🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the shelling of Donetsk and Belgorod by Ukrainian armed units

💬 On December 18, the neo-Nazi Kiev regime committed another heinous crime, with the Armed Forces of Ukraine subjecting Donetsk to massive shelling. Almost all districts of the city were hit by over 100 rounds of different caliber from various artillery and rocket systems, some of which were of Western make. A particularly cynical strike was targeted at the Kalinin clinic, the biggest in the DRP.

On the same day, shelling of Belgorod’s residential neighbourhoods killed one person and injured ten. The damage was done to 75 households and industrial facilities.

☝️ It is abundantly clear that the Armed Forces of Ukraine deliberately target civilians. This is not an accident but a deliberate policy of the criminal Kiev regime. As Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny put it clearly in an interview with The Economist, “Russians and any other enemies must be killed.”

According to available information, Swedish-made Archer howitzers were used in yesterday’s attack on Donetsk. They are currently undergoing trials. This is yet more evidence that the United States and its NATO allies have turned Ukraine into the testing grounds for their modern combat hardware in real warfare. It doesn’t occur to any of them that such experiments are paid for in human lives.

❗️ We want the whole world to know about the falsehoods and double standards of the pseudo democracies that are ready to destroy dozens of countries and deprive whole regions of an opportunity for peaceful development just for the sake of their own narrow interests.

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🔴 The Kiev regime continues to purposefully target critical civilian infrastructure in Donbass.

Shelling and missile attacks continue for 8 years unabated.

The latest in the long list of horrific war crimes is the attack on the largest medical facility in the region - the Kalinin Hospital, specifically a ward full of patients...

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from Belarus 1 television channel, Minsk, December 19, 2022

❓ We are aware of the complicated background of the visit, which millions of people are following. In the past, our integration, the Union State programme, caused irritation. You remember the numerous fake stories about it. Today we are regarded as a threat. What are we going to do about this?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: Let them invent what they want to suit their self-serving internal political interests. They are doing this to prop up their shaky positions on the international stage.

☝️ We do not look up to those who have been proved incompetent and feeble, or who consciously encouraged Nazi trends in Ukraine.

The presidents of Russia and Belarus meet regularly. This reflects our resolve, together with our leaders, to strengthen the Union State. This has become especially important now. We must increasingly rely on our own forces and the mechanisms envisaged in the 28 Union programmes and make use of the additional opportunities offered by other integration projects in the post-Soviet space, namely the EAEU and the CIS, as well as the CSTO.

❗️ The Union State and our other CIS allies have an important mission: to prevent the collapse of the world order based on international law.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from Belarus 1 television channel (Minsk, December 19, 2022)

❓ Westerners are claiming that today our big delegation is here to draw Belarus into the special military operation.

💬 Sergey Lavrov: I do not see anything bad in a situation where the conspiratorial West considers every meeting of the Russian and Belarusian leaders as a step towards strengthening our alliance.

Today, our agenda is focused on the economy. We must decide how to develop it without relying on our former Western partners that have completely discredited themselves. This is the main point.

❓The head of the Russian House company in the CAR was the target of a terror attack. Are Russians being hunted now?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: I do not think it is part of the global hunt. It is indeed an outrageous act of terror. The CAR instantly assured us that they will investigate it. They have already started this investigation and our special representatives will take part in it.

🇷🇺🇧🇾 On December 19, Russian-Belarusian talks in expanded format took place in Minsk. They were followed by a bilateral conversation between the leaders of Russia and Belarus.

💬 Russia's President Vladmir Putin at joint news conference:

Our countries are the closest allies and strategic partners, and that we continue to develop cooperation on the principles of mutual respect and with consideration for each other’s interests.

Together, we are countering the sanctions pressure by unfriendly states and attempts to isolate Russia and Belarus from global markets. We are also coordinating our steps to minimise the impact of the unlawful restrictions on our economies. I can say that we are doing this confidently and efficiently.

✅ We have implemented a programme to harmonise our currency control and regulation systems;

✅ We have signed an agreement on a common monetary policy;

✅ Our mutual trade is growing fast (over the first 10 months of this year, it has increased by 10.1 percent);

✅ We are implementing large-scale bilateral projects in industry, high-tech sectors and innovations in many key areas;

✅ Russia is the largest investor in the Belarusian economy with over US$4 billion in investment.

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🇷🇺🇧🇷📞 During the telephone conversation with President-elect of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Russia Vladimir Putin congratulated him on his victory in the election and wished him success in his public activities ahead of his presidential inauguration on January 1, 2023.

Both Sides expressed confidence that the Russian-Brazilian strategic partnership will continue to develop successfully in all areas, along with cooperation in the international arena, including within BRICS.

🤝 It was agreed to maintain personal contacts.

