russia_speeches.json

gistfile1.txt

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  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview to Yevangelina Berdnikova as part of the New Year Tree of Wishes event, Moscow, January 7, 2026",
    "date": "7 January 2026",
    "content": "Sergey Lavrov:\u00a0 Pleased to meet you. I hear you\u2019re interested in foreign policy and military affairs?\nYevangelina: Yes.\nSergey Lavrov: And you\u2019re a member of Yunarmia?\nYevangelina:\u00a0Yes, I am.\nSergey Lavrov: In what way? How does it work? Is it organised through your school?\nYevangelina:\u00a0You sign up for Yunarmia at school. We have competitions there. Some more are coming up soon.\nSergey Lavrov: So it\u2019s all organised through the school?\nYevangelina:\u00a0Yes, everything is done through the school.\nSergey Lavrov: And which competitions do you take part in?\nYevangelina:\u00a0The most recent one was in May: the Scout Trail. There we ranked insignia, drilled training and put on protective gear.\nSergey Lavrov: And history, of course.\nYevangelina: Yes, we had history as well.\nSergey Lavrov: That\u2019s absolutely right. One must remember one\u2019s own history \u2013 unlike some of our European neighbours.\nWe are now seeing strong interest among young people \u2013 boys and girls alike \u2013 in how our country was born and grew stronger, despite constant attempts to weaken it and break it apart at every turn of history, as President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly noted.\nThe fact that such a wonderful young generation is growing up today is, in my view, the main guarantee that we will succeed. We will preserve our history and, on this most solid foundation, build our future \u2013 the future of our children and grandchildren. And you, in turn, will pass on to your children and grandchildren an ever stronger and more beautiful country.\nSergey Lavrov: I heard that you would like to conduct an interview today?\nYevangelina: Yes.\nSergey Lavrov: Have you already had some involvement in journalism? Any experience?\nYevangelina: Yes, I have. I interviewed Honoured Test Pilot Anri Naskidyants.\nSergey Lavrov: Then I should have prepared more thoroughly.\nYevangelina: It\u2019s all right.\nSergey Lavrov: Very well, let\u2019s do the interview. Interviews are usually conducted on camera, so we\u2019ll get used to that.\n* * *\nQuestion: Good afternoon, Mr Lavrov. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to interview you. Let us begin.\nSergey Lavrov: It is a pleasure to meet you. The gratitude is mutual.\nQuestion: What path did you take to become a diplomat?\nSergey Lavrov: Education. At school, I was more interested in physics and mathematics. But circumstances played a role. There was an element of chance.\nAt that time, entrance exams at all universities began on August 1, while at MGIMO they started on July 1. I was preparing to apply to the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. My mother said, \u201cWhat do you have to lose? You know foreign languages well and enjoy history \u2013 go and see, and then decide.\u201d I went, passed two exams and was admitted.\nThat gave me a whole extra month to rest, gather my thoughts and prepare for my studies. So, somewhat unexpectedly, I found myself at MGIMO\u2013 and I have never regretted it.\nIt is an excellent institution, now a university. I continue to meet with my classmates and fellow students. I visit the university regularly. Every year on September 1, I speak with young people and students, and throughout the year we actively engage in university affairs.\nThe Rector, Anatoly Torkunov, was my fellow student. We share many views on organising the educational process, and we work together in this regard.\nAfter graduating from MGIMO, I was immediately appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent to work in Sri Lanka. That, essentially, is the entire path. Everything that followed was no longer a path into diplomacy, but professional work.\nI have no regrets at all. It is one of the most fascinating professions. I hope that, under the leadership of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Russian diplomacy will achieve all the goals set before it.\nToday, the main task is to provide diplomatic support for the efforts of our fighters engaged in the special military operation. Certain shifts have already taken place, confirming a simple truth: when your cause is just, when you understand what you are working for and what our young men and women are fighting for on the line of contact, diplomacy also falls into place. Belief in what you do and in the task entrusted to you is the key to success.\nOur colleagues \u201con the other side of the barricades\u201d, primarily in Europe, who are fuelling anti-Russian hysteria, constantly demand that our money be stolen, that we be robbed, as President Vladimir Putin has described their intentions, and that Ukraine be supported at any cost so long as it continues to fight Russia \u2013 they themselves do not believe this is a viable strategy. A lack of faith in their own cause dooms them to failure.\nThe diplomatic profession is a good one. I encourage all young men and women to consider it seriously. The most important role of diplomacy is to provide external support for the efforts a country undertakes to address its internal objectives \u2013 ensuring security, the well-being of citizens, and rising living standards.\nQuestion: How old were you when you were sent to Sri Lanka \u2013 were you 23 at the time?\nSergey Lavrov: Twenty-one.\nQuestion: Even younger. And how was it?\nSergey Lavrov: A fascinating country. At university, I spent four years studying Sinhala, a language spoken only in Sri Lanka, and not even everywhere there. Mainly in the central and southern parts of the island. In the north, the population is largely Tamil \u2013 an ethnic group related to Indian Tamils. India even has a whole state called Tamil Nadu, and part of the Tamil population lives in northern Sri Lanka.\nJust as I arrived there, a civil war was underway. The Tamils were fighting against the central government, which was led by the Sinhalese \u2013 hence the name of the language.\nWhen I came to Sri Lanka, I became an assistant to our ambassador \u2014 another of my great mentors, Rafik Nishanov. I spent four years in the country. It was an extremely interesting place: a tropical climate, ocean beaches, and just three hours by car, and you are up in the mountains, where it is cool, with tea plantations.\nThe history of the island is fascinating and impressive. I was very pleased that immediately after graduating I was fortunate enough to be posted abroad, where you gain the most essential professional experience.\nWorking at the Ministry\u2019s central office is also important, but when you deal with issues related to a country where you have already worked, it is a completely different matter. Your ideas become far more precise, and the decisions you make have much greater practical impact.\nQuestion: You have been Foreign Minister for many years now\u2026\nSergey Lavrov: That sounded almost like a reproach.\nQuestion: No, not at all \u2013 it\u2019s just leading into the question. Do you keep count of the countries you have visited?\nSergey Lavrov: I did for a while. Then, to be honest, I didn\u2019t exactly lose count \u2013 I simply stopped. At the time, the number was around 130. In reality, it\u2019s more. After all, the United Nations alone has 193 member states, so there is still plenty to aim for.\nI stopped keeping track when the COVID-19 pandemic began and travel largely came to a halt. Later, when travel resumed, our Western partners started taking offence and imposing illegal sanctions on us.\nAt the same time, diplomacy with what we now call the Global Majority \u2013 Asia, Africa and Latin America \u2013 has continued to develop very actively. The \u201cisolation\u201d the West keeps talking about is, in fact, self-isolation by the Western world itself.\nThere were downright shameful situations at international events, within the G20, for example, when they agreed among themselves not to shake hands with Russian representatives. When they saw us in hallways near meeting rooms, they would pretend to look the other way or simply walk off. Grown adults behaving like that.\nThat said, I am not going to strike Western countries I have visited from my record. They are part of my biography. Still, it is always interesting to visit a new country. Although, as a diplomat, when you come for just a day or two, you see very little. Rarely do you get the chance to really engage with the historical or cultural heritage. Usually, you arrive, are taken straight to negotiations, then to the hotel, negotiations again in the morning, and then home. But I have no regrets.\nQuestion: Which languages would you like to learn next?\nSergey Lavrov: The more languages a person knows, the more developed they are, not only as a diplomat. It is useful in any profession: it broadens your horizons and deepens your understanding of the psychology of the people whose language you are learning.