So now the court will review only one issue – whether Ukraine committed genocide in Donbass. In other words, Kiev has put itself in the dock as part of its own claims. We can only applaud Kiev and its Western patrons for so deftly shooting themselves in the foot.
Read in full
💬 On February 2, 2024, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague issued a judgment in the case “Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation).” For the time being, the judgment is limited by the procedural issue of the court’s jurisdiction.
However, even at that preliminary stage, the case concocted by Ukraine has already fallen apart.
<...>
The court accepted Russia’s preliminary objections and agreed that Kiev’s accusations have nothing to do with the convention. The issue is not even about Russia committing genocide or failing to fulfil its commitments to prevent it.
<...>
☝️ The collective West’s unprecedented interference in the case did not help Ukraine. As many as 47 countries (mostly NATO and EU members) declared their intention to support Ukraine by joining the process. Out of this number, 33 countries have already filed relevant applications at the jurisdiction stage. <...> Thus, thirty two teams of lawyers spoke in turn at the hearings in The Hague in September 2023, turning them into a total farce.
It is worth noting that these same NATO countries, when earlier accused by Serbia of violating the Genocide Convention by bombing Yugoslavia, argued to the same court that the convention did not regulate the use of force and that the military campaign “in defence” of the Kosovo Albanians was justified. At that time, the court listened to these arguments and refused to review all Serbian-filed cases.
<...>
So now the court will review only one issue – whether Ukraine committed genocide in Donbass. In other words, Kiev has put itself in the dock as part of its own claims. We can only applaud Kiev and its Western patrons for so deftly shooting themselves in the foot.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding the support for Ukraine approved at the EU summit on February 1
❓ Question: Despite the multiplying conflicts in the world, growing internal differences between the EU member countries, acute socioeconomic problems in some European countries and the fatigue of European society from the Ukrainisation of all aspects of life there, the EU political leadership announced at the February 1 summit its decision to allocate billions to support the Ukrainian regime. What motivates EU politicians to do this?
💬 Maria Zakharova: The European Union has undergone a dramatic change in the past few years. It has stopped being a successful economic association and has chosen a policy of confrontation with those who underwrote its prosperity for many decades, in part, Russia.
Despite its slogans about “strategic autonomy” and ending external dependence in the economy, the EU has completely submitted to Washington.
<...>
The EU’s current internal and external policy shows that European institutions are completely divorced from the genuine interests of the Europeans. <...> At a time, when European farmers are calling for help, their political leaders shut the windows and decide to send another 50 billion euros to the Ukrainian regime.
<...>
The overwhelming majority of ordinary Europeans are the hardest hit by the militarisation of the EU economy. The US military-industrial complex is reaping the main economic benefits.
<...>
The EU wants to overcome its financial crisis by forcing its economy down a military path, despite the potential challenge this poses to global security.
☝️ The absence of a system for monitoring the location of manufactured weapons and military hardware will lead to even more theft of these arms. They will inundate the black market and conflict zones and aggravate terrorist threats around the world.
Read in full
❓ Question: Despite the multiplying conflicts in the world, growing internal differences between the EU member countries, acute socioeconomic problems in some European countries and the fatigue of European society from the Ukrainisation of all aspects of life there, the EU political leadership announced at the February 1 summit its decision to allocate billions to support the Ukrainian regime. What motivates EU politicians to do this?
💬 Maria Zakharova: The European Union has undergone a dramatic change in the past few years. It has stopped being a successful economic association and has chosen a policy of confrontation with those who underwrote its prosperity for many decades, in part, Russia.
Despite its slogans about “strategic autonomy” and ending external dependence in the economy, the EU has completely submitted to Washington.
<...>
The EU’s current internal and external policy shows that European institutions are completely divorced from the genuine interests of the Europeans. <...> At a time, when European farmers are calling for help, their political leaders shut the windows and decide to send another 50 billion euros to the Ukrainian regime.
<...>
The overwhelming majority of ordinary Europeans are the hardest hit by the militarisation of the EU economy. The US military-industrial complex is reaping the main economic benefits.
<...>
The EU wants to overcome its financial crisis by forcing its economy down a military path, despite the potential challenge this poses to global security.