#RussiaBrazil

🇷🇺🇧🇾 President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a joint news conference following Russian-Belarusian talks in Minsk.

💬 Vladimir Putin: Our countries are the closest allies and strategic partners, and that we continue to develop cooperation on the principles of mutual respect and with consideration for each other’s interests.

🤝 Together, we are countering the sanctions pressure by unfriendly states and attempts to isolate Russia and Belarus from global markets. We are also coordinating our steps to minimise the impact of the unlawful restrictions on our economies. I can say that we are doing this confidently and efficiently.

✅ We have implemented a programme to harmonise our currency control and regulation systems, signed an agreement on a common monetary policy, adopted a uniform accounting and financial reporting system, and launched a common system of product traceability and the Interstate Customs Services Coordination Centre.

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🕯It’s 4️⃣ months without Daria “Dasha” Dugina.

The life of a young and talented Russian journalist, philosopher was cut short in a cynical terror act organized at the direct instruction of murderous Zelensky regime.

Yet, Canada and its Western allies continue to keep silence. Their refusal to condemn the killing of Dasha is another example of the West’s hypocrisy and double standards.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the general meeting of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO

📍 Moscow, December 20, 2022

🔹 We are seriously concerned over the position taken by the UNESCO Secretariat that began to obediently follow all Western instructions in violation of the principle of impartiality and, therefore, the UNESCO Charter. During this year, UNESCO did not sponsor any undertaking in Russia.

🔹 Russophobia reached its peak when the UNESCO Executive Board rejected our proposal to declare June 6 (Alexander Pushkin’s birthday) World Day of the Russian Language. This move refuted the claims that the West was not campaigning for the cancellation of all things Russian in response to the crisis in Ukraine and proved the opposite.

🔹 The hypocrisy culminated in UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay refusing to denounce the vicious murder of our journalist Darya Dugina by radical Ukrainian nationalists. She did this in defiance of the Secretariat’s authority and practice as regards similar tragic incidents in the past.

❗️ Despite its best efforts, the West did not manage to isolate or cancel Russia in UNESCO. The overwhelming majority of its member-states refused to take part in anti-Russia games. Eventually, this Western policy did damage to UNESCO itself and the ideals it promoted.

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🇷🇺🇮🇱📞 President Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud party, which won the parliamentary election in Israel, spoke over the phone.

🤝 Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the bilateral agenda and the international situation. They expressed confidence that Russian-Israeli relations will continue to develop consistently through contacts at different levels.

The Russian leader extended Hanukkah greetings to Benjamin Netanyahu and all Israeli people.

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin spoke at an expanded meeting of the Board of the Defence Ministry, which was held at the National Defence Control Centre.

Key talking points:

🔹 The goal of our strategic adversaries is to weaken and divide our nation. This has been the case for centuries, and there is nothing new in this now.

🔹 The military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries are being widely used against Russia

🔹 We will continue maintaining and improving the combat readiness of the nuclear triad. It is the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved.

🎙 Excerpts from Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's report:

🔹 Today in Ukraine, Russia is fighting against the collective forces of the West. The United States and its allies have been sending weapons to Ukraine, training Kiev’s military personnel, providing them with intelligence, sending advisers and mercenaries, and waging an information and sanctions war on Russia.

🔹 The current situation primarily benefits the 🇺🇸 United States, which seeks to take advantage of it to maintain global dominance and weaken other countries, including its allies in Europe.

🔹 The United States and its allies are spending considerable funds on exerting information and psychological influence on Russia and our allies.

🔹 The Ministry of Defence develops relations with the armed forces of 109 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. This year, we have held 350 significant international events.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 On December 21, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and officials from related Russian ministries and companies held a regular round of consultations with a UN delegation via video conference. The delegation included Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

They continued to discuss in detail the issues of carrying out the Istanbul “package” agreements of July 22, including the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the shipment of Ukrainian grain and the Russia-UN memorandum on normalising domestic food and fertiliser exports.

As for the memorandum, it was noted that the blocking effects of the unilateral sanctions on Russian exports to world markets have remained, which means that bank transaction payments are unavailable, insurance rates are prohibitive and vessels are denied port access. It was noted that without reintroducing our fertiliser and food exports, the problem of affordable prices could lead to a fertiliser and food shortage crisis.

🤝 Regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative, it was reaffirmed that the agreement would be further carried out as approved, including the coordinated parameters and procedures, during the 120-day extension period until March 18, 2023. So far, 580 ships have used the maritime humanitarian corridor to carry over 14.8 million tonnes of grain, mainly forage grain, which accounted for 70 percent of all cargo, to mostly industrial nations – 51 percent of all supplies.

❗️ Both parties emphasised the importance of ensuring the actual and full implementation of the Istanbul “package” agreements for the sake of mitigating the threat to global food security.

