⚡️ Comment by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Kiev regime’s attempts to disrupt celebrations of the 10th Anniversary of Republic Day in the DPR and LPR (May 11, 2024).

💬 May 11 marked 10 years since the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) held a historic referendum on their future. The majority of voters in the then Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine chose self-determination, unwilling to accept the nationalist policy of the Kiev regime that had come to power through an unconstitutional armed coup d’etat. Sovereignty was approved by 96.2 percent of referendum participants in the LPR and 89.7 percent in the DPR. As a result, May 11 became Republic Day for the DPR, and May 12 for the LPR.

These referendums have always evoked impotent consternation and rage in Ukraine, whose current rulers fear the voice of the people like the plague. Therefore, the Ukrainian Banderites, aided by the United States and the US-led Western coalition, had cynically timed a series of barbaric terrorist attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure to coincide with the anniversary celebrations in the Russian Donbass republics.

• Late at night on May 10, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired rockets at Rovenki in the LPR. According to preliminary data, the Ukrainians used a number of recently delivered US ATACMS long-range missiles that hit an oil storage facility, causing a large-scale fire. The strike damaged nearby residential houses and injured a child, among others.

• On May 11, the anniversary of the DPR, the Ukrainian neo-Nazis fired rockets from US-supplied HIMARS launchers at the city of Donetsk. A direct hit at the Paradise restaurant in the Kirov District killed three and wounded eight people, including a 12-year-old girl.

• There were also strikes in other parts of the city, with missiles exploding near the recently opened perinatal centre and a café with a parking lot where participants in the motor rally in honour of Republic Day had arranged to meet. Thankfully, none of them were harmed.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has launched an investigation into these crimes. All those implicated in and responsible for these and other terrorist attacks in Russia will face inevitable punishment.

We admire the courage and fortitude of the people of Russia's Donetsk and Lugansk republics, whose spirit could not be broken by the Ukrainian Nazis currently entrenched in Kiev.

Today, the DPR and the LPR are inalienable parts of the Russian Federation, our common homeland.

A large-scale effort to restore the war-torn economy is underway in the republics, with support from the entire nation. Much-needed programmes are being implemented to strengthen the economy and the social sphere, and improve living standards.
❗️ We are confident that the Zelensky regime will achieve nothing, no matter what it attempts in its impotent rage to prevent us from restoring historical justice. Together, we will bring back the long-awaited peace and solve the most challenging problems. Victory will be ours!

⚡️ Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the statements by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk

💬 We have took note of the press release of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published on May 7 with the assessments of its head Volker Türk regarding the situation of journalists in Russia. The High Commissioner’s activity has long lacked objectivity and impartiality required by UN General Assembly Resolution 48/141, however this time the degree of his statements’ political bias is really outrageous and inappropriately arrogant.

In defiance of his mandate Volker Türk allowed himself utterly politicized, biased and lopsided interpretations of the situation in the media pluralism and free access to information in our country, and did not shy away from gross distortions, misrepresentations and unsubstantiated accusations. In his ill-concealed desire to follow in the wake of the Collective West’s anti-Russian rhetoric that international official broke out with a libel that has nothing to do with the real situation.

And at that the High Commissioner has never showed such zeal in dealing with mass evidence of oppressions against Russian and Russian-language media in the West, reprisals against undesirable reporters in the Baltic countries and Moldova, cruel crimes and terrorist acts by Kiev regime against Russian journalists, public figures and publicists.

We have yet to see a substantive response to any of our numerous appeals to Volker Türk regarding these gross violations, which just fuel our suspicions about the bias of his conduct and complete loss of basic ideas of good faith in implementing his mandate as the above UN General Assembly resolution requires.

❗️ We reject point blank the High Commissioner’s statements both in form and in substance. We insist on his strict compliance with all the requirements for an international official of such level, primarily in terms of impartiality and objectivity. We are calling on him to appropriately respond to all crimes and violations with respect to media and journalists regularly reported to him, including by the Russian side.

🎙️ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question during his remarks at the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Moscow, May 13, 2024)

❓ Question: Is the conference on Ukrainian issue convened by the West in Switzerland this June a potential threat to Russia’s foreign policy interests? What are our plans of opposing and counteracting the destructive plots of the Kiev regime and its foreign supervisors?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The “conference” has long been discussed by all those, who is trying to defeat Russia on the battlefield, without rejecting diplomatic methods, as they say. However, their diplomatic methods (the conference in Switzerland is not an exception but just a continuation of the process in Copenhagen format) boil down to formulating an ultimatum to Russia. <…>

The other day [Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Head] Ignazio Cassis said again that it was senseless to discuss anything without Russia. Why to convene it then? <...>

There were a lot of initiatives: offered by China, South Africa, Brazil and the League of the Arab States (who came to us soon after the beginning of the special military operation). The Chinese one was most comprehensive, aimed at first considering the root causes and working on their removal. The other had an emphasis on humanitarian aspects (exchange of POWs, bodies, access for humanitarian organisations). Yet High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that they were getting ready for a conference in Geneva on the Zelensky formula and all other initiative vanished. He decided for everyone else again. <...>

❗️ Our readiness for talks is reaffirmed at the top level personally by President of Russia Vladimir Putin each time he deals with the Ukraine issue.

