❗️On the human rights situation in the US (from Russia's MFA report)

Washington declares its commitment to upholding the principle of universality of fundamental human rights and freedom. In fact, the situation in the US is nowhere near the international standards:

🔻 A system-wide racism and police misconduct flourish;
🔻 National minorities find themselves victims of discrimination and social inequality;
🔻 The homeless issue remains outstanding;
🔻 Immigrants and prisoners, including those under age, face continuous oppression of their liberties;
🔻 Journalists do not feel safe and become victims of attacks;
🔻 The plans of the American Administration to close the Guantanamo special isolator remain unfulfilled.

Citizens' dissatisfaction with violations of voting rights only deepens the divide within American society. Alternative views are more often subject to censorship in mass and social media.

Numerous violations of human rights and freedoms remain in focus of the criticism coming from relevant international structures and non-governmental institutions.

The report of the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) published in November 2023 <...> notes the lack of positive moves in addressing significant deficiencies in the criminal legal system. There is a reference to serious violations of voting rights, of the rights to non-interference in private life, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assemblies and associations.

👉 No one has been held accountable for the systematic human rights abuses committed in the secret detention system run by the CIA, including enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment.

👉 The government's inability to protect people from constant gun violence continues to violate their rights, including the right to life, personal security and freedom from discrimination. In 2020, at least 44 thousand people died from gun violence.

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🎙 FM Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Bosnian Serb television network ATV (Moscow, May 5, 2024)

Key talking points:

• We will not participate in any events that promote Zelensky’s peace formula in one way or another. This much has been clear to everyone for a long time. We are serious about being open to negotiations based on the reality.

• I am aware of <...> the French’ claim to a role in Europe and the world. It cannot be ruled out that Macron needs this “caveman Russophobia” to become Europe’s leader.

• What they [the West] want is to subdue the Serbs. <...> They believe that the Serbs are too restive and independent in their actions since they refused to join the sanctions against Russia.

• Everyone knows about the total chaos reigning in Kosovo. Still, our Western colleagues have no qualms casting Kosovo nothing short of a beacon of democracy. Democracy was something alien for this territory at all times.

• The West is trying to create an anti-Russia and an anti-China coalition. An anti-Russia coalition is their immediate goal, while an anti-China one is being knocked together in anticipation of the moment when China emerges as the main threat (that’s how they call it) and the main adversary.

• Relations between Russia and China are much firmer, stronger and more reliable than the military alliances of the past century. <...> Without this Russia-China link, the situation on the international stage would have been much worse.

• Europe is struggling with tremendous economic problems because the US is using it above all to support Ukraine and wage a war against Russia. Everyone is predicting the demise of Germany as an industrial miracle. That miracle rested on the cheap and reliable Russian pipeline gas.

• The Americans have destroyed the system of arms control and are unable to work honestly in the humanitarian and economic spheres. We believe that the Euro-Atlantic security model has discredited itself and failed. We are now speaking about creating a Eurasian system of security.

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❗️ On May 6, UK Ambassador to Russia Nigel Casey was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be delivered a strong protest against the recent statement by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in an interview with the Reuters news agency regarding Ukraine’s right to strike Russian territory using British weapons.

The Ministry firmly pointed out to Ambassador Casey that Cameron’s hostile outburst directly contradicts the British side’s earlier assurances during the transfer of long-range cruise missiles to the Kiev regime that they would under no circumstances be used to strike Russia’s territory. By doing so, the head of the Foreign Office disavowed this position and admitted his country was a de facto party to the conflict.

The ambassador was told that the Russian side considered Cameron’s words as evidence of a serious escalation and confirmation of London’s growing involvement in combat actions on Kiev’s side.

Nigel Casey was warned that any UK military facilities and equipment on Ukrainian territory and beyond could be hit as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with British weapons.

☝️ The ambassador was urged to consider the inevitable disastrous repercussions of such hostile steps by London and to urgently refute in the strongest and most unequivocal manner the bellicose provocative statements by the head of the Foreign Office.

🇷🇺 Выступление В.В.Путина на торжественной церемонии вступления в должность Президента России (7 мая 2024 года)

💬 В.В.Путин: В эти торжественные и ответственные минуты вступления в должность Президента хочу сердечно поблагодарить граждан России во всех регионах нашей страны, жителей наших исторических земель, отстоявших право быть вместе с Родиной.

