🇷🇺🇺🇸📞 Presidents of Russia & the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke over the phone (March 18, 2025)

The Leaders continued their detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation surrounding Ukraine. Vladimir Putin extended gratitude to Donald Trump for his striving to achieve the noble goal of ending the hostilities and loss of life.

Confirming his fundamental commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the President of Russia expressed willingness to thoroughly work out possible solutions in cooperation with the American partners, aimed at reaching a settlement that would be comprehensive, reliable, and lasting, and, naturally, take into account the essential need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, as well as Russia's legitimate security interests.

Concerning US President's proposal to declare a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian Side outlined a number of significant points regarding ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire frontline, as well as the need to stop the forced mobilisation in Ukraine and rearming the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

It was noted that some serious risks exist pertaining to the intractability of the Kiev regime which had repeatedly sabotaged and violated negotiated agreements. An emphasis was made on barbaric acts of terrorism committed by Ukrainian militants against civilians residing in the Kursk Region.

It was pointed out that a complete cessation of providing Kiev with foreign military aid and intelligence must become the key condition for preventing an escalation of the conflict and making progress towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means.

Referring to Donald Trump's recent appeal to spare the lives of the Ukrainian servicemen surrounded in the Kursk Region, Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian Side was willing to embrace humanitarian motives and guaranteed that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine would live and be treated fairly in accordance with Russian legislation and international law in the event of surrender.

During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to mutually refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded favourably to the proposal and immediately gave the relevant order to the Russian troops.

Just as favourable was the Russian President's response to Donald Trump's suggestion to implement a well-known proposal regarding the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. The Leaders agreed to begin talks to further work out specific details of such an agreement.

Vladimir Putin made it known that on March 19, the Russian and Ukrainian sides would carry out an exchange of prisoners, each swapping 175 people. Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers currently receiving aid at Russian medical facilities will also be repatriated.

The Leaders confirmed their intention to continue efforts aimed at reaching a settlement in Ukraine bilaterally, with due regard in particular to the aforementioned proposals by the US President. For this purpose, a Russian and an American expert task forces are now being formed.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump also addressed some other international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and in the Red Sea region. Joint efforts will be made to stabilise the situation in the crisis spots and establish cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. This will, in turn, contribute to improving the overall ambiance of relations between Russia and the United States. One positive example is the recent vote in the UN on a resolution on the Ukraine conflict, in which the two countries aligned their stances.

The Leaders expressed mutual interest in normalising the bilateral ties in light of the special responsibility for ensuring global security and stability borne by both Russia and the United States. <...>

🤝 The Presidents agreed to stay in touch on all the issues raised.

#RussiaUS

Embassy comment

We have read yet another scaremongering piece by The Straits Times correspondent J. Eyal, which was published in today's issue under the sensational title ‘Trump’s call with Putin to broker Ukraine ceasefire a clear flop’.

In our opinion, the piece is an example of blatant bias aimed at discrediting and demonizing the Russian-American negotiation process on Ukraine, casting a shadow over the leaders of Russia and the United States, and rehabilitating the Kiev authorities and their supporters. Most crucially, it seeks to instill a sense of hopelessness in readers. This narrative serves only those who, like the author, refuse to acknowledge any path out of the dead-end of the hybrid war waged against Russia by the collective West and those intent on its defeat. Let us respond to the author with the excerpts from the text of the official statement of the press service of the Russian President Vladimir Putin about his telephone conversation with the US President Trump on March 18, 2025:

The leaders continued their detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation surrounding Ukraine. Vladimir Putin extended gratitude to Donald Trump for his striving to achieve the noble goal of ending the hostilities and loss of life.

Confirming his fundamental commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the President of Russia expressed willingness to thoroughly work out possible solutions in cooperation with the American partners, aimed at reaching a settlement that would be comprehensive, reliable, and lasting, and, naturally, take into account the essential need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, as well as Russia's legitimate security interests.

Concerning US President's proposal to declare a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian side outlined a number of significant points regarding ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire frontline, as well as the need to stop the forced mobilisation in Ukraine and rearming the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was noted that some serious risks exist pertaining to the intractability of the Kiev regime which had repeatedly sabotaged and violated negotiated agreements. An emphasis was made on barbaric acts of terrorism committed by Ukrainian militants against civilians residing in the Kursk Region.