☝️ The absence of a system for monitoring the location of manufactured weapons and military hardware will lead to even more theft of these arms. They will inundate the black market and conflict zones and aggravate terrorist threats around the world.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on US strikes on Iraq and Syria
💬 The US strategic bomber attack on Iraq and Syria, which destroyed and damaged dozens of facilities and killed numerous civilians, has once again demonstrated to the world the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington’s total disregard for international law.
The obedient participation of British Royal Air Force in the US attack should not give anyone the illusion of an “international coalition” taking action. London has yet to answer for its zealous support of the provocations launched by its bosses in Washington.
☝️ It is clear that the airstrikes were specifically intended to further escalate the conflict. By relentlessly attacking the facilities of allegedly pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, the United States has been purposefully attempting to draw the largest countries in the region into the conflict.
Confident of its impunity, Washington continues to sow chaos and destruction in the Middle East. The largest US air operation in the region since 2003, presented by Joe Biden as an “act of retaliation” for an unknown UAV attack on a US base in Jordan, has no justification. The attempts to flex their muscles in order to influence the political situation in the United States, as well as their desperation to salvage the failed international policies of the current US administration in the context of the ongoing election campaign are leading to a further escalation of international tensions and further undermining US credibility in the Arab world.
<...>
❗️ We strongly condemn this new outrageous act of US-British aggression against sovereign states. We insist on the urgent consideration of this situation by the UN Security Council.
Read in full
💬 The US strategic bomber attack on Iraq and Syria, which destroyed and damaged dozens of facilities and killed numerous civilians, has once again demonstrated to the world the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington’s total disregard for international law.
The obedient participation of British Royal Air Force in the US attack should not give anyone the illusion of an “international coalition” taking action. London has yet to answer for its zealous support of the provocations launched by its bosses in Washington.
☝️ It is clear that the airstrikes were specifically intended to further escalate the conflict. By relentlessly attacking the facilities of allegedly pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, the United States has been purposefully attempting to draw the largest countries in the region into the conflict.
Confident of its impunity, Washington continues to sow chaos and destruction in the Middle East. The largest US air operation in the region since 2003, presented by Joe Biden as an “act of retaliation” for an unknown UAV attack on a US base in Jordan, has no justification. The attempts to flex their muscles in order to influence the political situation in the United States, as well as their desperation to salvage the failed international policies of the current US administration in the context of the ongoing election campaign are leading to a further escalation of international tensions and further undermining US credibility in the Arab world.
<...>
❗️ We strongly condemn this new outrageous act of US-British aggression against sovereign states. We insist on the urgent consideration of this situation by the UN Security Council.
Read in full
Russian diplomacy on the eve of the Second World War
On February 10, we will once again celebrate the professional holiday of Russian diplomacy - the Day of the Diplomatic Worker. This day gives us the opportunity to look back into the recent past to search for lessons for the future and try to find an answer to a question - what are the true reasons for the hybrid war unleashed by the West against Russia and where does the resource for overcoming the military threat lie? Probably the most profound response can be found in the events on the eve of the Second World War. Let's think back...
Shortly before the start of World War II, the international surrounding for the USSR in Europe and the Far East was tense. By 1939, Hitler had already remilitarized Germany, occupied Austria, Czechoslovakia, and did not hide further aggressive plans to expand the country's territory and establish German hegemony in Europe. In the Far East, the USSR had another belligerent neighbour - Japan, an ally of Germany,- which occupied the north of China (Manchuria) and thereby came close to the borders of the USSR. Moscow had to search actively for a way out of the dangerous foreign policy situation to avoid a war on two fronts and have time to prepare the army for a future confrontation.
Diplomacy of the USSR after the Munich Agreement of 1938 (which at the instigation of the then British Prime Minister N. Chamberlain finally turned Hitler's gaze to the East) had to solve a complicated task - while the country was preparing for war, it tried to escape direct involvement in a major conflict, which would be an ideal solution. Preventive measures were taken to avoid a clash with Germany, the future aggressor. The USSR tried to establish a system of collective security in Europe, but these efforts were subverted by Britain and France, which wanted to target Hitler's aggression against the USSR.
On April 17, 1939, the USSR came up with a proposal to conclude a trilateral treaty of mutual assistance, according to which the UK, France and the Soviet Union were to immediately provide each other with military assistance in case of German aggression against them. The negotiation process moved forward very slowly. The Soviet side demanded from its Western partners convincing evidence of their final break with the policy of appeasement and their readiness to fully take into account Soviet interests. However, the negotiations reached a dead end.
