#InMemoriam

📆 July 18, 1909, is the birthday of Andrey Gromyko, a statesman and politician, an outstanding Soviet diplomat and Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union (1957-1985).

Born in the village of Starye Gromyki in Byelorussia, he rose from a researcher to the foreign minister of a great power.

In 1936, Andrey Gromyko defended a PhD thesis on the economy of agriculture in the United States and was promoted to senior research fellow at the Institute of Economics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

The diligent and hard-working researcher did not go unnoticed. He was appointed head of the Department of the Americas at the People’s Commissariat (Ministry) of Foreign Affairs in 1939 and later promoted to counsellor at the Soviet Embassy in the United States. In 1943, he assumed the post of Soviet Ambassador to Washington while simultaneously representing the Soviet Union in Cuba.

✍️ In 1945, Andrey Gromyko signed the UN Charter on behalf of the Soviet Union, and in 1946 he was appointed the country’s first permanent representative to the UN.

Gromyko became the foreign minister of the Soviet Union in 1957 and held that post for 28 years. He helped prevent many global conflicts during the period of ideological confrontation and tensions between NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organisation. He promoted the normalisation of relations with the United States and the West in general, as well as disarmament, the fixation of post-war borders in Europe, and détente.

❌ As Soviet foreign minister, Andrey Gromyko became known in the West as Mr Nyet (Mr No) for his firm stance when it came to issues of fundamental significance for national interests. This is what he had to say about that:

They heard my ‘Nyet’ much more rarely than I did their ‘No’ because we advanced many more proposals.

The most significant achievements of Soviet diplomacy reached during his tenure as the country’s foreign policy chief include:

▪️ Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests (1963)
▪️ Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
▪️ Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1972), SALT I (1973) and SALT II treaties (1979)

During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, Andrey Gromyko contributed to reaching a compromise and preventing a war. He took part in the Arab-Israeli talks in Geneva (1973) mediated by the Soviet Union and the United States, and helped prevent a large-scale war between India and Pakistan (1966).

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about Andrey Gromyko:

Andrey Gromyko firmly upheld national interests, helped strengthen the country’s prestige and contributed to the development of the post-war world order.

☝️ Andrey Gromyko was one of the world’s most highly respected diplomats in the 20th century and a symbol of Soviet foreign policy. His legacy continues to uphold the high prestige of Russian diplomacy to this day.

🗓️ Today, the outstanding Soviet and Russian actor, director, screenwriter and writer Vasily Livanov turns 90.

In our country, he is best known for his role as Sherlock Holmes in Soviet television films about the brilliant detective. They are based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, a native of the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. Holmes performed by Livanov is rightfully considered one of the most successful and recognizable screen images. Having found a new life at the Lenfilm studio, the classic literary character is much loved by millions of viewers, and his expression “Elementary, Watson!” became a catchphrase. Vasily Livanov's performance received recognition not only in Russia, but also abroad, including the homeland of Arthur Conan Doyle. For his role as Holmes, in 2006 the actor became an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire.

🎉 We congratulate Vasily Livanov on his birthday and invite all of you to enjoy the work of the great actor by watching the film series “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson”.

🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Mozambique Maria Lucas (Moscow, 22 July)

💬 European politicians are whipping up their populations in every possible way, indoctrinating them with the idea that Russia is an eternal adversary and an existential threat that is about to attack Europe.

Therefore, all social problems, economic failures and ongoing deindustrialisation — a trend evident in many European countries — must be disregarded in order to focus all efforts, funds and taxes exclusively on the militarisation of Europe. It is sad. [...]

I hope that the reasonable approach demonstrated by the Trump administration after succeeding the Biden administration, which had been acting in concert with unbridled Europeans, will be taken note of by the Europeans, despite all the current discussion about the need to rearm the Kiev regime at the expense of European taxpayers.