It was pointed out that a complete cessation of providing Kiev with foreign military aid and intelligence must become the key condition for preventing an escalation of the conflict and making progress towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means.

Referring to Donald Trump's recent appeal to spare the lives of the Ukrainian servicemen surrounded in the Kursk Region, Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian side was willing to embrace humanitarian motives and guaranteed that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine would live and be treated fairly in accordance with Russian legislation and international law in the event of surrender.

During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to mutually refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded favourably to the proposal and immediately gave the relevant order to the Russian troops.

We encourage readers to explore this document’s content (in full at http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/76477) and form their own independent opinion on the Russian-American negotiation process — its progress, challenges, and problems. This will make it clear who is truly obstructing peace in Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

As for the esteemed Mr Eyal, it is regrettable that someone who presents himself as an international columnist would deliver such a subpar analysis — one that not only lacks depth but also includes disrespectful remarks about the leaders of two great powers.

🎙 Excerpt from President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at the expanded meeting of the Russian Federation Prosecutor General’s Office Board.

💬 President Putin: Under the law of the Russian Federation, all Ukrainian military personnel and foreign mercenaries who entered our territory and committed crimes against civilians, shall be, and are, legally classified as terrorists.

Their atrocities must be identified, documented, and meticulously investigated. I instruct prosecution bodies, including military prosecutors, to fully deploy this work in liberated territories – in Sudzha and other localities – in coordination with relevant services.

These criminals, punishers, and those who issued unlawful orders and abused civilians must be identified and brought to justice.

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#TeamLavrov

On the 75th Anniversary of Sergey Lavrov, prominent figures from the worlds of culture, sports, and science recited his famous poem "The Ambassador’s Decree" sincerely congratulating the Minister on his milestone and confirming that not only his remarkable achievements in diplomacy but also the heartfelt words of his works continue to inspire and resonate in people's hearts 👆

Sergey Lavrov's poetic journey began in his student years. In 2004, his poems were included in a poetic anthology published to mark the 60th Anniversary of MGIMO, for which he is also the author of the anthem.

📄 One of the most well-known poems by the head of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is "The Ambassador’s Decree" written in 2004.

The work gained wide recognition, spreading far beyond the walls of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was highly appreciated by the literary community. In 2016, Sergey Lavrov became a laureate of the national "Imperial Culture" award for this poem, receiving recognition in the category "Events. Feats. People."

#WeLOVErov

💬 Sergey Lavrov himself has repeatedly emphasized that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cherishes poetic traditions:

The work of a diplomat is somewhat like the work of a writer. As is common knowledge, our main tool is the word, which we use to defend our country’s interests. <...> The Ministry on Smolenskaya Square cherishes the poetic tradition. A number of its employees, myself included, try their hand at writing.

(from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to participants in the Diplomatic Club’s meeting on March 30, 2017)

🎥 RT news channel covered the "Exquisite Elegance: Celebrating Sarafan Design" exhibition held in Singapore on March 7-9. The event showcased traditional sarafan and kokoshnik designs. Watch the report for highlights.

🎥 Новостное агентство RT подготовило репортаж о выставке Exquisite Elegance: Celebrating Sarafan Design, прошедшей в Сингапуре с 7 по 9 марта с.г. На мероприятии вниманию гостей были представлены традиционные сарафаны и кокошники, фотовыставка и тематические лекции и выступления.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with "Krasnaya Zvezda" (Red Star) Media Holding Company for the film "Diplomacy as a Way of Life: I Prefer Fair Play" (March 21, 2025)
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💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> The leadership focused [in 1994] on creating proper conditions for deepening partnership with the West. As it turned out later - in fact, it became clear fairly quickly, but almost all our politicians and citizens found it out later - our role in that “partnership” was that of the “little brother.” We were assigned this role. This, of course, was a huge mistake.

Many Western analysts are saying in their memoirs that there was no point in expanding NATO and keeping Russia out of the picture. However, our goal was to join the G7. Even in the 2000s, we did not give up on the idea of expanding cooperation with the West.

❓ Question: Back in the day when you worked at the UN - I’m talking about 1994-1996 - did the position of our leadership sat well with you in terms of how Russia should be represented in the international arena?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> Our leadership was primarily focused on the West, notably G7-Russia relations. The leadership focused on creating proper conditions for deepening partnership with the West. As it turned out later - in fact, it became clear fairly quickly, but almost all our politicians and citizens found it out later - our role in that “partnership” was that of the “little brother.” We were assigned this role. This, of course, was a huge mistake.