<...>

Our cause is just. If they want it on the battlefield then it will be so. Look how they are lamenting over a steady and extensive advance of our Armed Forces.

Read in full

🤝 On May 13, Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya Abdullah al-Lafi and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Government of National Unity of Libya Taher al-Baour, who arrived in Moscow on a working visit.

• During an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Libya, Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to continue supporting the country’s comprehensive and sustainable stabilisation.

• He stressed the importance of inclusive national dialogue to preserve Libya’s territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty.

• He also pointed to the relevance of efforts to rally international support for the Libyan people in advancing the political process, with the United Nations playing the leading role.

🤝 The parties stated their shared interest in establishing and strengthening a mutually beneficial, multifaceted cooperation. In this connection, it was considered appropriate to facilitate the early resumption of activities of the Russian-Libyan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which serves as the key coordinating mechanism for bilateral collaboration in trade and the economy.

Read in full

On the same day, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held inter-agency consultations with the Libyan delegation, focusing on developments in Libya, the Middle East and North Africa.

#RussiaLibya

🎙 Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Moscow, May 8, 2024)

• Victory Day
• BRICS events
• The Ukrainian crisis
• Situation in Moldova
• Aggressive remarks by the French President
• Situation in the Middle East


📰 Read
📺 Watch

***

#BRICS

Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS is picking up speed. Over 40 events across three main cooperation areas have already taken place, covering politics and security, the economy and finance, as well as cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

#Ukraine

Just a few days ago EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell admitted clearly once again that the Ukrainian conflict had had a quick peaceful solution since the very beginning, but he personally and on behalf of the European Union did not want the combat to cease. We have talked about this many times (citing Mr Borrell and other EU officials) pointing to the EU’s long-term investments in financing arms supplies to Ukraine, with which they expect to prolong the armed confrontation for at least several more years (in their own words).

This confirms the terrible reality: ordinary Ukrainians are just a tool that Vladimir Zelensky "sold" to the EU members in the name of his own enrichment and immorality, which is used to settle the West’s geopolitical scores with Russia.

#France #NATO #EU

We noted the recent aggressive remarks from the French leadership, which seem to be increasingly frequent. <…> It is noteworthy that the belligerent stance of the occupant of the Elysee Palace is not only met with disapproval among many EU and NATO allies but, crucially, among the majority of French citizens, too.

✍️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin's interview to Xinhua News Agency ahead of his state visit to the People’s Republic of China (May 15, 2024)

Key talking points:

🇷🇺🇨🇳 #RussiaChina partnership has always relied on the principles of equality and trust, mutual respect for the sovereignty and consideration of each other's interests. A special and prominent role in the development of our relations has belonged to wise and shrewd politicians and state leaders, such as Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China.

• This unprecedented level of strategic partnership between our countries determined my choice of China as the first state to be visited after the official inauguration as the President of the Russian Federation.

• October 1 marks the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The country is approaching this significant historical date with outstanding achievements, which we welcome as old, reliable and time-tested friends. The USSR was the first to recognize the PRC on the second day of its existence.

• Russia-China ties as they are today, are free from the influence of either ideology or political trends. Their multidimensional development is an informed strategic choice based on the wide convergence of core national interests, profound mutual trust, strong public support and sincere friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

📈 Trade and economic relations between our countries are developing at a fast pace, showing strong immunity to external challenges and crises. Over the past five years, we have doubled the Russia-China turnover: it reached $227.8 billion last year, against $111 billion in 2019.

• President of China Xi Jinping and I decided to declare 2024 and 2025 cross years of culture between Russia and China, so as to implement this large‑scale project in conjunction with the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries.

📄 Read in full

🎙 Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers questions during a plenary session of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Moscow, May 14, 2024)

Key talking points:

• Western efforts to preserve its hegemony have entered a critical phase. <...> China has emerged as a leader of global growth. This fact does not sit well with the US, which, along with its satellites, having brought the rest of the West to its heel, made a doctrinal statement that they cannot allow anyone to become stronger or more influential than Washington. So, objectively, alongside our Chinese colleagues we are interested in continuing to lead the efforts to establish a fairer and more democratic world order.

🤝 The duo of Moscow and Beijing is playing a crucial balancing role in international affairs. I am confident that the upcoming visit of President Vladimir Putin to China will further strengthen our joint efforts.