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⚡️ Statement by Head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky following the third round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul (July 23, 2025)

Key talking points:

• All agreements on humanitarian tracks discussed previously have been fulfilled. The exchange of the last groups of prisoners of war — about 250 individuals from each side — is nearing completion at the Ukraine-Belarus border. A second, unprecedentedly large exchange involving approximately 1'200 people from each side has been completed. An agreement has been reached to conduct another exchange of no less than 1'200 POWs from each side in the near future. Ongoing indefinite humanitarian exchanges of the severely wounded and sick along the line of contact will continue.

• Russia proposed the formation of three working groups to operate online: on political issues, humanitarian issues, and military issues. The Ukrainian Side agreed to consider this proposal.

• The Russian Side has once again proposed that Ukraine consider the possibility of declaring short-term ceasefires (24–48 hours) along the line of contact to retrieve the wounded and the bodies of fallen soldiers.

• Russia has returned more than 7'000 bodies [of AFU soldiers] to Ukraine and has received a small number of its own in return. An offer was made to hand over an additional 3'000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen.

• The issue of returning civilians displaced by hostilities was discussed. Not all residents of the Kursk region who were "evacuated" by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Ukrainian territory have been returned home. There are about 30 such individuals, and they are still being held by Ukraine.

• There was extensive discussion on the positions outlined by both parties in the memoranda exchanged last time. The positions remain quite far apart. It was agreed to maintain contact.

• The list of 339 names of Ukrainian children has been fully reviewed. Some children have been returned to Ukraine. Work is ongoing regarding the others. If legal guardians, close relatives, or official representatives are found, the children will be returned home immediately. For us, children are sacred. At present, they are under state care, safe and well provided for in appropriate child welfare institutions.

***

❓ Question: Was the possibility of a summit-level meeting discussed?

💬 Vladimir Medinsky: For such a meeting to take place, the terms of the agreement must first be thoroughly prepared. A summit should be held to finalize and sign off on agreements. Meeting just to rehash everything again makes no sense.

❗️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement on the Israeli Parliament’s adoption of a declaration on extending sovereignty to the territory of the West Bank

On July 23, the Knesset (Parliament) of Israel adopted a declaration on extending the sovereignty of Israel to the territory of the West Bank.

• While not a legislative act, the document urges the Government to “extend, as soon as possible, Israeli sovereignty, including Israeli law, judicial authority, and administration, to the entire Jewish settlement area in all its diversity in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.”

• It also describes the creation of a Palestinian state as an “existential threat to Israel, its citizens and the entire region.”

This move by Israeli lawmakers has been received with deep concern in Moscow. It effectively predetermines the outcome of talks on the final status of the Palestinian territories and contradicts Israel’s commitments under the Oslo Process, as well as the provisions of relevant United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.

Russia remains committed to facilitating direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, with the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state that coexists in peace and security with Israel – a cornerstone of long-term stability in the Middle East.

We proceed from the assumption that the adopted declaration will not be followed by concrete steps from the Government of Israel aimed to facilitate its actual implementation. Should such steps be taken, they would inevitably lead to a further escalation of tensions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, with unpredictable consequences for both Israel and the entire Middle East.

Russia continues to prioritise an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, and the relaunch of the peace process, while avoiding unilateral actions that seek to create irreversible facts on the ground.

⚓️ Today, on Russia’s Navy Day, diplomats of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Edinburgh commemorated the crew of the Soviet submarine B-1 commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union I.I. Fisanovich by laying a wreath at the memorial in Dundee.

The submarine was received by the USSR as part of reparations after Italy’s withdrawal from World War II. 81 years ago on July 27, 1944, while following an agreed course from Scotland to the Soviet Union, the submarine was sunk due to a RAF pilot error.

🎙 Highlights from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at 11th Terra Scientia National Educational Youth Forum (Solnechnogorsk, 28 July)

• The West cannot accept becoming just another powerful region in a multipolar world. It cannot relinquish the hegemony it has enjoyed for the past 500 years. This is especially evident in Europe today, where there is a desire to impose one's will on others and ignore pragmatic concerns.

