📄 Article by Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organisations Kirill Logvinov for TASS News Agency (April 4, 2026)

🇺🇳 The United Nations Must Cast Off Western Shackles

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Despite the geopolitical turbulence in international affairs, the key foreign policy event of 2026 – the appointment of a new UN Secretary-General – has long been set in motion. The outcome of the candidate selection process will be of critical importance to the international community.

Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, takes this matter with the utmost seriousness, since there is now a real opportunity to help restore order within the UN in line with the letter of its Charter.

Today, by and large, the UN has one central problem – the dominance of Westerners in its Secretariat under the leadership of Antonio Guterres. Serving the interests of all Member States on the basis of the principle of sovereign equality has been replaced by the promotion of the approaches of the Western minority, whose representatives have entrenched themselves in key UN posts and act on instructions from their capitals.

Lately, UN officials, operating with excessive autonomy and too little accountability, have drifted ever further away from Member States, ignoring their concerns.

Other key points:

• UN staff have often had a neoliberal discourse imposed on them – one that fails to take into account the cultural and civilisational diversity of today’s world. As a result, instead of advancing unifying ideas, the Secretariat has contributed to the emergence of new dividing lines.

• The Westerners will not voluntarily relinquish the levers of influence they have acquired in violation of the principle of fair geographical representation. Any future representative of an EU or NATO member state – or anyone holding “dual” Western citizenship – who ends up in the chair of the UN Secretary-General will simply be guided by the principles of “ideological fraternity” and “bloc solidarity”.

• At this stage, Russia has no preferred candidate. This is primarily because the nomination process is still ongoing. What matters is to convey Russia’s principled positions regarding the future Secretary-General’s work to those already in the running, as well as to future contenders. In this context, we remain in close coordination with our Chinese partners.

• We are explaining to other countries – including in the #CIS and #BRICS formats – the logic behind our requirements for candidates. The task is to build a broad front of like-minded states from the Global Majority that understand that restoring the UN’s role as the key mechanism of multilateral diplomacy, and effectively adapting the World Organisation to shifting geopolitical realities, is impossible without a “major overhaul” of its Secretariat.

• All UN officials must be committed to the goals and principles of the Organisation’s Charter. Comments along the lines of “Greenland is one thing, Crimea is another” are unacceptable.

• In conflict situations, the UN Secretary-General must maintain an equidistant position. Only such an approach can rule out the application of “double standards”, which, regrettably, are evident at virtually every level of the World Organisation – most clearly in the contexts of Gaza and Ukraine.

• The UN needs a conscientious head of the Secretariat who understands both the scope and the limits of the mandate vested in that office by the decisions of Member States. The UN Charter must remain the guiding point of reference.

• Restoring the UN’s ability to function effectively is impossible without reforming its Secretariat, provided that the future Secretary-General has the necessary political will.

#RussiaUnitedNations #UNCharterIsOurRules

🚀 Space Week begins!

The 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight is approaching. A landmark event for the world, and Russian space exploration.

🇷🇺 In the lead-up to this historic date, educational and public events will take place across Russia, offering insights into the history of space exploration and its modern achievements.

👨‍🚀 Watch greetings from cosmonauts — Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Andrei Fedyaev, and Sergei Mikaev — and join us in looking ahead to the celebrations of Space Week.

#SpaceWeek #SpaceWeek2026

#KievRegimeCrimes

⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:

💬 In March, Kiev’s militants carried out dozens of attacks on medical facilities and on medical personnel directly performing their professional duty. Over the course of the month, 28 healthcare workers were affected by attacks carried out by Ukrainian militants, 10 of whom were killed.

These war crimes were committed deliberately, in blatant disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law, and have not met with any real condemnation from the Western sponsors of the Kiev regime. At international venues, those who bankroll the regime are doing everything possible to prevent any condemnation of its crimes – including the killing of medical workers.

❗️ Ukrainian militants treat medical personnel as a military target and deliberately strike them, seeking to deprive the affected civilian population even of a chance of rescue and medical assistance.

Among those targeted by Ukrainian attacks in March were also medics in the Kherson Region. On 16 March, in Novaya Kakhovka, a drone struck an ambulance. As a result of the attack, a female patient and three members of the medical team were injured. The victims were hospitalised with blast injuries and shrapnel wounds.