• Following the expansion of #BRICS, our representation in the #G20 has increased. Half of the G20 members are either BRICS members or share similar perspectives with us. Therefore, the G20 will undergo positive transformations emphasising the inclusion of the interests of other regions of the world and groups of countries rather than representing the interests of the "collective West".

• We have numerous allies, and I have no doubt that we will have more of them which will contribute to democratising international relations, where every nation will have a rightful place of its own in global affairs based on its fair and actual contribution to the global economy, politics, and security system, as opposed to blackmail, threats, and ultimatums used by the West.

🌍 During the second Russia-Africa Summit, there were numerous plenary sessions and bilateral contacts with individual sub-regional African associations. <...> This is one of the main items on the agenda, including the implementation of the Declaration and Action Plan adopted at the second Summit.

Read in full

🎙 FM Sergey Lavrov’s message to the participants in the 8th Young Diplomats Forum of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Countries (May 15, 2024)

💬 Your events have invariably focused on a meaningful agenda, while offering a packed programme and attracting prominent delegates representing the diplomatic corps, as well as the academia and the expert community. Since 2016, more than 250 young foreign ministry employees from over 40 countries have taken part in these meetings.

The ceremony to grant delegates membership in the International Association of Young Diplomats will be one of the Forum’s highlights. Its secretariat has recently opened at MGIMO University. <...>

The Foreign Ministry has been fully supportive in promoting various international youth cooperation initiatives.

🇷🇺 Russia is the largest Eurasian power, with its state forming an entire civilisation that has a long-standing track record in promoting honest and mutually respectful ties with Muslim countries. Our firm commitment to the unique cultural and civilisational identities of nations around the world, their right to preserve their traditions and history and their ability to determine their own destinies form a solid unifying foundation for our relations. We have consistently advocated for the establishment of a just, democratic multipolar world order based on the principles set forth in the UN Charter.

We have made steady progress in developing our cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in all its aspects. There are now new opportunities for working together, including on the youth track.

🤝 Moving forward, we reaffirm our commitment to working with the OIC to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue and to defend the spiritual and moral values that are shared by all world religions. We will also continue to fight Islamophobia, anti-Christian sentiments, Russophobia and other forms of intolerance based on racial, ethnic or cultural grounds.

Read in full

Obviously, GCHQ and other UK security and intelligence agencies are well aware that Russia neither “coordinates” nor encourages “physical attacks” against the West.

Unlike British clients in Kiev who are deliberately targeting Russian civilian centres. We have yet to see a single official statement condemning Ukraine’s attacks, including the terrible strike on the apartment block in Belgorod on 12 May.

🎙 Statement of the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Ambassador Gennady Gatilov at the Conference on Disarmament (Geneva, 14 May 2024)

Key talking points:

💬 The first major shock for the whole world and, above all, for Europe after the end of the Cold War took place in 1999 when NATO, upon orders from Washington, committed military aggression against Yugoslavia in the very center of Europe. It was then that the alliance’s declared “defensive” status was lost forever.

• The next significant milestone on the way of undermining strategic stability and international security was the unilateral withdrawal of the US from the ABM Treaty in 2001. It was done with the tacit consent of Washington’s European satellites.

• In 2008 at the NATO summit in Vilnius it was decided to integrate into the alliance Ukraine and Georgia, countries once close to Russia that share historical, cultural and civilizational roots with it.

❗️ It was exactly the West, not Russia, that gradually closed the “window of opportunity” for a fruitful and comprehensive cooperation in order to solve pressing problems of regional and global security.

• We made our last attempt in December 2021, when two draft treaties on security guarantees to Russia were handed over to Washington and Brussels. <...> But our balanced and constructive proposals were rejected.

• The pumping of Zelensky’s regime with weapons, the accelerated strategic development of Ukraine’s territory by the de-facto nuclear NATO alliance, and the open unwillingness of Western States to talk about security guarantees forced our country to launch a Special Military Operation.

• NATO has finally pulled the European Union under itself.<...> Today <...> it has completely lost its political subjectivity and turned into an “overseas territory” of the US.

🇷🇺 Russia <...> is open to any constructive diplomatic efforts, but only if and when the countries of the “collective West” and NATO are ready to do so.

Read in full

🗓 On May 15, 2018, Crimean Bridge went operational - a solemn opening ceremony and first drive took place. It united mainland Russia with the peninsula via the Kerch Strait.

This impressive infrastructure project symbolises Crimea’s reunification with Russia. This unique road artery has revitalised and completely changed the region, giving a powerful impetus to its socioeconomic development.

⚙️ The construction of the Crimean Bridge, which began in 2016, was a truly historic event. Over 10,000 people took part in the construction of the century - sappers, ecologists, archaeologists, scientists, designers, engineers, and workers.