• Even during the Cold War, there was dialogue, which helped opposing sides to better understand each other's intentions — primarily to prevent a major war. Europe has lost that instinct. The same forces that once sought to destroy Russia are now re-emerging in Europe, choosing Ukraine as a battering ram to use against us.

• Unable to accept the loss of its hegemony, the West continues to pursue purely neocolonial policies. Its sanctions regime exists to suppress competitors because it fears their unimpeded development. Emerging power centres have already outpaced the West. If obstacles are removed, these emerging powers will leave the West far behind.

• A multipolar world is emerging, and this is an objective and unstoppable process. No sanctions, trade wars or provocations of open conflict can reverse this trend. Nevertheless, the West continues to pursue such tactics, as evidenced by its actions in the Middle East, Ukraine and Iran.

• The West continues to rely on institutions established after World War II, such as the IMF and the World Bank, frequently employing them to bolster its dominance. This includes exploiting the role of reserve currencies, particularly the US dollar, and flouting fundamental principles such as fair competition and the presumption of innocence.

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We took note of the article by Dr Kamusella “Beware symbols of Russia on Scottish war memorials”. He claims that laying wreaths and flowers by the Russian diplomats at the Scottish sites commemorating those who fought against Nazis and the military cooperation between our countries during the WWII is a “spread of neo-imperialist message” and “psyop” (psychological operation).

Putting aside other absurd allegations in the article (“soon we may have to live under Moscow’s dominance” is only one of them) we would like to stress that laying wreaths with national insignia to war memorials is a normal practice for all diplomatic missions, including the British ones.

Most notably, preserving the memory of all those who gave their lives for freeing the world from Nazism is a sacred duty for any decent and honest person. Without those heroes our world would be different, and we all, including the article’s author, would hardly exist. That is why hundreds of flowers were laid at the Soviet submarine monument and other such sites by the Scottish people when we were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. We will continue to do everything so that feat and self-sacrifice of all those who perished fighting against the Nazis are never forgotten.

We will also never forget the courage of the people from Scotland and other parts of the UK who gave their lives in our joint fight against Hitler’s hordes. Russian diplomats regularly visit Arctic Convoys memorials in Scotland to pay tribute to their British participants. In Russia there is also a number of monuments dedicated to them as well as other Allied sailors and soldiers, and Russian people do their best to honour their memory of our then brothers-in-arms.

As for an absurd assertion that Russia “did not exist in 1945” we would like to remind that our country is the internationally recognised successor of the USSR and inherited its membership in the Security Council and all other UN organs. We are sure everyone is also aware of the contribution of the Russian people to Nazi Germany’s defeat and the price they paid to achieve this goal. At the same time, it was the joint Victory of millions of people from all Republics of the former Soviet Union, and by laying flowers to the monuments we pay tribute to all those heroes.

Author’s claims that ribbons of St George were first introduced in Russia in 2014 are completely wrong. The order of St George was established in 1769. Among its first cavaliers was famous Russian admiral of Scottish origin, Samuel Greig. The same ribbons were used for the Order of Glory, introduced in 1943. Later their colours were integrated into ribbons of the anniversary medals, including those presented to the Scottish veterans of the Arctic Convoys. Ribbons of St George have been a symbol of the Victory over Nazism for many years, commonly used by people in Russia and in other countries, like poppy flowers being the symbol of remembrance in the UK. Lack of knowledge of these facts puts the author’s competence as historian in question.

In turn, references to Russians (not even some specific ones but seemingly all of us) who “lurk in Europeans’ backyards” and “wait for just right moment to do the bidding of their overlord” are an astonishing example of xenophobia. Being clearly aimed at a specific social group (either ethnic Russian or Russian nationals), the article may well be reviewed for compliance with Scotland’s hate crime laws. We also wonder if this kind of judgement is approved by the university where the author reads his lectures.