\nI haven\u2019t really thought about it recently. When I applied to MGIMO, the applicants were asked to fill in a questionnaire indicating which languages they would like to study. I already had a good command of English and was confident I would continue improving it. I requested French and Arabic. Instead, I was assigned English and Sinhala. I don\u2019t know why they asked us at all \u2013 perhaps it was some sort of opinion survey.\nI did go on to study French as a third language. English, of course, had to be continued, although I wanted something additional. I learned Sinhala well enough for everyday communication in Sri Lanka \u2013 in markets and farmers\u2019 shops. At that time, in the 1970s, Sri Lanka had only recently gained independence. Almost the entire elite spoke English. That is changing now, but back then that was very much the case.\nI would probably enjoy trying to learn Arabic again, if the opportunity coincided with having enough time. Chinese, meanwhile, is probably the fastest-growing language in popularity among young people today, including here in our country. This is easy to explain: China is developing at a remarkably rapid pace, in the economy and in both military and civilian technologies.\nOur fundamental agreements with the People\u2019s Republic of China, concluded by President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping, are aimed precisely at making the fullest possible use of this enormous potential. On the one hand, we complement one another in scientific research, including military-scientific research, and in the creative development of the economy. China has many achievements in these areas; they are interested in ours, and we are interested in theirs.\nThis fusion of two scientific, technological, economic and political schools makes our partnership one of the most influential on the international stage. Countries of the Global South show a strong interest in drawing on this shared experience.\nQuestion: You are a diplomat and are constantly travelling on official missions. Do you have any hobbies that you don\u2019t have enough time for?\nSergey Lavrov: Not enough time? There are probably many things I would like to pursue more actively, including winter sports such as skiing and summer activities like football, which I love so much.\nI must say that reading is becoming increasingly difficult, given the flood of electronic information that one has to process. You constantly have to keep track of what is happening in the world. Occasionally, on a Saturday evening, there is a chance to leaf through a book, though it has been quite a while since I last managed to do that.\nQuestion: What advice would you give your younger self?\nSergey Lavrov: When you are young, you don\u2019t give yourself advice.\nQuestion: And what advice would you give now?\nSergey Lavrov: That would be pointless. When you are young, advice comes from your parents or grandparents. Later, when you find yourself in the same position giving advice to your own children or grandchildren, that too is largely pointless. What matters is not giving advice, but upbringing \u2013 and not in the sense of lectures or moralising, but upbringing by personal example. By the example of people you respect in your own country.\nI see that your mother, Olga Nikolayevna, and many other people I know have children who are growing up engaged with their future as part of Russia, interested in the country\u2019s history and in preserving and developing it, ensuring continuity. This is a genuinely effective way of bringing up the younger generation. What is needed is not lectures, but an example that sparks interest in history and in shaping the future based on that history.\nOur history is, in fact, more interesting than that of many other states. I am glad that it is now receiving considerable attention on television and through specialised organisations \u2013 the Russian Military Historical Society, the Russian Historical Society, and the Russian Geographical Society. I know how engaging all this is for young people.\nSo my advice would be this: first, study \u2013 try to get as much as possible out of every day of learning. Outside school, there are countless opportunities to enrich yourself. Never be shy about learning something extra and applying the knowledge you gain from a young age in the field that interests you, just as you are doing in journalism. I hope your hobby becomes your profession \u2013 unless, of course, something else overtakes that interest. We will be waiting for your reports.\nQuestion: Thank you very much. My school also sends you its greetings \u2014 the Chkalovskaya Boarding School, Chkalovsky Airfield, Shchyolkovsky District.\nSergey Lavrov: I have been there.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:28:50",
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    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview on the occasion of 15th anniversary of Alexander Gorchakov Fund, Moscow, December 30, 2025",
    "date": "30 December 2025",
    "content": "Question: You have chaired the Board of Trustees since the inception of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. Please share with us its core idea and mission. What stands out most in your memory from the years of the Fund\u2019s existence?\nSergey Lavrov: Several of my colleagues, who continue to support this organisation to this day, and I had the opportunity to stand at the origins of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. The idea was instantly approved by President of the Russian Federation. We did not see it as an attempt to place people-to-people diplomacy under state control, but, on the contrary, as a way of providing it with the means and resources that would help it implement its ideas and initiatives as effectively as possible, especially since competition in public diplomacy is strong.\nAs you are aware, the Trump administration closed the United States Agency for International Development, which was one of multiple Western agencies engaging in people-to-people diplomacy the way it is understood in the United States by Democratic administrations. Its budget dwarfed national budgets of many countries around the world.\nThe Alexander Gorchakov Fund operates on a modest budget, but the enthusiastic staff led by Executive Director Leonid Drachevsky is, in my view, doing important work as it promotes our people\u2019s interests and values.\nIn its contacts and projects with its counterparts from the World Majority countries, the Fund relies on traditions and its ability to always come to mutually acceptable outcomes and to show respect for its partners. But there is more to it. There are quite a few entities in the West that cooperate with the Fund which fact makes Brussels frown. Truth be told, they frown at everything that comes their way these days. Acting in flagrant violation of the EU founding documents, the European Commission exceeds its powers daily as it adopts decisions that have not been approved by the member states.\nFor what Brussels bureaucrats tend to cast as transgressions, the Fund was sanctioned back in 2022 shortly after the special military operation had started. However, this does not in the slightest prevent it from being effective. Most importantly, it does not in the slightest prevent its international partners from seeking contacts with it and holding joint projects.\nI think the Fund is marking its 15th anniversary in great shape. I have no doubt that its ongoing projects will benefit not so much Russian foreign policy as advance the creation of a normal atmosphere in international affairs. The contribution may not be the largest, but it is significant. Its partners value it, and their number is on the rise.\nQuestion: What would you like to wish the Fund on its 15th anniversary?\nSergey Lavrov: I wish it to stay the course, to look for new areas to apply its efforts, and to encourage our civil society organisations that take interest in foreign affairs and international issues to participate in international forums.\nThe Fund was originally created to help our civil society sector access the international arena, including in purely financial terms. There were issues in this regard, but to the Fund\u2019s credit, in addition to fulfilling the function I just mentioned, it is deeply involved in creating its own people-to-people diplomacy initiatives, as professionals in the field would put it.\nIt focuses on young people and holds meetings that I have attended. Talking with young people whom the Fund brings to Moscow from different parts of our country is an engaging experience. They are interesting people. Their eyes are shining, and they are eager to get to know the world and to engage in dialogue with their peers.\nOn one occasion, President Putin said that the lack of trust was the most serious challenge plaguing the international arena. We have trust in our genetic and cultural code. The Americans have a saying that goes, \u201ctrust, but verify.\u201d I think we tend to place more emphasis on \u201ctrust\u201d than on \u201cverify.\u201d\nMore than once, even President Putin said that he believed until the very end that the West would honour its promises. But total disappointment came when it rejected all our proposals for honest and equal cooperation and ignored our reminders that it itself had promised us many things that could have prevented a number of developments in the international arena, above all the promise not to expand NATO.\nMaintaining trust among peoples and countries and among civil societies across the world is the Fund\u2019s hallmark. I wish it to hold this standard high and not to stop looking for new areas to apply its creative efforts.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:29:12",