<...>

Starting with Yevgeny Primakov, our foreign policy began to change towards multipolarity. It was not designated in these terms back then, but Yevgeny Primakov introduced it in the legitimate diplomatic lexicon and formally advocated for promoting the interests of a multipolar world.

<...>

The UN Charter requires no revision. It remains contemporaneous. It must simply be respected and implemented. When Kosovo declared independence without a referendum, this was hailed as self-determination. Yet when Crimea conducted a transparent referendum with hundreds of European observers, parliament members, and public figures in attendance, it was decried as a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Duplicity, cynicism, hypocrisy – these are the forces we confront.

Key points:

• Multipolarity means you should be interested in addressing your economic and other needs, such as security, but you never clam up or refuse to talk to any country in the world. Listening to what someone else has to say doesn’t put anyone under any obligation. Often enough, a simple contact, a conversation can help identify new areas of mutually beneficial interaction. This is fully consistent with the UN Charter.

• Our ideas on every matter in global politics will never align [with the US]. We acknowledged this in Riyadh. The Americans acknowledged this, too. In fact, they were the ones who said this. Common sense suggests that it is foolish not to use the points where our interests align in order to translate then into some practical actions and obtain mutually beneficial results.

• Where our interests do not align (US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said this), it is the duty of responsible powers to prevent this divergence from deteriorating into confrontation. This is absolutely our position.

• Zelensky made a 180-degree turn from someone who came to power with peaceful slogans or slogans like “leave Russian alone; it is our common language and our common culture” (this can be found on the internet) and, six months later, transformed into a full Nazi and, as President of Russia Vladimir Putin rightly said, a traitor to the Jewish people.

• No other language has been subjected to such aggression [as Russian]. But imagine if Switzerland were to ban French or German, or Ireland were to ban English. The Irish there now want “some” self-determination. If the Irish tried to ban English now, they would have shaken all the UN “pillars” demanding Ireland’s condemnation.

❗️ Diplomacy mirrors life: complex, yet we must endure and labour on.

⚡️Main outcomes of the Russia and United States expert groups meeting(March 25, 2025)

1. In line with the agreement reached by the presidents of Russia and the United States, the Russian and American sides agreed to provide for the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative, which includes ensuring safe navigation, eliminating the use of force, and preventing the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea, while adopting appropriate control measures by inspecting such vessels.

2. The United States will help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
Note:

Clauses 1 & 2 will come into force following:
the removal of sanctions imposed on Rosselkhozbank (Russian Agricultural Bank) and other financial institutions involved in ensuring international food trade (including fish and fish products) and fertilisers, their reconnection to SWIFT, and opening of relevant correspondent accounts;
the removal of restrictions imposed on trade finance operations;
the removal of sanctions imposed on companies producing and exporting food (including fish and fish products) and fertilisers, as well as restrictions banning insurance companies from working with food cargoes (including fish and fish products) and fertilisers;
the removal of restrictions on servicing ships in ports and sanctions against ships flying the flag of Russia, if they are involved in food trade (including fish and fish products) and fertilisers;
the removal of restrictions on supplies to the Russian Federation of agricultural machinery and other goods used in the production of food (including fish and fish products) and fertilisers.

3. Russia and the United States agreed to develop measures for implementing the agreement between the two countries' presidents to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine for 30 days starting on March 18, 2025, with an option to extend the agreement or to withdraw from it in the event of non-compliance by either party.

4. Russia and the United States welcome the good offices of third countries with a view toward supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.

5. Russia and the United States will continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace.#RussiaUnitedStates

🎙 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Channel One (Moscow, March 25, 2025)

Key talking points
• We will need clear-cut guarantees [regarding any agreements]. Given the disappointing experiences of our past agreements with Kiev, the guarantees can only exist in the form of a directive coming from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do so and so and not otherwise. I think our US partners are receptive of this signal.

• Europe, led by Germany - starting with Ursula von der Leyen and everyone else on that list - is beginning to seriously ponder remilitarisation that will set them back outlandish amounts running into hundreds of billions of euros in a situation where its economy and social sphere are circling the drain after the Biden administration let them off the leash and sent them to wage war against the Russian Federation.

