🗓 Today the 29th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) kicked off in Russia's northern capital, welcoming over 20,000 participants from 130 countries and territories.
With broad international representation – from the CIS and BRICS to ASEAN, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, the US and Germany – SPIEF remains one of the world's leading platforms for global economic dialogue and fostering business cooperation.
Running from 3 to 6 June, this year's Forum goes under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future". The programme features more than 150 events covering a wide range of topics: from the global and Russian economies to technological leadership, the social agenda and the development of the environment for living.
On 5 June, President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a keynote address during the forum’s plenary session.
Stay tuned for updates and insights from St. Petersburg 👉 forumspb.com/en
📸 © Roscongress
With broad international representation – from the CIS and BRICS to ASEAN, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, the US and Germany – SPIEF remains one of the world's leading platforms for global economic dialogue and fostering business cooperation.
Running from 3 to 6 June, this year's Forum goes under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future". The programme features more than 150 events covering a wide range of topics: from the global and Russian economies to technological leadership, the social agenda and the development of the environment for living.
On 5 June, President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a keynote address during the forum’s plenary session.
Stay tuned for updates and insights from St. Petersburg 👉 forumspb.com/en
📸 © Roscongress
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🗓 On 3 June, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin was invited to a meeting at the Foreign Office, during which the British side raised a number of objections related to the conduct of the special military operation. These included, in particular, speculation concerning the crash of an unmanned aerial vehicle in Romania on 29 May.
The Ambassador set out Russia's position on the incident, rejecting the unfounded accusations. He noted that the purpose of the latest wave of Russophobia was to distract the international community from the crimes of the Kiev regime.
In this context, he referred to recent terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian troops on a dormitory in Starobelsk and a passenger bus in Yenakiyevo. He emphasised that London, as one of Zelensky’s main sponsors, was effectively supporting these terrorist methods.
Furthermore, the Ambassador urged his interlocutors to treat with the utmost seriousness the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on 25 May concerning the commencement of the systematic destruction of military and defence-industrial facilities in Kiev.
He reiterated to the British side the strong recommendation that diplomatic personnel and foreign nationals be evacuated from the city.
The Ambassador set out Russia's position on the incident, rejecting the unfounded accusations. He noted that the purpose of the latest wave of Russophobia was to distract the international community from the crimes of the Kiev regime.
In this context, he referred to recent terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian troops on a dormitory in Starobelsk and a passenger bus in Yenakiyevo. He emphasised that London, as one of Zelensky’s main sponsors, was effectively supporting these terrorist methods.
Furthermore, the Ambassador urged his interlocutors to treat with the utmost seriousness the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on 25 May concerning the commencement of the systematic destruction of military and defence-industrial facilities in Kiev.
He reiterated to the British side the strong recommendation that diplomatic personnel and foreign nationals be evacuated from the city.
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Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
📺 Watch Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim (3 June 2026)
• Kiev regime's terrorist attacks
We are entering a new phase in this war, unfortunately, as Ukrainian troops have started to target civilian sites in Russia. Last night, for example, they targeted a civilian bus, killing seven and wounding 11. The most striking case is, of course, the attack on a college in Starobelsk by 16 Ukrainian drones in four waves. They killed 21 people, mostly young students. There is a huge difference [with Russia] because we are not intentionally targeting civilians. Ukrainians do it on purpose.
• Settlement of the Ukrainian conflict
There are different views on the final solution. One of them is that Ukraine could become part of NATO. This is a fantasy. It's not going to happen [...] The second option is to use Ukraine as a tool against Russia all the time, but that cannot go on forever. A third scenario would be a more practical and serious approach: an overall European settlement, a new deal between Europe and Russia on European security.
• UK's role in the Ukrainian crisis
The United Kingdom is doing everything it can to destroy Russia. It is supplying Ukraine with arms and money. It is imposing new sanctions. It is undermining negotiations involving Russia and the United States. Therefore, it is not just unfriendly, it is adversarial in three ways.
• Aggression against Iran
It is a fundamental right of every member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, including energy production, and Iran has this right. It is up to Iran whether it decides to voluntarily limit its right to enrich uranium as a gesture of goodwill. We welcome any kind of compromise, gesture or position that will lead to the long-term normalisation of the situation [in the region].
Watch the interview on our YouTube channel
• Kiev regime's terrorist attacks
We are entering a new phase in this war, unfortunately, as Ukrainian troops have started to target civilian sites in Russia. Last night, for example, they targeted a civilian bus, killing seven and wounding 11. The most striking case is, of course, the attack on a college in Starobelsk by 16 Ukrainian drones in four waves. They killed 21 people, mostly young students. There is a huge difference [with Russia] because we are not intentionally targeting civilians. Ukrainians do it on purpose.