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    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani, Moscow, December 24, 2025",
    "date": "24 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister, colleagues,\nIt is good that we meet more frequently these days.\nOnly recently, you accompanied transitional president of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa during his talks with President Vladimir Putin.\nI know that, according to general opinions, the visit was rather timely and productive. I believe that the primary purpose of the visit was for Russia to affirm unequivocally its recognition of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the Syrian Arab Republic.\nImmediately afterwards, the Permanent Russian-Syrian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation held a meeting, where transitional president of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Russian co-chair, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Fayzullin reached a principled agreement on developing our trade and economic links for mutual benefit on the foundation established in the past decades. Your current visit is an opportunity to continue this regular alignment of positions, which is quite useful.\nI know that yesterday, you had a substantive meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral issues, the situation in the region, and practical steps to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, which is, as I said, a matter of primary importance.\nMr Minister, I know that at the meeting yesterday, you expressed satisfaction with our cooperation at international platforms and interest in deepening this cooperation.\nToday we have a good opportunity to go into the details of this issue and outline specific actions to achieve this goal.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:29:34",
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  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at the General Meeting of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, December 23, 2025",
    "date": "23 December 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues, friends,\nGood afternoon.\nI am delighted to welcome you at our Commission\u2019s regular meeting. We have a tradition of holding it right before the New Year holidays so as to sum up the results of the year and review our goals for the future. I am glad to see new members of the Commission in this room. Great to have you with us.\nUNESCO marked its 80th anniversary in 2025. It has gone a long way since that time by establishing itself as a universally recognised and leading forum in culture, science, sports and education.\nHowever, in recent years our Western colleagues did everything to inject as much politics as possible into UNESCO\u2019s work and to give its agenda a Ukraine bias, just as they do it in other international structures. This is an obvious manifestation of the so-called double standards with the UNESCO Executive Board adopting anti-Russian resolutions regarding Crimea and Ukraine which go far beyond UNESCO\u2019s mandate.\nUnder the preceding Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, who represented France, the organisation\u2019s Secretariat was open about its commitment to serving the interests of the Western minority, turning a blind eye to the policies of the Kiev regime against Russian education and culture, the killings of our journalists and massive violations of the rights of Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine, including their right to speak their native tongue and to practice the Orthodox faith, despite the fact that the UN Charter guarantees these rights. Under the preceding Director-General, UNESCO\u2019s senior officials ignored the destruction of monuments. This includes the demolition in Odessa of the monument to Catherine II, who founded this city. Just a few days after that, the UNESCO Executive Board adopted a resolution to list Odessa as a World Heritage Site. I believe that it would be hard to imagine a more egregious way of scoffing at the mandate of this respected organisation.\nThe collective West\u2019s anti-Russia policy has come into full view during the election to the Executive Board when countries of the Global South faced immense pressure to vote against us. Our Western ill-wishers were able to ensure that Russia\u2019s candidacy did not succeed, even if 93 member countries supported us. We will make proactive use of other formats within UNESCO, and will not fail to take part in the next election to the Executive Board. I think that what the West is up to will become clear and apparent by that time. Its attempts to twist the arms of UNESCO member states in this unjustifiable manner will become less successful.\nI regard the decisive victory of the newly elected Director-General, Egypt\u2019s Khaled El-Enany, as an encouraging sign. During his election campaign, he advocated for reforming UNESCO, primarily by depoliticising its activities \u2013 specifically, addressing the legacy left by the French Director-General who preceded our Egyptian colleague. We welcome the new Director-General\u2019s commitment to enhancing the role of member states in the governance of the Organisation, ensuring its financial transparency and accountability. These tasks are particularly crucial, given that the United States withdrew from UNESCO without settling its arrears of $688 million. As a result, significant funds remain in limbo.\nIn his congratulatory letter addressed to Khaled El-Enany, President Vladimir Putin noted: \u201cRussia intends to continue actively participating in UNESCO\u2019s work, contributing to the achievement of the goals facing this important international institution.\u201d We trust that the new Director-General, whom I also congratulated on your behalf, will leverage the trust bestowed upon him by the Global Majority and promptly begin addressing the numerous errors and pitfalls left by his predecessor.\nDespite all challenges, Russia has, as always, made a substantial contribution to UNESCO\u2019s work across all its areas of activity in the past year. To summarise briefly, I propose highlighting our achievements in a single address.\nAt Russia\u2019s initiative, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the masterpiece of Palaeolithic art, Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave, located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, onto the World Heritage List. This brings the total number of Russian sites on the list to 34.\nThe 5th Russian Congress of UNESCO Chairs was successfully held in Moscow. I extend my congratulations to Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Ivan Lobanov on his election as Chairman of the Coordination Committee.\nThe Russian network of UNESCO Chairs has expanded with two new members, while 18 schools have been granted the status of UNESCO Associated Schools. The city of Volzhsky has been included in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.\nThe efforts of the Patrice Lumumba Russian University of Peoples\u2019 Friendship and the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education in organising the International Conference, Current Issues of Inclusive Education in the World: Context, Policy and Practice, in Moscow, under UNESCO\u2019s auspices and with the participation of approximately 70 countries, deserve special mention.\nIn the field of education, particular attention will be paid to safeguarding traditional spiritual and moral values within the education system. With this and other Russian priorities in mind, we will participate in the revision of UNESCO\u2019s recommendations concerning The Status of Teachers and The Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel.\nIn the realm of scientific collaboration, the process of renewing the status of the International Centre of Competence in Mining Engineering Education as a Category 2 Centre under UNESCO\u2019s auspices has reached its final stage. The active involvement of the leadership of St Petersburg Mining University in this endeavour is also significant in the context of developing partnership relations with African states.\nWe welcome the engagement of the Russian business circles in international humanitarian cooperation. Over the past year, the Partnership Agreement between PhosAgro and UNESCO on the implementation of the Green Chemistry for Life grant programme has once again been renewed.\nThe laureates of the Dmitry Mendeleev International Prize for achievements in fundamental sciences have been approved. This is a major project we pursue jointly with UNESCO. The award ceremony will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris next year.\nIn September 2025, at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves held in China, a ten-year Strategic Action Plan was adopted. We look forward to the stakeholder authorities represented here and the Russian Committee of the Man and the Biosphere Programme drafting a national action plan.