We consider the article as another graceless attempt to incite Russophobia in Scotland, to revise the history of the WWII, and to attack the memory of all those who gave their lives to defeat the Nazis as well as of the cooperation between Russian and British people in 1941-1945. The article’s author tries to sow division, misinformation and hatred. Conversely, laying flowers at the memorials is an act of respect, remembrance and unity. We believe this approach is shared by majority of people in Scotland.

🕯 On 1 August, we mark the Day of Remembrance for Russian Soldiers Who Fell in World War I — a conflict that, a century on, remains the defining cataclysm of the early twentieth century.

What began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 swiftly escalated into a continental confrontation. Within a week, the great powers were drawn in: Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August, on France two days later, and on 4 August the British Empire declared war on Germany. The continent was soon engulfed in the conflict.

For Russia, WWI presented both obligations to its allies and pressing strategic imperatives, particularly along the Southwestern and Caucasian fronts. Despite immense hardships, Russian forces displayed remarkable valour, as seen in the legendary defence of Osowiec Fortress, where gas-poisoned soldiers mounted a bayonet charge in what became known as the "Attack of the Dead Men".

Among other military feats, the Brusilov Offensive of 1916 remains one of the most successful operations of the war, inflicting heavy losses on Austro-Hungarian forces and altering the strategic balance on the Eastern Front.

Over two million Russians perished in the war — a sacrifice seared into national memory. Across Russia and beyond, monuments stand in solemn tribute, bearing witness to a generation whose courage endured amid one of history's darkest hours.

#WeRemember

🎙 Key takeaways from President Vladimir Putin's answers to media questions during his joint visit to the Valaam Monastery with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (Karelia, 1 August)

• To settle an issue by peaceful means, you need to hold detailed talks instead of creating publicity. The way forward is to ensure that the negotiating process is private and confidential. This is why Russia suggested creating three groups [with Ukraine]. We agreed that we can hold these talks without cameras and without making all this political noise by working in a calm environment while searching for compromises.

• The Ukrainian delegation told us that it could make sense to discuss security for both Russia and Ukraine in the context of a pan-European security framework. One of the senior members of the Ukrainian delegation voiced this opinion. Overall, we believe that this makes sense, and we share this view.

• Not long ago, our adversaries were confidently speaking of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia. Today, their rhetoric has shifted: now, their singular and desperate goal is to halt our offensive at any cost, whether by offering incentives, or issuing threats, or supplying more equipment and personnel to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• We are seeking a lasting and sustainable peace built on fundamentally sound principles that would serve the interests of Russia and Ukraine and ensure the security of both countries. Perhaps, those voices on the Ukrainian side who – albeit cautiously – are beginning to raise the idea of dialogue, are right in suggesting that we must begin to consider the issue of European security in general.

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🗓 2 августа сотрудники консульского отдела Посольства России провели в Белфасте (Северная Ирландия) очередное выездное обслуживание российских граждан.

Во время сессии более 80 соотечественников из Северной Ирландии и Республики Ирландия получили возможность воспользоваться широким спектром консульских услуг — оформить паспорта, гражданство несовершеннолетним детям, доверенности и другие нотариально удостоверенные документы, а также акты о личной явке. Сотрудники подробно проконсультировали российских граждан по различным аспектам их пребывания в Великобритании.

Особое внимание было уделено инвалидам, пенсионерам и многодетным семьям.

Консульское обслуживание прошло планово и эффективно. Соотечественники выражали благодарность за своевременно оказанное им содействие.

Исходим из того, что практика консульских выездов в различные регионы Соединённого Королевства является важной и полезной. Продолжим работу по обеспечению максимально широкого доступа российских граждан к консульским услугам.

Russian Foreign Ministry:

☝️ Following the US's deliberate actions that led to the termination of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) in 2019, Russia took proactive steps to promote restraint in this particular area.

This included Russia voluntarily imposing unilateral restrictions on the deployment of ground-based INF systems for as long as similar US-made missiles are not deployed in corresponding regions of the world.

Russia has directly called upon NATO countries to declare a reciprocal moratorium on deploying weapons banned under the INF Treaty and has asked US allies in the Asia-Pacific region to support its efforts to prevent an arms race in the region.