• Settlement of the Ukrainian conflict
There are different views on the final solution. One of them is that Ukraine could become part of NATO. This is a fantasy. It's not going to happen [...] The second option is to use Ukraine as a tool against Russia all the time, but that cannot go on forever. A third scenario would be a more practical and serious approach: an overall European settlement, a new deal between Europe and Russia on European security.
• UK's role in the Ukrainian crisis
The United Kingdom is doing everything it can to destroy Russia. It is supplying Ukraine with arms and money. It is imposing new sanctions. It is undermining negotiations involving Russia and the United States. Therefore, it is not just unfriendly, it is adversarial in three ways.
• Aggression against Iran
It is a fundamental right of every member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, including energy production, and Iran has this right. It is up to Iran whether it decides to voluntarily limit its right to enrich uranium as a gesture of goodwill. We welcome any kind of compromise, gesture or position that will lead to the long-term normalisation of the situation [in the region].
Watch the interview on our YouTube channel
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✍️ Happy Russian Language Day, celebrated on 6 June.
The date coincides with the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, Russia's greatest poet of the 19th century. His works helped shape the language as we know it today.
Russian in numbers and beyond:
🌐 More than 250 million speakers worldwide
🇺🇳 One of the six official UN languages
🗺 Officially used in several countries
📚 Gateway to rich cultural heritage and world-famous literature
In the UK, interest in Russian continues to grow. Last year, 3,800 students took GCSE Russian – an increase of around 9% compared to 2024. Several UK universities offer Russian language degrees and courses.
Russian classical literature and music also remain present on British stages, with theatres and opera houses regularly showcasing works that reflect a long-standing appreciation of Russian art and culture.
The date coincides with the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, Russia's greatest poet of the 19th century. His works helped shape the language as we know it today.
Russian in numbers and beyond:
🌐 More than 250 million speakers worldwide
🇺🇳 One of the six official UN languages
🗺 Officially used in several countries
📚 Gateway to rich cultural heritage and world-famous literature
In the UK, interest in Russian continues to grow. Last year, 3,800 students took GCSE Russian – an increase of around 9% compared to 2024. Several UK universities offer Russian language degrees and courses.
Russian classical literature and music also remain present on British stages, with theatres and opera houses regularly showcasing works that reflect a long-standing appreciation of Russian art and culture.
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🎙 Highlights from President Vladimir Putin's remarks at the plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum
• The roots of today’s global turbulence lie in the ongoing transition from a vertical, hierarchical model – one that primarily served the interests of a limited number of states – to a far more complex, distributed, and multipolar international order.
• The entirety of the Minsk agreements served one purpose: to buy time for the rearmament of Ukraine. What need do we have for such agreements? [...] We require agreements that endure not for mere months, not for half a year, but for a significant historical period.
• Key issues must ultimately be resolved between Russia and Ukraine. Our colleagues in the United States and other regions of the world can only help create the necessary conditions and act as guarantors.
• Sanctions and, basically, the theft of Russia’s international reserves have had an irreversible effect on the positions of the world currencies, the US dollar and the euro. Now, every country understands that it could lose access to lawfully held assets in dollars or euros at any moment. This constitutes unfair competition.
• Sanctions inflict more harm on those who impose them [...] According to various estimates – taking the eurozone as an example – the damage inflicted by the sanctions against us amounts to between 1.5 and 2.5 trillion euros.
• The attempt to use the dollar as an instrument of political struggle, as a weapon in the political struggle, was an immense strategic mistake of the former US leadership [...] Everybody thought: they could use this weapon against us, too.
Read in full
• The roots of today’s global turbulence lie in the ongoing transition from a vertical, hierarchical model – one that primarily served the interests of a limited number of states – to a far more complex, distributed, and multipolar international order.
• The entirety of the Minsk agreements served one purpose: to buy time for the rearmament of Ukraine. What need do we have for such agreements? [...] We require agreements that endure not for mere months, not for half a year, but for a significant historical period.
• Key issues must ultimately be resolved between Russia and Ukraine. Our colleagues in the United States and other regions of the world can only help create the necessary conditions and act as guarantors.
• Sanctions and, basically, the theft of Russia’s international reserves have had an irreversible effect on the positions of the world currencies, the US dollar and the euro. Now, every country understands that it could lose access to lawfully held assets in dollars or euros at any moment. This constitutes unfair competition.
• Sanctions inflict more harm on those who impose them [...] According to various estimates – taking the eurozone as an example – the damage inflicted by the sanctions against us amounts to between 1.5 and 2.5 trillion euros.
• The attempt to use the dollar as an instrument of political struggle, as a weapon in the political struggle, was an immense strategic mistake of the former US leadership [...] Everybody thought: they could use this weapon against us, too.
Read in full
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