\nThe Russian application for the establishment of the country\u2019s second geopark, Toratau, in the Republic of Bashkortostan received high praise from the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council. It has been recommended for approval by the UNESCO Executive Board, which will convene this coming spring.\nOur representatives are working productively at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. We will retain membership in the Committee on Resolutions of the Intergovernmental Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme through 2027. This sounds like a lot of bureaucratic names, but actual work of practical importance lies behind them.\nThe adoption of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology came as a notable development this year. Russian experts made a substantial contribution to drafting this paper. In July, an international scientific forum, Bioethics and Global Social Transformations, was held in Yaroslavl under the auspices of UNESCO with the support of the Russian Academy of Sciences.\nWithin the framework of cooperation with African countries, we are funding media projects implemented through UNESCO\u2019s International Programme for the Development of Communication.\nWe are expanding partnerships with our friends in the near abroad. On June 6, in conjunction with its colleagues from the CIS, the Permanent Delegation of Russia to UNESCO once again held events at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to mark Russian Language Day. We teamed up with our Belarusian allies to prepare a submission for inclusion on the World Heritage List.\nI would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Minister of Sport Mikhail Degtyarev on our country\u2019s election to the Approval Committee of the Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport.\nWe continue to hold leading positions in promoting multilingualism, using the framework of the international Indigenous Languages Decade (2022\u20132032). In June, an international conference on promoting multilingualism in cyberspace was held in Khanty-Mansiysk with the organisational participation of the Russian Committee of UNESCO\u2019s Information for All Programme and experts from over 40 countries. It is important to preserve the legacy of our multilingual country in the cyber age.\nAt the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development held in Barcelona, our representatives shared their experience in hosting major international events, including the St Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures and the Intervision international music competition held in September.\nWe took part in the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand in November. The Russian Association for the Advancement of Science held a theme-based round table on scientific diplomacy. A photo exhibition featuring global geoparks set up by the Karpinsky All-Russian Geological Research Institute caused lively interest. The ancient Khudov Psalter was included in the Register of Documentary Heritage of the Memory of the World Programme. Two Russian anniversaries - the 250th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mstislav Rostropovich - were added to the UNESCO Calendar of Events.\nImportantly, we are continuously improving our work as part of the Commission. In September, we held a meeting of the Russian committees for UNESCO programmes. Plans were outlined to align efforts with our colleagues from BRICS, the CIS, and the SCO.\nImproving Russia\u2019s international standing in the humanitarian sphere should remain a focus of our attention going forward. I am confident that we will continue to work in a coordinated and proactive manner. In this regard, I propose considering the advisability of engaging with UNESCO mechanisms that are new to us, in particular those aimed at promoting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the peoples of our country and our unique experience in preserving it. This could be facilitated by accession to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. We are all familiar with this Convention and have expressed various views at different stages of our work. It may now be appropriate to revisit this issue in an interagency format.\nI would like to close by thanking you for listening. Happy holiday season!",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:29:56",
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  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to media questions at a joint press conference with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty following the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Minister Abdelatty,\nMy friend,\nIt was a sincere pleasure to participate in the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, held for the first time on the African continent in Cairo, Egypt.\nI would like to once again warmly thank our Egyptian friends for the excellent organisation of the event and their traditional hospitality, and to congratulate them on its success.\nWe conducted a thorough discussion of the full Russian-African agenda. Our focus was in particular on reviewing the implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026 and on identifying further steps to expand our trade, economic, and investment cooperation \u2013 a partnership that is growing rapidly and which we are committed to strengthening.\nWe have agreed to create conditions that facilitate concrete steps to increase mutual trade and to implement promising joint investment projects in high technology, across all aspects of energy, and in other key sectors, as well as in cultural, humanitarian, and educational spheres.\nAll these areas of practical cooperation are detailed in the comprehensive Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and which will serve as the central guideline for our future work.\nImportantly, this document places special emphasis, within the trade and economic sphere, on establishing resilient financial, logistical, and interbank mechanisms that will safeguard our partnership from illegal unilateral sanctions \u2013 a practice our joint statement clearly defines as unacceptable.\nThe Joint Statement also captures the progress of our discussions on pressing international and regional issues, including those of global significance.\nWe decided to continue coordinating our efforts in multilateral forums. This includes advancing the reform of the UN Security Council, taking full account of the legitimate interests of African states, and reforming the Bretton Woods institutions, whose composition and practices significantly lag behind today\u2019s global economic realities.\nI would like to highlight the section of the Statement that outlines our shared fundamental approaches to key issues of international development. In particular, I note the clear position that all states must respect the principles of the UN Charter not selectively but in their entirety and interdependent integrity.\nSignificant attention in the Statement is devoted to strengthening the independence of our African friends, particularly in the economic sphere. To protect their right to independent development, their right to choose their own partners and foreign policy priorities, the Statement proclaims our clear support for the recent UN General Assembly resolution establishing December 14 as the annual International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. This will serve to intensify our shared efforts at the UN to eradicate contemporary forms of colonialism and neocolonial practices.\nFinally, our shared position on the urgent resolution of the Palestinian issue, in full compliance with existing UN resolutions, as my colleague detailed, is clearly enshrined in the Statement.\nThe joint statement also comtains our shared decision to strengthen cooperation in politics and security. It is one of the reasons why we have recommended establishing working relations between the African Union and the CSTO.\nThe forum programme offered a whole range of sideline events, including a business event involving representatives of economic and trade agencies and organisations from Russia and African countries. You certainly know that the Russian delegation had a great number of bilateral meetings \u2013 over 20 of them \u2013 with the ministers of our African partners. We benefited from useful discussions of bilateral relations and their development. In some cases, agreements and memorandums covering different areas were signed.\nWe have reasons to conclude that the conference provided a good foundation for the successful preparation for the 3rd Russia\u2013Africa summit scheduled for 2026. We will make every effort to ensure its success.\nFinally, I would like to uphold the statement by my colleague and friend who said that it is necessary to start developing a new three-year plan for cooperation and joint action between Russia and our African friends. We are ready for this work.\nI am sincerely grateful for the productive work together.