As soon as the Soviet side finally understood that fact, it intensified parallel negotiations with Germany. On August 23, 1939, the German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow and the two sides signed the Soviet-German nonaggression pact. It was concluded for a period of 10 years and came into force immediately upon signing.
Unlike the UK and France, which "appeased" A.Hitler with measures that destroyed European security architecture after World War I, the USSR entered into a tactical non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939 in a situation of a much higher military threat to its own territory, in a period of better preparedness of Germany to war. In other words, the motivation for Moscow's actions was different. This was a forced step designed to push back and delay the military threat from Germany against the background of British and French reluctance to establish allied relations with Moscow. The pact was to gain time to prepare the army and society for war. It also prevented a new agreement between the Western powers and Hitler like the Munich one in 1938.
But even this pact, with the connivance of the Western capitals, did not stop Hitler. On September 1, 1939, he attacked Poland, with Britain and France declaring war on him in response. However, they did not start real military operations against Germany. The so-called "Phoney War" lasted for 8 months and ended with the German invasion of France on 10 May 1940. While the majority of German troops was fighting against Poland in 1939, the Western allies did nothing against the Third Reich from the West.
On February 10, we will once again celebrate the professional holiday of Russian diplomacy - the Day of the Diplomatic Worker. This day gives us the opportunity to look back into the recent past to search for lessons for the future and try to find an answer to a question - what are the true reasons for the hybrid war unleashed by the West against Russia and where does the resource for overcoming the military threat lie? Probably the most profound response can be found in the events on the eve of the Second World War. Let's think back...
Shortly before the start of World War II, the international surrounding for the USSR in Europe and the Far East was tense. By 1939, Hitler had already remilitarized Germany, occupied Austria, Czechoslovakia, and did not hide further aggressive plans to expand the country's territory and establish German hegemony in Europe. In the Far East, the USSR had another belligerent neighbour - Japan, an ally of Germany,- which occupied the north of China (Manchuria) and thereby came close to the borders of the USSR. Moscow had to search actively for a way out of the dangerous foreign policy situation to avoid a war on two fronts and have time to prepare the army for a future confrontation.
Diplomacy of the USSR after the Munich Agreement of 1938 (which at the instigation of the then British Prime Minister N. Chamberlain finally turned Hitler's gaze to the East) had to solve a complicated task - while the country was preparing for war, it tried to escape direct involvement in a major conflict, which would be an ideal solution. Preventive measures were taken to avoid a clash with Germany, the future aggressor. The USSR tried to establish a system of collective security in Europe, but these efforts were subverted by Britain and France, which wanted to target Hitler's aggression against the USSR.
On April 17, 1939, the USSR came up with a proposal to conclude a trilateral treaty of mutual assistance, according to which the UK, France and the Soviet Union were to immediately provide each other with military assistance in case of German aggression against them. The negotiation process moved forward very slowly. The Soviet side demanded from its Western partners convincing evidence of their final break with the policy of appeasement and their readiness to fully take into account Soviet interests. However, the negotiations reached a dead end.
As soon as the Soviet side finally understood that fact, it intensified parallel negotiations with Germany. On August 23, 1939, the German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow and the two sides signed the Soviet-German nonaggression pact. It was concluded for a period of 10 years and came into force immediately upon signing.
Unlike the UK and France, which "appeased" A.Hitler with measures that destroyed European security architecture after World War I, the USSR entered into a tactical non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939 in a situation of a much higher military threat to its own territory, in a period of better preparedness of Germany to war. In other words, the motivation for Moscow's actions was different. This was a forced step designed to push back and delay the military threat from Germany against the background of British and French reluctance to establish allied relations with Moscow. The pact was to gain time to prepare the army and society for war. It also prevented a new agreement between the Western powers and Hitler like the Munich one in 1938.
But even this pact, with the connivance of the Western capitals, did not stop Hitler. On September 1, 1939, he attacked Poland, with Britain and France declaring war on him in response. However, they did not start real military operations against Germany. The so-called "Phoney War" lasted for 8 months and ended with the German invasion of France on 10 May 1940. While the majority of German troops was fighting against Poland in 1939, the Western allies did nothing against the Third Reich from the West.
👎1