• Europe is not only disregarding Donald Trump and his team’s assessment that territorial issues must be resolved outside NATO’s influence – it is actively encouraging Zelensky’s stance.

• We sensed before the Riyadh meeting that the Americans wanted to place Russians and Ukrainians in adjacent rooms, engaging in shuttle diplomacy to ultimately produce a coordinated document. However, we have reiterated what our presidents discussed – our unequivocal stance, which has been agreed by our presidents, is that progress must be reliable and there must not be any unsubstantiated documents.

• Zelensky knows that his days are numbered, and that his positive image he has been cultivating among the people has long since faded, with the exception of those (quite numerous) who hold radical, far-right and revenge-seeking Bandera views.

• The fact that we have resumed dialogue [with the USA] despite all our differences signals a return to normalcy. We need this kind of dialogue, especially since it is not limited to Ukraine.

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🎙 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Vesti news programme (Moscow, March 26, 2025)

❓ Question: What core geopolitical principles were established by the decisions of the Yalta Conference?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The principles were straightforward. I recently addressed this topic and even authored an article <...> The legal embodiment of Yalta and Potsdam resides in the United Nations Charter. Who could possibly oppose its principles? <...>

The imperative remains to uphold equality and the right of nations to self-determination. This very principle underpinned the decolonisation process that unfolded fifteen years after the UN establishment and the Charter’s ratification. African peoples will ultimately conclude that those governing them from metropolitan capitals – through “overseers on the ground” – fail to represent their interests. <...>

Plainly, Ukraine’s current leadership – manipulated by Western puppeteers – fails to represent vast swathes of its population. Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya constitute settled matters, particularly given how referenda outcomes in these territories have been enshrined in our Constitution.
The principle of territorial integrity, already addressed, demands reciprocity: respect your people if you expect your borders to be respected. Do not prohibit native languages, historical memory, or ancestral child-rearing traditions. This, too, resonates with the UN Charter, which mandates respect for human rights irrespective of race, sex, language, or religion. <...>

Ursula von der Leyen, alluding to President Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States, recently claimed European values (democracy, human rights, rule of law) face grave peril. This comes from an official who wilfully ignores laws exterminating the Russian language, media, culture, and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church – sister institution to Russia’s Orthodox Church – enacted by the Nazi regime of Vladimir Zelensky and his predecessor Petr Poroshenko.

Western hypocrisy reveals one truth: refusal to accept the emergent multipolar era. All nations must stand equal, mutual respect must prevail, and competition must be honourable. When the Soviet Union dissolved, the West lectured us about a new epoch and “end of history.” We are all on the same page now: globalisation, fair competition, and presumption of innocence. These principles now lie discarded.

In recent pronouncements by Ursula von der Leyen and other European Union leaders (I do not intend to offend all, but the majority), it is conspicuously evident that, irrespective of circumstances, “the way we interpret democracy is how it must be.” In Ukraine, it is permissible to prohibit the Russian language. In Switzerland, envisage a ban on French, or in Ireland, English (currently, the English and the Irish are at odds there). Were the English language to be banned in Ireland, one would witness an outcry reaching the heavens. Numerous analogous examples abound.

It was determined that in Romania, Călin Georgescu would not run for the presidency, notwithstanding the Constitutional Court of the country having cleared him of all suspicions. Yet the Central Electoral Commission declared: “We do not care about the Constitutional Court; the President has ordered us not to allow ‘this one’ to proceed because he does not denounce Vladimir Putin and Russia.”

The genetic inclination of the West to perpetually perceive itself as a hegemon thus continues to undermine the foundations of the Yalta-Potsdam system. This is a profoundly just system.

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#Arctic4You

🎙 Remarks by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin at a plenary session of the VI International Arctic Forum "The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue".

💬 Vladimir Putin: Russia is the largest Arctic power.