\nQuestion: Over these two days, you have held around 20 meetings with your African counterparts. Did many of them raise the matter of sanction pressure and secondary sanction risks? What solutions does Russia propose on its behalf? What general effect have the sanctions had on the relations between Russia and African countries? Did you discuss countering terrorist groups in African countries together? Were there any new requests for Russia\u2019s support from your partners?\nSergey Lavrov: Countering terrorism is an important matter on the agenda of our relations with African countries. There are respective bilateral mechanisms in place with many of these countries. We have welcomed the availability of certain capabilities within the African Union. The agreement reached at this conference regarding contacts between the African Union and the CSTO can include intensifying counterterrorism cooperation.\nRegarding the unlawful sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, we did not discuss this matter in detail. We prefer not to lament but to focus on putting together viable and effective mechanisms that can secure our trade and economic links and will make them independent from unlawful actions of the parties that, in violation of international law, resort to blackmail and pressure.\nOver the centuries, life has shown us many times that every action meets counteraction. It is the law of physics, politics, and diplomacy.\nThe times are changing. Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centres of the multipolar world order. It is Africa\u2019s second awakening. In addition to the long-gained political independence, African countries are seeking respect for their sovereignty and their right to manage their own resources and determine their own fate.\nUnlike those who try to continue the colonial, or neo-colonial, policy and dictate their will to others, the views we share with our African friends stand firmly on the international legal foundation of the UN Charter. The minister has just quoted it, stressing that all countries undertook the obligation to respect the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in each other\u2019s domestic affairs.\nThis means our cause is righteous. Victory will be ours. I want to thank my colleague and friend for the wonderful work together. I will always be glad to see you in Moscow.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:30:18",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan Semaya Kumba on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Minister Kumba,\nThank you for accepting our invitation to attend the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nThis meeting is a good opportunity to continue our regular bilateral contacts. Our previous meeting was several months ago, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. Today, we are meeting in Cairo.\nI believe that on the sidelines of the conference, we have a good opportunity to discuss the state of our bilateral relations and exchange views on the regional situation.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:30:39",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during the meeting with Foreign Minister of Tunisia Mohamed Ali Nafti on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Minister Nafti,\nI am glad to have this meeting with you. Russia and Tunisia continue to expand their bilateral relations and cooperation within international organisations.\nAs far as the bilateral agenda is concerned, Tunisia is now Russia\u2019s second-largest trade partner in Africa. There has been a slight decrease this year, and we can discuss how to resume consistent growth.\nI will be delighted to exchange views on the international agenda, including in the African region and especially in North Africa.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:31:00",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amon Murwira on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nI am delighted to see you again. By holding this meeting on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, we have a marvellous opportunity to review our bilateral relations and discuss ways of further developing our cooperation and partnership, as well as regional and international matters.\nHappy birthday.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:31:22",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs of the People\u2019s Democratic Republic of Algeria Ahmed Attaf on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Dear friend,\nI am glad to meet my colleague. We have been through many historical events together. We are witnessing a never-ending sequence of historical events.\nAs a Chinese wisdom goes, may you never live in a time of change. Still, a time of change may be a source of pleasure, especially to diplomats, because we have something to work on.\nToday, we will exchange opinions on bilateral matters and discuss some international issues as well. This is a great opportunity.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:31:44",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at the plenary session of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nToday, we will exchange views on the work carried out since our meeting in Sochi and discuss prospects for further cooperation.\nOur partnership continues to develop in a consistent and dynamic manner. Its comprehensive and genuinely strategic character is steadily strengthening. We seek to coordinate our efforts at both the international and bilateral levels in a spirit of mutual respect and equality.\nWe promote a shared vision of a more just and democratic multipolar international order, one that is free from dictates and double standards and founded on full respect for international law and the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interdependent integrity.\nWe consistently advocate for due consideration of the political and economic interests of African countries across all key international platforms. This includes ensuring fairer representation of African states within the global decision-making system, including the UN Security Council, as well as advancing reform of the international financial architecture. In this context, we fully respect and support the decisions adopted by African states, including the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.\nWe recognise the achievements and constructive efforts of South Africa\u2019s G20 chairmanship, particularly in advancing the priorities of Africa and the Global South on the Forum\u2019s agenda. We also welcome the growing engagement of BRICS with Africa, noting that Nigeria and Uganda joined as BRICS partner states in 2025.\nWe reaffirm the Russian Federation\u2019s stance, expressed at the recent G20 Sherpa meeting, on the importance of fully upholding the principles of equality and non-discrimination in the functioning of the G20.\nWe place great importance on enhancing peace and security across the African continent, recognising it as a crucial prerequisite for sustainable socioeconomic development and a vital component of global stability.\nAs a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia actively contributes to resolving ongoing conflicts and preventing new ones in Africa. We fully uphold the fundamental African principle of \u201cAfrican solutions to African problems.\u201d\nJust as we have for the past 65 years, we continue to stand as a dependable partner to our friends in their sovereign and self-reliant defence. We reject the policies of certain countries and military-political blocs, representing a global minority, that seek to involve the region in confrontational geopolitical ventures. Such actions run contrary to the objective of fostering Africa\u2019s independent development and prosperity.\nWe assist African countries in strengthening their defence capabilities to address both internal and external threats, with a primary focus on combatting terrorism. Our support extends to mine clearance and countering improvised explosive devices. We are also expanding professional training programmes for military personnel and law enforcement officers. It is essential to implement the decision made at the second Russia-Africa Summit to establish a permanent Russian-African high-level dialogue mechanism for coordinating all security efforts.\nWe are firmly convinced that the sustainable resolution of crises requires tackling their root causes, which stem from the legacy of Western colonialism \u2013 a system that disrupted the natural historical development of African peoples, imposed arbitrary borders, and created an economic order designed to serve the interests of Western colonial powers.\nRegrettably, various forms of neocolonialism continue to persist today. We stand ready to work in close partnership with African countries to eliminate them, including through the development of legal frameworks to assess and compensate for the harms inflicted during the colonial period. Following the First Russia\u2013Africa Ministerial Conference, we agreed to explore the establishment of a permanent coordination mechanism to address this issue.