The 19 km-long bridge – the longest in Europe – consists of two parallel parts – the railway and the motorway. It starts in Taman, passes over Tuzla Island, crosses the Kerch Strait and reaches the Crimean coast. In May 2018, the motorway span was put into service in a record time (27 months). Freight traffic was opened in the autumn of the same year, while the railway bridge was completed a bit later – in December 2019.

📈 The bridge has enhanced logistics access to Crimea, promoting the development of tourism, transport and trade – the key economic sectors that provide the republic with one third of its gross product.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony. At the head of a convoy of three dozen trucks, he drove a KAMAZ over the bridge in 16 min., thus personally testing its strength.

💬 Russia's President Vladimir Putin (15.05.2018): “In fact, the whole country worked on this bridge. This is an excellent result that has made Crimea and the legendary Sevastopol stronger and brought us closer”

💬 Russia's MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (12.08.2023): "The Crimean Bridge is a purely civilian infrastructure facility. <...> Unable, despite the massive Western aid, to change the situation on the contact line, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are attempting to retaliate against civilian infrastructure and peaceful civilians by using underhand terrorist methods"

🎙️Комментарий Посольства в связи с попытками Министра обороны Великобритании Г.Шаппса обвинить Россию во вмешательстве во внутренние дела Грузии

▪︎14 мая в интервью телеканалу «Скай ньюз» Г.Шаппс, комментируя одобрение грузинским парламентом проекта Закона «О прозрачности иностранного влияния», голословно обвинил Россию во вмешательстве во внутренние дела Грузии. Не остановившись на этом, он стал бесцеремонно вдохновлять грузинских граждан на борьбу с усматриваемым им «российским влиянием».

▪︎Заявления Г.Шаппса абсурдны. Рассматриваем их как нечистоплотную попытку британских властей использовать миф о «российской угрозе» сугубо в своих интересах.В отличие от Лондона и других западных столиц, наша страна не имеет привычки вмешиваться во внутренние дела суверенных государств.

▪︎Интересно, помнят ли британские политики, пытающиеся надавить ныне на Грузию, дабы сохранить на нее влияние, что они сами не так давно ставили себе в заслугу принятие аналогичного местного законодательства об иноагентах, да еще и декларировали при этом трогательную заботу о национальной безопасности Британии. Такое двуличие действительно сложно понять.

☝️Лицемерием пропитаны и высказывания главы Минобороны по существу вопроса. В самой Британии в прошлом году был принят Закон о нацбезопасности, предусматривающий создание так называемой Схемы регистрации иностранного влияния. Согласно документу, от британцев будут требовать сообщать о любых договоренностях с зарубежными странами, предполагающих осуществление под их руководством «влияния» на местную политику. Уклонение будет уголовно наказуемо. Более того, глава МВД наделяется полномочиями единолично определять страны, в отношении которых регистрации потребует любая – не только политическая – деятельность. Сейчас ведется работа по претворению новеллы в жизнь.

❗В очередной раз призываем британских официальных лиц воздерживаться от безответственных заявлений и прекратить распространять антироссийскую пропаганду и дезинформацию.

✍️ Russia's President Vladimir Putin expressed support and wished early and full recovery to Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico who was injured in the assassination attempt.

✉️ This atrocious crime cannot be justified. I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-willed person. I truly hope these personal qualities will help him overcome this harsh situation.

🎙️Embassy comment on attempts by UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to accuse Russia of interfering in the internal affairs of Georgia

▪︎On 14 May, the UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in his comments to Sky News following the adoption by the Georgian Parliament of the draft Law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence”, baselessly accused Russia of interfering in Georgia's internal affairs.

▪︎Grant Shapps's statements border on the absurd. We regard them as an unscrupulous attempt by the British authorities to exploit the myth of the “Russian threat” purely in their interests. Unlike London and other Western capitals, our country is not in the habit of interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states.

▪︎Statements by the Head of the UK Defence Ministry on the substance of the issue are also saturated with hypocrisy. Last year the National Security Act was passed in Britain that provides for the creation of a so-called foreign influence registration scheme. According to the legislation, Britons will be required to report on any arrangements with foreign countries that involve them exercising "influence" on local politics. Failure to do so will constitute a criminal offence.

▪︎Moreover, the UK Home Secretary is given the power to unilaterally determine the countries for which any - not only political - activity will require registration. British authorities are now preparing to implement these provisions.

☝️One may wonder if the British politicians, who are trying to pressure Georgia in order to sustain influence there, remember that not so long ago they themselves took credit for enacting similar legislation on foreign agents at home, while declaring their staunch support for Britain's national security? Such hypocrisy is indeed difficult to understand.

❗We again call on the British officials to refrain from making irresponsible statements and to stop spreading anti-Russian propaganda and disinformation.

#VideoOfTheDay

🇷🇺🇨🇳 President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and President of Russia Vladimir Putin met in Beijing, with an official welcome ceremony held ahead of the Russia-China talks.

#RussiaChina