#CrimeaIsRussia

🗓 11 years ago — on March 18, 2014 — President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov, Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov and Head of Sevastopol Alexey Chalyi signed the Agreement formalising Crimea’s reunification with the Russian Federation.

🗳 This historic moment occurred just two days after the all-Crimean referendum had been held.

96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol residents supported reunification with Russia. It was the very embodiment of the right of peoples for self-determination and a true triumph of democracy.

💬 President Putin: In people’s hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an inseparable part of Russia. This firm conviction is based on truth and justice and was passed from generation to generation, over time, under any circumstances (from the Address by the President of the Russian Federation on March 18, 2014).

The ensuing developments, including attempts by the post-coup Ukrainian authorities to punish the peninsula's population, prove that the decision of Crimeans to reunite with Russia was the only way to go. Having made their choice to be with their historical homeland, with Russia, the residents of Crimea avoided the fate of the many Russians and Russian-speakers, did not fall victim to the Russophobic Kiev regime.

Instead, the peninsula and its people have flourished, overcoming decades of neglect and decay under Ukraine, becoming one of the most rapidly developing region worldwide.

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The question of who Crimea and Sevastopol belong to is closed. The peninsula is an integral part of the Russian Federation (from the address of Russia's Foreign Minister on the 10th anniversary of the Crimean Spring, March 16, 2014).

#TogetherForever

🔴 #ПрямойЭфир: Заседание Совета Безопасности ООН по ситуации на Ближнем Востоке, включая палестинский вопрос.

🎥 Онлайн-трансляция в телеграм-канале и твиттер-аккаунте Постпредства.

🇷🇺 🇸🇸 18 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос был принят Министром иностранных дел и международного сотрудничества Республики Южный Судан Р.Гочем для обсуждения состояния и перспектив развития двустороннего сотрудничества в приоритетных областях.

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🇷🇺 🇸🇸 On March 18, Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos was hosted by Hon. Ramadan Abdallah Goc, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan, to discuss the state and prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two states.

🇷🇺 🇸🇸 18 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос встретился с Министром труда Южного Судана Дж.Маем для обсуждения вопросов сотрудничества в сфере труда и занятости.

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🇷🇺 🇸🇸 On March 18, Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos met with Hon. James Hoth Mai, Minister of Labour of the Republic of South Sudan to discuss issues of cooperation in the field of labour and employment.

🇷🇺🇺🇸📞 Presidents of Russia & the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke over the phone (March 18, 2025)

The Leaders continued their detailed and frank exchange of views on the situation surrounding Ukraine. Vladimir Putin extended gratitude to Donald Trump for his striving to achieve the noble goal of ending the hostilities and loss of life.

Confirming his fundamental commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the President of Russia expressed willingness to thoroughly work out possible solutions in cooperation with the American partners, aimed at reaching a settlement that would be comprehensive, reliable, and lasting, and, naturally, take into account the essential need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, as well as Russia's legitimate security interests.

Concerning US President's proposal to declare a 30-day ceasefire, the Russian Side outlined a number of significant points regarding ensuring effective control over a possible ceasefire along the entire frontline, as well as the need to stop the forced mobilisation in Ukraine and rearming the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

It was noted that some serious risks exist pertaining to the intractability of the Kiev regime which had repeatedly sabotaged and violated negotiated agreements. An emphasis was made on barbaric acts of terrorism committed by Ukrainian militants against civilians residing in the Kursk Region.

It was pointed out that a complete cessation of providing Kiev with foreign military aid and intelligence must become the key condition for preventing an escalation of the conflict and making progress towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means.

Referring to Donald Trump's recent appeal to spare the lives of the Ukrainian servicemen surrounded in the Kursk Region, Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian Side was willing to embrace humanitarian motives and guaranteed that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine would live and be treated fairly in accordance with Russian legislation and international law in the event of surrender.

During the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal for the parties to mutually refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Vladimir Putin responded favourably to the proposal and immediately gave the relevant order to the Russian troops.

Just as favourable was the Russian President's response to Donald Trump's suggestion to implement a well-known proposal regarding the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. The Leaders agreed to begin talks to further work out specific details of such an agreement.

Vladimir Putin made it known that on March 19, the Russian and Ukrainian sides would carry out an exchange of prisoners, each swapping 175 people. Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, 23 heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers currently receiving aid at Russian medical facilities will also be repatriated.