We have consistently advocated for equitable cooperation in the region, encompassing scientific research, biodiversity protection, climate issues, emergencies response, and, of course, the economic and industrial development of the Arctic. We are prepared to collaborate not only with Arctic states but with all who, like us, share responsibility for ensuring a stable and sustainable future for the planet and are capable of adopting balanced decisions for decades to come. <...>

The role and importance of the Arctic for Russia and for the entire world are obviously growing. Regrettably, the geopolitical competition and fighting for positions in this region are also escalating. <...>

As to Greenland, this is an issue that concerns two specific nations and has nothing to do with us. But at the same time, of course, we are concerned about the fact that NATO countries are increasingly often designating the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts and are practicing the use of troops in these conditions, including by their “new recruits” – Finland and Sweden, with whom, incidentally, until recently we had no problems at all. <...>

Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic. However, we are closely monitoring developments in the region, formulating an appropriate response strategy, enhancing the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces, and modernising military infrastructure facilities.

☝️ We will not tolerate any encroachments on our country’s sovereignty and will steadfastly safeguard our national interests. By upholding peace and stability in the Arctic region, we will ensure its long-term socio-economic development, improve the quality of life for its residents, and preserve its unique natural environment.

Key points:

• Over the past decade, cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route – spanning from the Kara Gates Strait to the Bering Strait – has substantially increased. In 2014, a mere four million tonnes of cargo were transported via this corridor. By last year, that figure had risen to nearly 38 million tonnes – five times the Soviet-era record.

• The Northern Sea Route is poised to become a pivotal segment of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor, stretching from St Petersburg through Murmansk to Vladivostok.

• Cargo shipments along the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor are set to increase on the back of growing minerals production and the advanced processing of these resources right here in the Arctic, and due to rising international transits.

• Russia already operates the world’s biggest icebreaker fleet. We must consolidate our leadership in this sector by building new-generation icebreakers, including nuclear icebreakers. Today, only Russia has them – no other country has a nuclear icebreaker fleet.

• Plans are in place to increase the capacity and turnover of our northern ports through the introduction of innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, including unmanned and automated cargo handling equipment. <...> I would like to add that our partners from Belarus, China, the United Arab Emirates and other countries are showing keen interest in [the Murmansk transport hub] and in the development of the Arctic transport infrastructure in general.

• The regions of Siberia, the Urals, and Russia’s North-West will receive direct access to the North, to the Arctic ports, which will lessen the load on the Trans-Siberian Railway and promote effective use of sea transport. In addition, there will be new points of access to the Arctic from the North-South corridor, which connects us with Central Asia and the Gulf states.

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🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a media question, Moscow, April 1, 2025 (Moscow, April 1, 2025)

❓ I have a question about strikes on energy infrastructure. We keep hearing mixed messages coming from Kiev. One day they are ready to sit down and talk, and next thing you know they keep attacking our facilities. Could you provide an update on where things stand with regard to the moratorium? Is it being observed, if so, to what extent, and is it still in force for us and the other party?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: At the very beginning of today’s meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and before taking up the main issue of combatting terrorist threats, President Vladimir Putin asked Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and me to provide an update on the status of our relations with the United States on the Ukrainian dossier.

Andrey Belousov spoke precisely about the moratorium that was agreed upon at the suggestion of President Trump on March 18 during the telephone call between the President of Russia and the President of the United States.

❗️ The moratorium is not being observed. All this time, the energy facilities of the Russian Federation have been coming under attacks with occasional short breaks of one to two days between them.

Defence Minister Belousov listed the facilities targeted by Ukrainian drones over the period under review, including last night.

My update went along the same lines. The Russian army is observing the moratorium that President Putin ordered to strictly comply with on March 18 during a telephone conversation with President Trump.

Remember, President Putin said seven drones were on their way to attack targets in Ukraine as they were having this telephone conversation. The drones were destroyed by our air defence forces and a jet fighter on duty that was up in the air at the time. Since then, we have been 100 percent compliant with that agreement with President Trump.

We passed the list of violations cited by Defence Minister Andrey Belousov at the Security Council meeting to US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. I forwarded this list to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our representatives at the UN and the OSCE for them to use these concrete facts in their work and let everyone know the real worth of the words uttered by the current Ukrainian authorities, if “this” can even be called authorities.

In addition to this topic, President Putin asked me to provide an update on other areas of work with the Americans, including matters that were discussed on March 24 in Riyadh, when experts from Russia and the United States met to discuss the revivification, resumption, and resuscitation of the grain Black Sea Initiative. During the talks in Riyadh, we highly appreciated - President Putin supported this assessment - the United States’ willingness to help eliminate obstacles created by illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Russian grain and fertiliser exports. They created tensions on global markets and difficulties for the developing countries, which faced limited access to food and fertiliser.