Хочу поклониться нашим героям, участникам специальной военной операции, всем, кто сражается за Отечество.

Ещё раз благодарю вас за оказанное мне доверие и поддержку и сейчас обращаюсь к каждому гражданину России.

<...>

🌐 Мы были и будем открыты к укреплению добрых отношений со всеми странами, которые видят в России надёжного и честного партнёра. И это действительно Мировое большинство.

Мы не отказываемся от диалога с западными государствами. Выбор за ними: намерены ли они и дальше пытаться сдерживать развитие России, продолжать политику агрессии, непрекращающегося годами давления на нашу страну или же искать путь к сотрудничеству и миру.

Повторю: разговор, в том числе по вопросам безопасности, стратегической стабильности возможен. Но не с позиции силы, без всякого высокомерия, чванства и собственной исключительности, а только на равных, уважая интересы друг друга.

Вместе с партнёрами по евразийской интеграции, с другими суверенными центрами развития мы продолжим работу по формированию многополярного миропорядка, равной и неделимой системы безопасности.

В сложном мире, который стремительно меняется, мы должны быть самодостаточными и конкурентоспособными, открывать для России новые горизонты как уже не раз бывало в нашей истории.

<...>

☝️ Мы уверенно смотрим вперёд, планируем своё будущее, намечаем и уже реализуем новые проекты и программы, которые призваны сделать наше развитие ещё более динамичным, еще более мощным.

Мы единый и великий народ и вместе преодолеем все преграды, воплотим в жизнь всё задуманное. Вместе победим!

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🇷🇺 Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as President of Russia in a ceremony that took place at the Kremlin (May 7, 2024)

💬 In these solemn and crucial moments of assuming the office of the President, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Russia across all regions of our country, as well as those living in the historical territories of Russia who have won their right to stand united with our Motherland.

I humbly honour our heroes, the participants in the special military operation, and all those who are fighting for our Fatherland.

I would like to thank you again for the trust you have placed in me and for your unwavering support. These words are directed to every citizen of Russia.

<...>

🌐 We have been and will continue to be open to strengthening good relations with all countries that view Russia as a reliable and honest partner. Indeed, those constitute the global majority.

We are not rejecting dialogue with Western states. The choice is theirs: whether they intend to continue trying to contain Russia’s development, continue the policy of aggression, the relentless pressure they have been exerting on our country for years, or seek a path to cooperation and peace.

To reiterate, we are open to talks, including on security and strategic stability, but not to negotiations from a position of strength. We are open to a conversation without arrogance, conceit or exceptionalism – a dialogue on an equal footing and with respect for each other’s interests.

Together with our partners in Eurasian integration and other sovereign development centres, we will continue to build a multipolar world and an equal and indivisible security system.

<...>

☝️ We stand as a united and great nation. Together we will overcome all obstacles and ensure that everything we conceive becomes reality. Together we win!

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⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement on the Russian Armed Forces’ exercises held to practice for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons

💬 Regarding the upcoming Russian military exercises held to practice for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, we would like to point out that these drills should be viewed in the context of the recent militant statements made by Western officials and the highly destabilising actions taken by several NATO countries to increase military pressure on the Russian Federation <...>.

👉 The matter concerns above all the open declaration of support for and the provision of direct assistance to the terrorist attacks against Russia carried out by the Kiev regime with the use of increasingly more advanced Western weapons provided to it. <...>

Apart from the British and French long-range missiles, which have long been used in Ukraine, we have taken special note of the models of US-made ATACMS missiles, which have been recently sent to Ukraine and are capable of reaching targets inside Russia.

At the same time, attempting to build up multifaceted missile threats to Russia, the US has openly and manifestly launched the deployment of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, which were previously prohibited under the INF Treaty, around the world. <...>

❗️We hereby expressly declare that we reserve the right to respond in kind, no matter where US-made intermediate- and shorter-range missiles are deployed, which would amount to the termination of Russia’s unilateral moratorium on the deployment of these weapon systems. <...>

These and several other actions by NATO countries actually show that they are deliberately trying to escalate the Ukrainian crisis all the way to an open military confrontation between NATO countries and Russia within the framework of their hostile policy of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia.

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