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World strategic vision group with ambassadors of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states (Moscow, April 6, 2026)

💬 I am pleased to welcome the Ambassadors of the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representatives of federal government bodies, members of the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan, leaders of religious communities, and all our guests.

Interethnic and interfaith accord has always been, and remains, cornerstone elements of Russia’s centuries-old statehood. Alongside other traditional religions, Islam constitutes an integral part of the spiritual, historical, and cultural heritage of our country.

Among Russia’s unequivocal foreign policy priorities are the strengthening of mutually beneficial ties with the states of the friendly Islamic civilisation, as well as the promotion of dialogue with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which unites them.

A significant role in the development of Russia’s partnership with the OIC is played by the Russia–Islamic World strategic vision group, under the leadership of head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. This year, this platform – truly unique in its representativeness and thematic scope – marks its 20th anniversary. I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate all colleagues on this momentous occasion.

Over this period, our joint work has yielded tangible results. A trusted dialogue has been established on pressing issues of the international agenda, including the situation in the Middle East, which currently demands particular attention. Such contacts confirm the convergence or proximity of Russia’s and Muslim countries’ approaches to a wide range of global and regional matters.

We are united by our commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, completeness, and interrelationship. We advocate the construction of a just multipolar world order that opens new opportunities for the development of equitable cooperation, free from any form of discrimination or diktat.

We devote considerable attention to expanding trade and economic interaction with the Islamic world and to implementing joint investment projects. In mid-May, Kazan will host a large business event – the next, 17th International Economic Forum Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum. Relevant invitations are being sent through Russian diplomatic and trade missions in OIC member states. We would be delighted to welcome delegations from all your countries to hospitable Kazan.

Solid foundations also exist in the humanitarian sphere, as well as in culture, education, and science. Active contacts through religious leaders, along with youth and other public associations, help Muslims around the world to learn more about our country. In this regard, I would like to note particularly that Kazan has been declared this year’s Cultural Capital of the Islamic World.

I am confident that the planned events will serve to promote the achievements of the multifaceted and distinctive culture of the Tatar people and of Russia as a whole, and will strengthen friendship and trust between the Russian Federation and the Islamic world.

🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s response to a media question on joint Japan-Ukraine war drone technology cooperation project (April 6, 2026)

❓ Question: Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone Corporation has released a statement on its website confirming a strategic partnership with the Ukrainian developer Amazing Drones, which specialises in combat unmanned aerial systems. The Japanese company also openly stated that the deal forms part of a broader long-term strategy to enter the military products market, including attack systems. What can you say about this?

💬Maria Zakharova: Indeed, such information has been reported. Considering Ukraine’s relentless criminal provocations involving the use of UAVs against civilian assets in Russia, we view this step – clearly taken with the support of official authorities – as openly hostile and harmful to our country’s security interests, including the protection of civilians.

By assisting the neo-Nazi regime led by Zelensky, Japan is becoming increasingly embroiled into the conflict around Ukraine, thereby inflicting further damage to its relations with Russia, which have already significantly worsened due to Tokyo’s actions.

Clearly, such decisions do nothing to facilitate a swift resolution of the situation around Ukraine and only serve to prolong the hostilities.

☝️ A reminder: weapons posing a threat to our country and our citizens, as well as the production facilities that manufacture them on Ukrainian territory, are considered legitimate military targets for the Russian Armed Forces.

💬 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

In recent days, German media outlets have published a number of reports recalling that, as of January 1, 2026, a provision of the Conscription Act (Wehrpflichtgesetz, WPflG) entered into force in Germany.

From now on, all male German citizens between the ages of 17 and 45 are required to obtain a written permission from the Bundeswehr if they intend to leave the country for more than three months.

Previously, such restrictions applied only in a state of emergency – namely under the legally defined “state of tension” or “state of defence”. Now, however, they have become a permanent measure that also affects German citizens in peacetime. Moreover, the law covers all purposes of long-term travel abroad – whether for study, work, tourism or medical treatment. The Bundeswehr, admittedly, insists that as long as military service remains voluntary, such permits will supposedly be issued without difficulty. Experts point out, however, that with so many caveats framed around “if” and “for as long as,” German men could be grounded at any moment if the need arises – the legal mechanism for doing so is now in place.

☝️ Let me remind you: for years, German propaganda – spread through various disinformation outlets such as Deutsche Welle – has poured out streams of lies about Russia, casually branding it either a “country that uses police-state methods” or an “authoritarian regime”. In the end, it always comes down to the same incoherent bundle of Western clichés: “Time and again, the Russian police state strikes out against critics of the system”.