The Leaders confirmed their intention to continue efforts aimed at reaching a settlement in Ukraine bilaterally, with due regard in particular to the aforementioned proposals by the US President. For this purpose, a Russian and an American expert task forces are now being formed.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump also addressed some other international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and in the Red Sea region. Joint efforts will be made to stabilise the situation in the crisis spots and establish cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and global security. This will, in turn, contribute to improving the overall ambiance of relations between Russia and the United States. One positive example is the recent vote in the UN on a resolution on the Ukraine conflict, in which the two countries aligned their stances.

The Leaders expressed mutual interest in normalising the bilateral ties in light of the special responsibility for ensuring global security and stability borne by both Russia and the United States. <...>

🤝 The Presidents agreed to stay in touch on all the issues raised.

#RussiaUS

🇷🇺 🇸🇸 18 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос был принят Вице-Президентом Республики Южный Судан Бенджамином Болом Мелом. В ходе встречи состоялось обсуждение актуальных вопросов сотрудничества двух государств в торгово-экономической и
инвестиционной областях.

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🇷🇺 🇸🇸 On March 18, Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos was received by Hon. Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, Vice-President of the Republic of South Sudan. They exchanged views on a number of acute issues of trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two states.

🇷🇺 🇸🇸 18 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос нанес визит вежливости Министру обороны и по делам ветеранов Южного Судана генералу Ч.Балоку. На встрече было подтверждено важное значение продолжения взаимовыгодного сотрудничества России и Южного Судана в различных областях.

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🇷🇺 🇸🇸 On March 18, Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos paid a courtesy call on Hon. Lt. Gen. Chol Thon Balok, Minister of Defence and Veterans' Affairs of the Republic of South Sudan. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of continuing mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

🇷🇺 🇸🇸 18 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос встретился со Спикером Совета штатов Южного Судана Д.Аконом для обсуждения вопросов развития двустороннего межпарламентского сотрудничества.

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🇷🇺 🇸🇸 On March 18, Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos met with Rt. Hon. Deng Deng Akoon, Speaker of the Council of States of the Republic of South Sudan to discuss issues of development of bilateral inter-parliamentary cooperation.

🇷🇺 19 марта Посол В.С.Семиволос встретился со Старшим групп российских офицеров в миссиях ООН в Южном Судане и Административной территории Абьей подполковником А.В.Шляховым. На встрече были рассмотрены вопросы, связанные с участием России в деятельности МООНЮС.

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🇷🇺 On March 19, Ambassador
Vladlen Semivolos met with Lt. Col. Andrei Shliakhov, Senior National Officer of the Russian Armed Forces for UNMISS and UNISFA. Issues related to Russia's participation in the UNMISS activities were discussed.

#TeamLavrov

On the 75th Anniversary of Sergey Lavrov, prominent figures from the worlds of culture, sports, and science recited his famous poem "The Ambassador’s Decree" sincerely congratulating the Minister on his milestone and confirming that not only his remarkable achievements in diplomacy but also the heartfelt words of his works continue to inspire and resonate in people's hearts 👆

Sergey Lavrov's poetic journey began in his student years. In 2004, his poems were included in a poetic anthology published to mark the 60th Anniversary of MGIMO, for which he is also the author of the anthem.

📄 One of the most well-known poems by the head of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is "The Ambassador’s Decree" written in 2004.

The work gained wide recognition, spreading far beyond the walls of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was highly appreciated by the literary community. In 2016, Sergey Lavrov became a laureate of the national "Imperial Culture" award for this poem, receiving recognition in the category "Events. Feats. People."

#WeLOVErov

💬 Sergey Lavrov himself has repeatedly emphasized that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cherishes poetic traditions:

The work of a diplomat is somewhat like the work of a writer. As is common knowledge, our main tool is the word, which we use to defend our country’s interests. <...> The Ministry on Smolenskaya Square cherishes the poetic tradition. A number of its employees, myself included, try their hand at writing.

(from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to participants in the Diplomatic Club’s meeting on March 30, 2017)

#КомандаЛаврова

К 75-летию Сергея Викторовича Лаврова известные деятели культуры, спорта и науки продекламировали его знаменитое стихотворение «Посольский приказ», от души поздравив таким образом Министра с юбилеем и подтвердив, что не только его выдающиеся успехи на дипломатическом поприще, но и проникновенные слова его произведений продолжают вдохновлять и находить отклик в сердцах 👆

Поэтический путь Сергея Викторовича начался ещё в студенческие годы. В 2004 году его стихи вошли в поэтический сборник, изданный к 60-летию МГИМО, автором гимна которого он также является.

📄 Одним из самых известных стихотворений главы российского внешнеполитического ведомства стал «Посольский приказ», написанный им в 2004 году.