Regrettably, Russia's initiatives were not reciprocated. The US and its allies have openly declared their plans to deploy US ground-based INF missiles in various regions, and have made significant progress in implementing these plans [...]

❌ We are witnessing a growing number of facts indicating the emergence of US-made weapons in a variety of regions around the globe including those of particular national security importance to Russia. These weapons qualify as ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missile systems [...]

The West's actions in establishing and developing destabilising missile capabilities in regions adjacent to Russia pose a direct and strategic threat to our country's security. These dynamics have serious negative implications for regional and global stability, and they dangerously escalate tensions between nuclear powers.

Russia has consistently made it clear that it will take offsetting military-technical measures to neutralise emerging threats and maintain strategic balance. Our repeated warnings on this account have been ignored, and the US-made ground-based INF systems are being deployed in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

❗️ In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry states that the conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar systems have ceased to exist. We are hereby declare that the Russian Federation no longer considers itself bound by the previously adopted self-imposed restrictions.

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#Антифейк

Об очередной провокационной публикации в британской газете «Таймс»

☝️ Обратили внимание на антироссийский по сути и псевдоисторический по содержанию материал, опубликованный в газете «Таймс» 3 августа за авторством Ричарда Ллойда Пэрри о судьбе общины японских «поселенцев» в Маньчжурии в ходе её освобождения от Квантунской армии в 1945 году.

Перед нами ещё один образец спекулятивной журналистики, искажающий историю Второй мировой войны в год 80-летия её окончания.

Автор оперирует устными воспоминаниями весьма пожилых очевидцев и ссылками на японский «документальный фильм» с откровенно политическим посылом. Цинично использует болезненные травматические воспоминания японских женщин о тяготах послевоенного времени лишь для того, чтобы внедрить в сознание читателя один лживый пассаж, призванный обесчеловечить советского солдата и опорочить его честь. <...>

Не менее возмутительна и попытка приравнять судьбы японских «поселенцев» к преступлениям милитаристской Японии в 1930–1940-х годах в Китае, Корее и Юго-Восточной Азии. Р.Ллойд Пэрри намеренно обходит стороной ключевой факт: пребывание японцев в Маньчжурии было результатом насильственной оккупации, сопровождавшейся массовыми расправами, депортациями и эксплуатацией местного населения. Эмоциональной риторикой и политкорректными эвфемизмами автор подменяет роли агрессора и жертвы, фактически рисуя Советский Союз не освободителем, а оккупантом.

В этой связи хотелось бы напомнить некогда уважаемому британскому изданию, что успешное наступление Красной Армии на Дальнем Востоке во многом предопределило капитуляцию Токио и окончание Второй мировой войны. <...>

Подобные публикации отнюдь не служат делу исторической справедливости, как это позиционирует автор. Они искажают правду сентиментальными неверифицированными рассказами, вырывают отдельные эпизоды из контекста и выстраивают из них выгодный Западу нарратив, призванный сместить фокус внимания с ответственности японского милитаризма за многочисленные и хорошо задокументированные зверства на мнимые «преступления» СССР.

❗️ Фальсификация, эксплуатирующая трагедию прошлого в интересах сиюминутной сенсации и политического заказа, недопустима и безответственна. Жаль, что редакция «Таймс» не осознает губительность своего бездумного ревизионизма. Вряд ли «восстановить достоинство» упомянутых в статье женщин можно через однобокое подтасовывание фактов и перекладывание вины на другие страны и народы.

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🕯 On August 6, 1945, exactly 80 years ago, humanity witnessed one of the most horrific events in history, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, targeting civilians for the first time.

◼️ At 8.15 am the hands of the clock in Hiroshima stood still. The “Little Boy” atomic bomb, weighing 4.4 tons, exploded at an altitude of 576 metres above ground, instantly incinerating over 80'000 people. The temperature at the epicentre of the explosion reached nearly 4'000 degrees Celsius, destroying everything within an 800-metre radius. Tens of thousands more residents of the city died in the following months from radiation sickness and other impacts of radiation exposure.