We supported the US willingness to act in that regard which was laid out on paper after the March 24 meeting, and added specific proposals on how this could be done in practice.

<...>

The third topic of our interaction with the Americans is about eliminating “irritants” that seriously impede the work of our Embassy in Washington D.C. and the US Embassy in Moscow. Clearly, we did not initiate these obstacles. The Obama Administration did quite a lot in that regard. We only responded under the diplomatic law of reciprocity, which no one has torn up yet.

There was a meeting in Istanbul. Preparations are underway to hold a second one. There are contacts by phone and videoconference calls. I’d rather not make any predictions, but we can see signs of progress and our US partners’ willingness to lift these obstacles to normal work of diplomats in our respective capitals that are absolutely unacceptable from the point of view of diplomatic practice.

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🗂Russia’s Defence Ministry has been releasing content from its Central Archives on a dedicated website (in Russian) to celebrate the heroicfeats accomplished by the Soviet heroes during the fight against the Nazis & their cronies during the Great Patriotic War & World War II.

This valuable archive data includes award lists, registration cards, photos and personal files illustrating how these heroes served and performed in combat.

The heroes in the project include people of various ethnic backgrounds and coming from all Soviet republics, including the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Estonia.

❗️These archive materials used to be classified. The initiative to bring them into public domain today is designed to protect the historical truth, fight efforts to falsify and distort history, while celebrating the heroic feats accomplished by the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War.

О российско-сингапурских консультациях

4 апреля заместитель Министра иностранных дел Российской Федерации А.Ю.Руденко провел консультации по вопросам двусторонней и международной повестки дня с постоянным секретарем Министерства иностранных дел Республики Сингапур А.Чуа.

Проведен обстоятельный обмен мнениями о состоянии и перспективах российско-сингапурских отношений. С российской стороны вновь указано на контрпродуктивность введенных властями Сингапура в марте 2022 года антироссийских санкций, которые остаются препятствием для полномасштабной реализации внушительного потенциала сотрудничества в областях, представляющих взаимный интерес, в том числе в торгово-экономической и гуманитарной.

Внимание было также уделено ключевым вопросам многосторонней кооперации в Азиатско-Тихоокеанском регионе, совместного противодействия стоящим перед ним вызовам и угрозам. Отмечена особая роль Ассоциации государств Юго-Восточной Азии как системообразующей организации в интеграционных процессах в АТР. В этом контексте стороны высказались за дальнейшее продвижение разноплановых связей по линии диалогового партнерства Россия-АСЕАН.

Были подробно изложены подходы России к развитию ситуации вокруг Украины, обстановки на Корейском полуострове.

#GreatPatrioticWar

🛩 On 6 April 1966, Soviet pilots Boris Kapustin and Yury Yanov performed a heroic feat in the skies above West Berlin — they refused to eject from their falling aircraft, instead steering it away from residential areas. They perished but saved the lives of many on the ground.

Both engines of their Yak-28 fighter-bomber, equipped with experimental top-secret technology, failed mid-flight. The aircraft was en-route (returning) from the Sverdlovsk Aviation Plant, and the cause of the malfunction was later determined to be clogged fuel tubes — paper stickers had not been removed during assembly.

Beneath the stricken aircraft lay a densely populated city. Kapustin, the flight commander, manoeuvred to avoid residential neighbourhoods. He offered navigator Yanov the chance to eject, but Yanov remained on board, fearing that his departure might compromise the aircraft’s aerodynamics and lead to total loss of control.

They fought to the last moment to protect civilians, ultimately directing the falling aircraft into Lake Stößensee. The Yak-28 sank, and the crew perished without leaving their combat post.

🕊 On 8 April 1966, a funeral ceremony was held to transfer the remains of the Soviet pilots to representatives of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Delegations from cities across both East and West Germany came to pay their respects. Throughout the day, Germans arrived to honour the Soviet heroes.

🌟 Kapustin and Yanov were posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 10 May 1966.

🙏 A memorial plaque was installed at the crash site. In Eberswalde and seven other German cities, grateful residents erected commemorative signs. On 30 March 2001, a memorial was unveiled at the aviation museum at Finow Airfield.

Their sacrifice and eternal bravery continue to live on in the hearts of those who remember to this day.