Произведение обрело широкую известность, выйдя далеко за пределы стен МИД России, и было высоко оценено в том числе литературным сообществом. В 2016 году за это стихотворение Сергей Викторович стал лауреатом национальной премии «Имперская культура», получив награду в номинации «События. Подвиги. Люди».

#WeLOVErov

💬 Сам Сергей Викторович неоднократно подчёркивал, что в МИД России бережно хранят поэтические традиции:

Дипломатическая служба в чём-то сродни писательскому творчеству – нашим главным инструментом, как известно, служит слово, помогающее отстаивать интересы страны. <...> В Министерстве на Смоленской площади бережно хранят поэтические традиции. Целый ряд сотрудников внешнеполитического ведомства – и я не исключение, – пробуют свои силы на писательской стезе.

(из приветствия Министра участникам заседания Дипломатического клуба, 30 марта 2017 года)

🇷🇺 Сегодня, 21 марта, свое 75-летие отмечает Сергей Викторович Лавров, наиболее известный и уважаемый в мире министр иностранных дел. Сердечно поздравляем нашего министра с юбилеем!

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🇷🇺 Today, on March 21, Sergey Viktorovich #Lavrov, the most famous and respected Minister of Foreign Affairs in the world, celebrates his 75th birthday. We cordially congratulate the Minister on his jubilee!

#КомандаЛаврова #WeLOVErov

Новостей не будет. Мы заняты.
Присоединяйтесь —> #Лавров75 ❤️ #WeLOVErov

#КомандаЛаврова

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with "Krasnaya Zvezda" (Red Star) Media Holding Company for the film "Diplomacy as a Way of Life: I Prefer Fair Play" (March 21, 2025)

Read in full

💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> The leadership focused [in 1994]on creating proper conditions for deepening partnership with the West. As it turned out later - in fact, it became clear fairly quickly, but almost all our politicians and citizens found it out later - our role in that “partnership” was that of the “little brother.” We were assigned this role. This, of course, was a huge mistake.

Many Western analysts are saying in their memoirs that there was no point in expanding NATO and keeping Russia out of the picture. However, our goal was to join the G7. Even in the 2000s, we did not give up on the idea of expanding cooperation with the West.

❓ Question: Back in the day when you worked at the UN - I’m talking about 1994-1996 - did the position of our leadership sat well with you in terms of how Russia should be represented in the international arena?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: <...> Our leadership was primarily focused on the West, notably G7-Russia relations. The leadership focused on creating proper conditions for deepening partnership with the West. As it turned out later - in fact, it became clear fairly quickly, but almost all our politicians and citizens found it out later - our role in that “partnership” was that of the “little brother.” We were assigned this role. This, of course, was a huge mistake.

<...>

Starting with Yevgeny Primakov, our foreign policy began to change towards multipolarity. It was not designated in these terms back then, but Yevgeny Primakov introduced it in the legitimate diplomatic lexicon and formally advocated for promoting the interests of a multipolar world.

<...>

The UN Charter requires no revision. It remains contemporaneous. It must simply be respected and implemented. When Kosovo declared independence without a referendum, this was hailed as self-determination. Yet when Crimea conducted a transparent referendum with hundreds of European observers, parliament members, and public figures in attendance, it was decried as a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Duplicity, cynicism, hypocrisy – these are the forces we confront.

Key points:

• Multipolarity means you should be interested in addressing your economic and other needs, such as security, but you never clam up or refuse to talk to any country in the world. Listening to what someone else has to say doesn’t put anyone under any obligation. Often enough, a simple contact, a conversation can help identify new areas of mutually beneficial interaction. This is fully consistent with the UN Charter.

• Our ideas on every matter in global politics will never align [with the US]. We acknowledged this in Riyadh. The Americans acknowledged this, too. In fact, they were the ones who said this. Common sense suggests that it is foolish not to use the points where our interests align in order to translate then into some practical actions and obtain mutually beneficial results.

• Where our interests do not align (US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said this), it is the duty of responsible powers to prevent this divergence from deteriorating into confrontation. This is absolutely our position.

• Zelensky made a 180-degree turn from someone who came to power with peaceful slogans or slogans like “leave Russian alone; it is our common language and our common culture” (this can be found on the internet) and, six months later, transformed into a full Nazi and, as President of Russia Vladimir Putin rightly said, a traitor to the Jewish people.

• No other language has been subjected to such aggression [as Russian]. But imagine if Switzerland were to ban French or German, or Ireland were to ban English. The Irish there now want “some” self-determination. If the Irish tried to ban English now, they would have shaken all the UN “pillars” demanding Ireland’s condemnation.

❗️ Diplomacy mirrors life: complex, yet we must endure and labour on.