\nA strong foundation for systematic anti-colonial efforts has been established with the adoption of the resolution declaring the International Day Against Colonialism. This resolution, initiated by Russia and other members of the Group of Friends of the UN Charter, was adopted on December 5 during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, receiving broad support from the majority of the member states. The International Day Against Colonialism will be observed annually on December 14.\nWe also recognise that the 2025 African Union theme, \u201cJustice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,\u201d reflects the spirit of the times. This issue is gaining momentum these days. Recently, the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa was held in Algiers. The Global Black History, Heritage, and Education Centre is expected to play a significant role in advancing the anti-colonial agenda. Its representatives, together with progressive parties from many African countries, are actively participating in the international movement \u201cFor the Freedom of Nations!\u201d, established at the initiative of the United Russia political party.\nToday, we are witnessing Africa\u2019s \u201csecond awakening,\u201d marked by the growing influence and authority of the continent on the international stage. We fully support our African partners in their right to independently choose their collaborators. Russia remains a steadfast ally of African states in strengthening their national sovereignty \u2013 in politics, security matters, and across all other spheres, including the economy, energy, food, technologies, digital industries, human resources, and information \u2013 based on their own resources, national priorities, and engagement with external partners who fully respect these interests.\nOur political dialogue at the highest levels continues to develop actively. Russia\u2019s diplomatic presence across the continent is expanding, with new embassies opened this year in Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Upcoming plans include establishing embassies in The Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Comoros Islands. We also invite our partners who do not yet have diplomatic missions in Moscow to consider opening one, and we stand ready to provide full support in this endeavour.\nAgainst the backdrop of dynamic political contacts, further efforts are required to expand trade and economic cooperation, which constitutes the material foundation of our relations. Despite the record trade in 2024, both geographic and export-import imbalances remain. We see significant potential to increase trade with sub-Saharan African countries, as well as for African suppliers to establish direct connections with Russian partners. We encourage a more proactive approach in exploring promising niche markets in both Russia and Africa.\nWe are increasing the number of trade missions on the African continent and expanding their geography. It is expected that by the end of 2026, our trade missions will be present in 15 African countries. Clearly, this is not the limit and this work will continue. The first Russian industrial zone in Egypt will become a solid platform for boosting cooperation between Russian and African economic operators.\nBetter understanding of each other\u2019s capabilities and needs will foster the development of contacts between the business communities on both sides. For this purpose, we regularly send business missions and organise regular meetings of the Russia\u2013Africa business dialogue during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. We also organise conferences and exhibitions through the Russian Export Centre and other Russian business associations.\nThe number of intergovernmental commissions on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with African countries is growing. There are currently 19 commissions, with 13 more planned in the future. We call for our African partners to translate the respective agreements into practical steps without delay. Competent authorities continue to eliminate trade barriers and fill the gaps in our bilateral regulatory framework, including in taxation, investment protection, customs and antimonopoly regulation.\nWe consider it important to engage the potential and mechanisms of the African Union and subregional groups to expand the opportunities of our trade and economic cooperation. Developing these relations is among our definitive priorities. This task will be primary in the work of the new second department established at the Russian Foreign Ministry for the cooperation with African countries, the Department for Partnership with Africa. It will be in charge of multilateral and subregional contacts. The growing African continental free-trade zone is opening broad prospects, designed to become a pan-continental market with a total GDP of over $3 trillion.\nWe find it important to establish steadfast and reliable mechanisms for mutual payments in national currencies to ensure stable trade and economic operations and the protection of investment. We welcome the increasing share of Russian rouble transactions in the mutual trade between our countries: over the period of January to October 2025, this share grew to 84 percent year-on-year. As additional reinforcement, the central banks of the Russian Federation and the African states have established direct links. Last year, Russia launched its first international financial platform called A7 that allows our businesses to complete payments under foreign trade contracts in any country and in any currency. Nigeria and Zimbabwe have already joined the platform. We invite all other African partners to follow their example.\nEnergy is one of the key areas of our cooperation. Russia benefits from unique experience in a variety of fuel and energy segments, from nuclear technology and hydropower to oil, gas and renewable energy sources. This matter was covered at the First Russian\u2013African Commodity Dialogue that took place in late October at the St Petersburg Mining University. The dialogue brought together over 4,000 participants from 34 countries of the continent. We hope that this dialogue will become a continuous platform for the cooperation between Russia and Africa in mineral resource management.\nWe actively participate in building and upgrading energy infrastructure and energy production facilities. Our projects cover the entire cycle from design and construction to maintenance and long-term operation. One successful example is the construction the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt, the largest nuclear power plant in Africa. We are discussing peaceful atom cooperation with other African colleagues. Russia\u2019s Rosatom state corporation has signed 13 agreements to this effect. Some 400 students from 23 African countries are studying nuclear technology in Russia. Our country also has the required competence for turnkey low-capacity nuclear power plant projects.\nGenuine economic sovereignty is unattainable without innovative technology and corresponding human capital. We stand ready to offer our partners cutting-edge solutions in mechanical engineering, electric power, geological exploration, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech sectors including digital technologies and space exploration.\nIn keeping with the best traditions of continuity, Russia is making a substantial contribution to training professional personnel for African nations. Over the past five years, the number of African students in Russia has doubled, now exceeding 32,000, while our state scholarship quota for Africa has almost tripled. The most sought-after fields are agriculture, engineering, electric power, oil and gas, construction, medicine, and education. We will continue to expand this work in full accordance with your needs and priorities.\nFood security remains one of our foremost shared concerns. We supply fertilisers and diesel fuel to a number of African countries, including on a humanitarian basis. To date, over 100,000 tonnes of mineral fertilisers have been donated to Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Furthermore, we allocate $10 million annually in food aid to the continent through the UN World Food Programme.\nAfrica possesses immense agricultural potential and is fully capable of achieving self-sufficiency. We are prepared to share relevant technologies, expertise, and knowledge with our African partners. Since 2019, as part of the FAO\u2019s Global Soil Partnership initiative, PhosAgro \u2013 a leading Russian fertiliser producer \u2013 has supported the development of Afrilab, a regional network of African soil laboratories. This network now comprises more than 220 branches across 54 countries. Most recently, on November 20-21 this year, the International Conference on Ensuring Food Sovereignty for African Countries was convened in Addis Ababa at Russia\u2019s initiative.\nCooperation is also deepening in critical areas such as healthcare, epidemic control, and emergency prevention and response \u2013 all essential for sustainable economic development. This year, Russia delivered mobile laboratories for infectious disease detection to Burkina Faso, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Namibia, Madagascar, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. More than 150 African specialists have now been trained using Russian protocols, and in April, the first Russian-African joint exercise for rapid response teams dealing with sanitary and epidemiological emergencies was held in Addis Ababa.