The development of the deadly weapon commenced in the United States as early as 1939, before the launch of the secret Manhattan Project in 1942, led by nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie R. Groves, Jr. The creation of the nuclear arsenal cost a staggering $2 billion (equivalent to roughly $45 billion today), and involved more than 130'000 specialists. The US leadership sought to acquire an ultimate weapon that would enable them to impose their will on the entire world.

By the summer of 1945, three atomic bombs had been produced: the “Gadget” for testing, the “Little Boy,” and the “Fat Man”. The latter two were designed to intimidate Japan and to showcase the growing power of the United States to the Soviet Union.

☝️ Western historians are still trying to justify this barbaric act as necessary to force Japan to surrender. However, by early August 1945, the Japanese troops were already on the brink of exhaustion, and the Soviet Union’s entry into the war on August 8 played a key role in defeating militarist Japan.

The bombing of Hiroshima was a brutal demonstration of American force in an attempt to justify the huge financial investment in the nuclear programme.

🕯 Survivors of the atomic bombing, known in Japan as “hibakusha” (literally, “people affected by exposure”), lived for decades with severe physical and psychological consequences. According to Japan’s Health Ministry, approximately 200'000 Hibakusha were still alive in 2012.

💬 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov:

To this day, the terrible death of innocent civilians strikes a chord with millions of people on our planet. It is hard to fully understand what the masterminds and perpetrators of such an inhumane act were guided by.

(excerpt from Sergey Lavrov’s message to the participants of the memorial ceremony in Hiroshima on the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing).

Neither President Harry Truman nor his successors ever apologised for the suffering inflicted on the residents of Hiroshima and their descendants. Moreover, Japanese officials have chosen to silence the fact that the United States was responsible for the tragedy.

#NoStatuteOfLimitations

#Антифейк

☝️ Обратили внимание на то, что посол Украины в Лондоне Валерий Залужный в недавней статье для издания Vogue пустился в рассуждения на тему идентичности, единства и исторических уроков для украинцев. Под броской «упаковкой» скрывается лишь стремление автора на публику эксплуатировать искусственно возведённые разделительные линии в нынешнем украинском обществе, а также бесстыдно манипулировать нашим общим прошлым в угоду антироссийской повестке киевских властей.

Парадоксально, но говорящий о единстве В.Залужный фактически оправдывает и поощряет проводимую режимом Зеленского человеконенавистническую линию на языковую, культурную, а также религиозную сегрегацию на Украине.

По сути, подтверждает, что после госпереворота 2014 года к власти в Киеве пришли те, кто решил строить украинскую государственность на отрицании всего русского, дискриминации многомиллионного русскоязычного населения страны, равно как и проживающих в ней нацменьшинств – в нарушение её Конституции и международных обязательств. Именно это стало одной из первопричин, которые привели к многолетнему кризису и впоследствии вынудили нашу страну начать специальную военную операцию.

Любой честный разговор об исторических уроках также обязан затронуть вопрос, как и почему за прошедшее десятилетие под неонацистскими лозунгами Украина была превращена в инструмент для нанесения России «стратегического поражения» в руках западных кураторов. И чем подобная геополитическая «неразборчивость в связях» обходится самому украинскому народу <...>

Россия была и остаётся открытой для урегулирования украинского конфликта политико-дипломатическим путём. При этом речь должна идти о прочном и долгосрочном мире, который может быть достигнут лишь путём искоренения первопричин кризиса.

❌ На этом фоне отмечаем непрекращающиеся попытки Лондона и некоторых его партнёров сорвать выход на мирное разрешение конфликта. Это наглядно демонстрируют заявления и развитая британским руководством активность в преддверии российско-американской встречи на высшем уровне на Аляске. Такая линия лишний раз подтверждает конъюнктурность подхода европейских столиц, рассчитывающих и далее использовать Украину в качестве антироссийского тарана.