❗️ The news of the Taliban government introducing a ban on women enrolling in universities in Afghanistan was received with concern.

The right to education is a basic human right and freedom.

We have taken note of the justifications by the Afghan authorities for linking the ban on higher education for females to alleged security concerns or economic difficulties.

☝️ We expect Kabul to take the necessary measures to rectify this situation soon.

We believe that access to education for the population without any discrimination is the key to the successful social and economic development of a modern society.

⚡️ On certain aspects of implementing the Istanbul agreements on food and fertiliser

When the so-called Black Sea Initiative to export Ukrainian grain from the ports of Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk expired on November 18, Russia did not object to a technical extension of 120 days, until March 18, 2023.

⚠️ At the same time, we see that the Black Sea Initiative still suffers from serious imbalances in its implementation both in terms of the geography of those who receive Ukrainian food exports, as well as the products it exports. These shipments were presented as part of a humanitarian undertaking, while mostly going to high-income countries. Poorer countries have received 3 percent of these shipments at best.

Still, we continue facing criticism of underperforming under this agreement.

✍️ It is worth recalling that Russia has been executing the agreements in good faith ever since it signed them in Istanbul on July 22. Launched on July 26, the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) formed by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations engages in practical efforts to facilitate Ukrainian bulk food exports.

Russian representatives have been acting in strict compliance with the JCC rules of procedure and regulations as agreed and approved.

☝️ We have yet to see any tangible progress in carrying out the Russia-UN Memorandum for normalising exports of Russian agricultural products. Despite the exemptions for food and fertiliser announced by the West, Russian producers and suppliers continue to be plagued by blocked bank transfers, prohibitive insurance rates and restricted port access.

Even the initiative to send Russia’s fertiliser to the poorest countries free of charge has been stalled.

❗️ These are only some of the telling examples that demonstrate who is not only failing to ensure global food security, but also who is seeking to profit from the needs of African, Asian, and Latin American countries, including regarding fertilisers, while pursuing a neo-colonial, narrow-minded agenda.

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🗓 On December 25, 1949, the #KhabarovskTrial began over a group of 12 former Japanese Kwantung Army servicemen who were found guilty of developing and testing bacteriological weapons on living people.

During World War II, the Japanese militarists began to show increased activity in the manufacturing of bacteriological weapons, considering them as one of the key weapons in the fight against the USSR.

🕯 In the secret structures created on the territory of Mongolia and China, Unit 731 and other combat units of the Japanese army experimented inhumanly on prisoners of war and ordinary people. There was evidence that causative agents of typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, and blistering gas were used. The Chinese, Koreans, Manchus, Soviet people, and Russian emigrants were sent to the bacteriological units as test subjects.

❗️ Despite existing information from Japanese prisoners of war, in 1947 the United States under far-fetched pretexts denied the Soviet Union its request to include Japan, who by that time were already under the wing of Washington, in their indictment at the Tokyo Trial for developing bacteriological weapons.

In order to restore justice, the Soviet government held a trial over the Japanese in the USSR in 1949. In open sessions of the military tribunal of the Primorsky Military District, irrefutable evidence was presented to the commission of militarist crimes Japan had committed against humanity and its preparation of bacteriological warfare.

The defendants confessed that they had carried out inhumane experiments and were sentenced to imprisonment for various terms on December 30.

☝️ Though the Khabarovsk Trial was not international, in terms of its political and legal significance it can be compared with the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Tokyo trial.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin television programme (December 25, 2022).

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❓ What has been the main outcome of the year for you?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: I think President Vladimir Putin will recap the year. He is still to have quite a few contacts with his foreign colleagues and Russian citizens.

<...>

This is the fundamental conclusion from the developments we are witnessing today. They are a result of the Western countries’ consistent years-long course for turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia state – and not in isolation from other factors but with the main purpose of preventing Russia from participating in international affairs as an independent, strong and increasingly influential actor.

The frantic response of our Western colleagues, taking their cue from the United States, to our actions during the special military operation, confirms our main conclusion. It means that the operation (and we have proof of this already) was absolutely necessary to derail the plans to turn Ukraine into a constant security threat for the Russian Federation. This kind of response reflects the realisation of the West that our actions caused a collapse of their geopolitical games and plans.

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I believe that the historical process has already handed down the verdict. Yes, it will be a long historical era of establishing genuine multi-polarity. The West will put up serious resistance. We can already see it.

<...> It is a moment of clarity for the overwhelming majority of countries. From now on, we will proceed from this realisation as we build our foreign policy, relying only on the partnerships that have proven to be with people who are capable of negotiating, keeping their word and not trying to benefit from infringing on the interests of others.

Our motto is the balance of interests. This balance is the core of our foreign policy. It is the only approach that has prospects in international affairs.