What is more, Berlin has long been in the habit of blaming its own miscalculations, mistakes and failures on external factors – shifting the blame, as the saying goes, from the sick head to the healthy one. One recent example reads as follows: “In countries with authoritarian regimes, such as Russia and China, prices in the military-industrial sector may be significantly below market levels, since defence enterprises are controlled by the state, which also acts as their main customer. As a result, Europe’s defence industry is losing out in efficiency not only to Russia and China, but also to the US...”

These moves by the German government form part of Chancellor Merz’s strategy of militarising the country, as outlined at the Munich Security Conference. Plans had previously been announced to increase the size of the Bundeswehr from 184,000 to 260,000 personnel by 2035, while all men born in 2008 or later have already been required to fill out so-called “service readiness questionnaires”. The staffing problem, meanwhile, is apparently to be solved... by lottery. At the same time, audiences on the popular German political talk show Presseclub are being told that conscription is supposedly good for one’s health, because during the medical examination “they check the prostate”... As they say, two birds with one stone 😹

❗️ Having lost itself in its current militarist fervour, Germany appears to have completely forgotten the lessons of history.

The last time the German political elite set out to make their country the “leading military power in Europe”, it ended in a tragedy for all humanity.

⚡️ Statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the situation in the Middle East (April 6, 2026)

The large-scale international crisis triggered by the unlawful and unprovoked aggression of the US and Israel against Iran continues to widen and intensify with each passing day.

The strikes are becoming ever more fierce and destructive. Their targets now include not only military objectives, but also civilian infrastructure, including, with increasing frequency, nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.

Particular concern is caused by the growing number of reckless attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which have already resulted in loss of life. The shadow of a radiological catastrophe – one potentially more devastating than Chernobyl – now looms over the Persian Gulf region and the adjacent part of Eurasia.

The armed confrontation has already claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people, including women and children, and has inflicted suffering on civilians. Schools, hospitals and World Heritage sites are being destroyed. Diplomatic and consular missions are also coming under fire, in blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international relations and the relevant Vienna Conventions.

Enormous damage has been inflicted on global energy and food security. Critical logistics routes that had functioned without disruption before this criminal US-Israeli gamble have been blocked. Markets have been thrown into disarray, many countries are being forced to introduce fuel rationing, and experts are issuing grim forecasts of economic decline and surging inflation in vulnerable economies.

The situation caused by the unlawful and irresponsible actions of Washington and Tel Aviv is deteriorating rapidly and risks spiralling fully out of control.

We once again strongly call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. We welcome the efforts of a number of states, including Pakistan, Türkiye and China, to de-escalate tensions around Iran and pave the way for dialogue on a long-term and sustainable normalization of the situation in the Middle East.

We also draw attention to the April 2 statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in which he called on the US and Israel to stop the war that is causing immense human suffering and dire economic consequences, and on Iran to halt the attacks on its neighbours launched in the wake of the aggression.

We believe that there is still a chance for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict. The parties to the conflict must abandon the language of threats, unacceptable insults and ultimatums, and avoid actions that could plunge the entire region into irreparable chaos.

It is critically important not to undermine the remaining prospects for negotiations aimed at achieving a political and diplomatic solution. We call for this factor to be fully taken into account in the work of the UN Security Council.

Responsible members of the international community must prevent the Middle East from sliding into the abyss of an all-consuming war with long-term tragic consequences for the entire world.

☝️ Russia, together with its international partners, stands ready to do everything possible to that end.

#KievRegimeCrimes

⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:

💬 Two children were killed and 10 more were injured in attacks by Ukrainian militants over the past week. In total, more than 170 civilians were affected during this period

A series of large-scale attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure during the major Orthodox feast of Palm Sunday lies on the conscience of Ukrainian militants.

The highest number of civilian casualties was recorded in the Belgorod, Kherson, Zaporozhye and Bryansk regions, as well as in the Krasnodar Territory. In these regions, civilian infrastructure and the civilian population came under drone, missile and artillery strikes by Kiev’s militants.

On March 30 – April 5, 176 civilians were affected by shelling carried out by Ukrainian Nazis: 151 people were injured, including 10 children, while 25 people were killed, among them two minors. In total, Ukrainian armed formations fired at least 3,301 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.