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#Antifake

☝️ We have taken note that in a recent article for Vogue Valery Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian Ambassador in London, dwells on the identity, unity and historical lessons for Ukrainians. Beneath the glossy "packaging" lies nothing more than the author's desire to exploit the artificially constructed divisions within today’s Ukrainian society for public consumption and to shamelessly manipulate our shared past in order to serve the Kiev regime’s anti-Russian agenda.

Paradoxically, while speaking of unity, Mr Zaluzhny effectively condones and encourages the misanthropic course pursued by Zelensky’s regime — a policy marked by linguistic, cultural and religious segregation in Ukraine.

In essence, he confirms that, following the 2014 coup d’état, those who came to power in Kiev sought to build Ukrainian statehood upon the denial of everything related to Russia and upon the discrimination against millions of Russian-speaking citizens living in the country, as well as against its national minorities — in violation of the Constitution and international obligations. This, in turn, became one of the root causes that led to a protracted crisis and subsequently compelled our country to launch the special military operation.

Any candid discussion of historical lessons must also address how and why Ukraine — under the neo-Nazi slogans — has been transformed over the past decade into a tool for its Western sponsors to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia. It must also consider the cost of such "geopolitical promiscuity" to the Ukrainian people themselves, who continue to be regarded by their foreign patrons solely as "expendable material". <...>

Russia has always been open to resolving the Ukraine conflict through political and diplomatic means. Yet such a settlement must lead to a durable and lasting peace, which can only be achieved by eradicating the root causes of the crisis.

❌ Against this backdrop, we are witnessing the ongoing attempts by London and some of its partners to hinder finding a peaceful solution to this conflict. This is evident from the statements and actions of the British leadership in the lead-up to the Russia-US summit in Alaska. They confirm once again the opportunistic approach of European capitals, who intend to continue exploiting Ukraine as an anti-Russian battering ram.

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🎙 Comment by Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov on the upcoming meeting between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump

💬 Preparations for the meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the United States have entered their final stage. <...>

The programme for the leaders’ meeting has been agreed upon. As you are all well aware, this meeting will take place in Alaska, specifically in Anchorage, with one of the facilities at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Military Base serving as the venue. The proceedings are scheduled to begin tomorrow, August 15, at approximately 11:30 local time with a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. <...>

On the Russian side, the delegation will include:
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,
• Aide to the President for Foreign Policy Yury Ushakov,
• Defence Minister Andrei Belousov,
• Finance Minister Anton Siluanov,
• Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev.

Upon concluding the negotiations, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will hold a joint news conference to summarise the outcomes of the discussions.

Regarding the summit’s agenda, it is evident to all that the central topic will be the settlement of the Ukraine crisis <...>

However, broader issues related to ensuring peace and security, as well as pressing international and regional matters, will also be addressed. An exchange of views on the further development of bilateral cooperation – particularly in the trade and economic spheres – is also expected.

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🎙 Excerpt from Russian MFA Deputy Spox Alexey Fadeyev's briefing on topical foreign policy issues (Moscow, 13 August)

💬 Although the European Union pays lip service to supporting Washington and Moscow's diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis, it is actually torpedoing them.

The EU's rhetoric about its purported backing for a peaceful settlement is merely another attempt to delay and undermine the negotiation process. Brussels makes no secret of this, emphasising that, regardless of the outcome of the Russian-US summit, the EU will continue flooding the Kiev regime with weapons and funding, just as it persists in escalating sanctions pressure against our country.

We believe that for certain European governments and Brussels bureaucrats further escalation of the Ukrainian conflict is the only way to justify to their public the unprecedented political and financial investments being poured into Europe's accelerated militarisation – as well as the economic stagnation the EU now faces due to its sanctions spiral and the current leadership's failed socio-economic policies.

☝️ We will closely monitor European countries' actions in the run-up to the summit and expect that no steps will be taken to obstruct its proceedings or the achievement of constructive agreements.

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