\nPeople-to-people contacts, which are progressing in a friendly and constructive spirit, form a solid foundation for lasting interstate relations. This is greatly enhanced by expanding youth, cultural, humanitarian, sports, and tourism exchanges.\nObjective media coverage of events in our respective countries, stronger ties between Russian and African journalists, the opening of new Russian media bureaus in Africa and African outlets in Russia, and the implementation of joint educational programmes all significantly contribute to fostering a positive Russian-African agenda.\nTwo years have now passed since the adoption of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, which outlines objectives across all the aforementioned areas. It is noteworthy that this document aligns seamlessly with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, proclaimed by the African Union in 2015. Full implementation of the Action Plan will not only establish a significant foundation for the future of our partnership but will also advance the continent\u2019s own priority development goals.\nI am confident that by the time of the third Russia\u2013Africa summit, scheduled for 2026, we will be able to prepare a new strategic document that fully reflects the vision for the next stage of our relations.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:32:06",
    "page_index": 1,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks by at the plenary session of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 December 2025",
    "content": "Minister Abdelatty,\nMinister Antonio,\nI am pleased to welcome all participants to the plenary session of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum.\nFirst, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Egyptian friends for their efforts in creating comfortable conditions for our work. We greatly appreciate the excellent organisation of the forum and the warm hospitality extended to us.\nAllow me the honour of conveying greetings from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.\n***\nDear friends,\nI extend my warm greetings to all participants at the opening of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum.\nIt is symbolic that this event is being held in Egypt, the country that co-chaired the first Russia\u2013Africa Summit.\nAfrican states possess immense economic and human potential and are playing an increasingly significant role in global politics. The continent is rapidly establishing itself as one of the key centres of the emerging multipolar world order.\nThe Russian Federation places great importance on developing friendly, fully equal, and mutually beneficial relations with African partners. It is noteworthy that mutually beneficial cooperation has seen significant intensification in multiple fields in recent times. Our country provides support to African states in ensuring national security and addressing the food issue, in combating terrorism and extremism, in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, and in countering dangerous epidemic diseases.\nIn the course of this ministerial conference, it will be essential to thoroughly review the progress in implementing the Action Plan of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum for 2023\u20132026, as well as to identify new, promising areas of joint work, primarily in the trade, economic, and investment spheres, where significant untapped potential exists.\nI strongly believe that the discussions at the conference will be substantive and fruitful, enabling the preparation for the next Russia\u2013Africa Summit to proceed with a solid set of concrete proposals and initiatives.\nI wish you success and all the best.\nVladimir Putin\n***\nColleagues,\nThe leaders of our countries attach great importance to today\u2019s meeting and expect us to produce constructive decisions and coordinated proposals aimed at further expanding the multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Africa.\nThe format of our gathering is relatively new. The first ministerial meeting was held one year ago in Sochi. Today, we will summarise the results of our joint efforts and review the implementation of the agreements reached at the Russia\u2013Africa summits in 2019 and 2023. Our key objective is to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023\u20132026.\nI believe we already have tangible achievements to present to the public in our countries. The Russia\u2013Africa partnership is developing steadily across all areas. A substantive and trust-based political dialogue continues, including at the highest and high levels.\nTrade and economic cooperation is gaining momentum. Last year, our trade grew by 13 percent, reaching $28 billion. I am confident that this figure does not reflect the full potential of our partnership. We remain committed to further unlocking and expanding the practical dimensions of our cooperation.\nCultural and humanitarian cooperation continues to expand. We place particular emphasis on the training of qualified professionals who serve as the driving force behind Africa\u2019s economic and technological advancement and are essential to the sovereign development of the continent\u2019s states.\nThe third Russia\u2013Africa Summit is scheduled to take place next year. We believe it is important to approach this event with a solid record of concrete and practical results. In particular, we intend to submit to our leaders a draft new three-year action plan identifying promising areas for further partnership.\nI am confident that today\u2019s discussions will enable us to give thorough consideration to these and other key issues.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:37:44",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda Olivier Nduhungirehe on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I am delighted to see you again. What an excellent occasion for holding this meeting on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nThe idea to establish this Forum stemmed from the Russia-Africa summit. We create more and more formats for working together. This is more than just an organisational structure; it offers a convenient platform for holding meetings and discussing not only regional issues but also for bilateral relations.\nWe value our warm relations with Rwanda. I hope to have a fruitful discussion of our bilateral ties as well as of the regional and international agenda.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:37:56",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Malawi George Tapatula Chaponda on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nI am glad to meet you after your appointment to this position in the Government of President Peter Mutharika.\nWe appreciate your participation in tomorrow\u2019s Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nThis is an excellent opportunity to exchange opinions on our bilateral cooperation and discuss our interaction in the region, at the United Nations and in the world stage in general.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:38:08",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during the talks with Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nDear friend,\nI am delighted to see you in Cairo. I fondly recall our talks during the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, which took place in Sochi a year ago.\nWe highly appreciate that you accepted the invitation to participate in the event this time as well.\nToday, on the sidelines of this forum, we have an excellent opportunity to see how our bilateral relations are advancing and how our cooperation in various areas is progressing, and also to discuss our joint efforts in the international arena, at the UN, and on African issues.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:38:19",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during the talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Seychelles Barry Faure on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nI am delighted to talk with you on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nOnce again, in addition to my message, I congratulate you on your appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.\nWe are grateful for your participation in the Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, which will take place tomorrow.\nI remember that President of Seychelles Danny Faure took an active part in the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi in 2019. You were also a member of the delegation.\nLet us carry on this tradition of meetings. Continuity is the key to success.\nToday we will have the opportunity to discuss our bilateral relations, as well as international cooperation. I am confident that our conversation will be productive.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:38:30",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration of the Arab Republic of Egypt Badr Abdelatty, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I would like to express my gratitude to our Egyptian hosts, first of all, my friend and colleague Badr Abdelatty and Egyptian leaders for their warm welcome and hospitality extended to us every time we come to the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt.\nWe highly appreciate Egypt\u2019s readiness to host the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo. Today, we exchanged views on how we as the co-chairs of this event plan to proceed with the conference tomorrow.\nWe discussed efforts to further expand the relations between Russia and the League of Arab States, which is headquartered in the Egyptian capital. We also focused on the bilateral agenda. Both Russia and Egypt are committed to working together \u00a0to strengthen our friendly multifaceted relations in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation signed in 2018.\nWe attended with great interest an exhibition of archival documents, some of which date back to relations between Egypt and the Russian Empire before the Soviet period, while others have to do with the current ties between the Russian Federation and the Arab Republic of Egypt.\nWe were pleased to note our intense political dialogue where the tone is set by our respective leaders. We were delighted to welcome President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations of the 80th Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Our leaders held a substantive exchange of views on the sidelines of these events. We reaffirmed our foreign ministries\u2019 readiness to continue working energetically towards implementing the agreements reached at the highest level.\nWe would like to further expand our trade and economic cooperation. Our trade has been demonstrating steady growth, exceeding $9.3 billion in 2024, an increase of 31 percent year-on-year. The dynamics remained positive this year. In the first nine months of 2025, trade grew by 12 percent.\nWe are implementing major joint infrastructure projects, which has always been a distinctive feature of our bilateral relations. A bright element of our friendship in the Soviet period was the Aswan High Dam, built by thousands of Egyptian and Soviet engineers and other professionals. The construction of El Dabaa, Egypt\u2019s first nuclear power plant, has become a symbol of strong ties between Russia and Egypt in the 21st century. Work at that project is proceeding in strict compliance with the schedule. A landmark event marking the installation of the reactor vessel for the power plant\u2019s first unit was held on November 19, 2025, with President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi taking part in it via videoconference.\nToday, we also discussed new promising projects aimed, in part, at creating sustainable food and fuel supply chains, including for African countries.\nWe noted proactive efforts taken by the relevant Russian and Egyptian agencies to create a Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. It took us a long time to prepare for the implementation of that project. It is being implemented now, and we will monitor its progress.\nThe rapprochement of our state is facilitated by the active development of cultural, humanitarian and educational cooperation. Russian and Egyptian performers hold guest tours. Egypt demonstrated a solid performance at the Intervision international song contest held in Moscow on September 20, 2025. The other day, the St Petersburg Eifman Ballet gave guest performances in Cairo. Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova attended the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.\nThere is a tradition of training young people from Egypt at Russian universities. We are ready to increase the number of government scholarships assigned to Egyptian students as per the request of our Egyptian friends.\nEgyptian resorts have long become a popular foreign destination for Russian tourists. In 2024, about 1.5 million Russian citizens visited Egypt. We are discussing the expansion of direct flights between Russia and Egyptian resorts, which will help increase the tourist flow. We will be glad to welcome more Egyptians to the Russian Federation. There are many interesting places and good resorts in Russia too.\nWe talked about international and regional issues. We have agreed to strengthen our bilateral foreign policy coordination, primarily at the UN and at other international platforms, including at the Russia-Africa Forum and also in the Russia-Arab League format, as I mentioned.\nSpeaking about specific matters, we focused on the situation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Both our countries call for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, without any violations or the need to take active diplomatic efforts to resume the peace process, in strict compliance with the existing UN resolutions, which provide for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state in the territory of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We are concerned about the recent developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We stand against any actions that would invalidate the unanimous decisions of the international community by creating \u201cfacts on the ground.\u201d\nWe touched upon the situation in and around Syria, with a focus on bringing about enduring stabilisation in that long-suffering country. We have reaffirmed our commitment to the fundamental goals of unconditional respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and the protection of legitimate rights of all members of Syria\u2019s multi-faith society.\u00a0\nThere are signs of stabilisation in Yemen, but the root causes of unrest have yet to be eliminated. We have agreed to use our ties with all the Yemeni sides to stimulate the promote national reconciliation in that country as well.\nWe also spoke about Sudan with due regard for yesterday\u2019s visit by President of Sudan\u2019s Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to Cairo. We are grateful for the information our Egyptian colleagues have shared. We agree on the importance of consolidating the efforts of international actors towards an early ceasefire and the launch of a full-scale political process involving all influential public and political forces trusted by the Sudanese society.\nThe outlook for the settlement of the protracted Libyan crisis is rather obscure, yet there are factors that can bring about progress. We believe that the key to resolving that issue lies in promoting an inclusive national dialogue in the interests of preserving a united Libyan state. Just like my colleague and friend, I would like to emphasise that we stand for holding early national elections towards this end.\nWe also talked about the situation around Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. We praised Egypt\u2019s mediation for restoring relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA, which have been severed by the aggression of Israel and the United States, which delivered strikes on Iran\u2019s nuclear infrastructure facilities that are under the IAEA safeguards. The current pause in Iran\u2019s relations with that organisation is not the fault of the Tehran authorities. We urge IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who stands for resuming contacts with Tehran, to strictly comply with the fundamental principles of the IAEA Secretariat\u2019s operations, including neutral, unbiased and professional assessments, and of that organisation as a whole.\nWe are grateful to our Egyptian colleagues for their objective and balanced position on the situation in and around Ukraine. Cairo is well aware that a political and diplomatic settlement is only possible on the condition of eliminating the root causes of the conflict, including security threats to Russia and the infringement on the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking citizens in the Kiev-controlled territories.\nThey amount to a gross violation of Article 1 of the UN Charter. President Vladimir Putin spoke in detail about our position on Ukraine during the Direct Line today. He has once again reaffirmed our commitment to a political solution to unresolved issue, while also saying that we are ready to achieve justice by employing our Armed Forces.\nWe are very pleased with the outcomes of our talks. I would like to reaffirm our interest in maintaining a regular dialogue. With this aim in view, I have invited Mr Minister to make a return visit to Russia.\nQuestion: You discussed the Ukraine settlement with your Egyptian counterpart. When, do you think, the next rounds of Russia-US talks might take place? Considering what the EU summit participants conveyed yesterday and today, and French President Emmanuel Macron saying that Europe would benefit from resuming talks with Russia in the coming weeks, do you think Russia-US talks need a third party such as the Europeans to join them?\nSergey Lavrov: First of all, to reiterate, our position is abundantly clear and we cannot be swayed by fleeting considerations or hesitations. President Putin regularly makes our position clear, and did so today as well. It is firm and consistent.\nWe are strongly committed to a negotiated settlement. So far, of all the parties directly involved in the talks, only the United States has shown itself ready to go down the path of talks. It is crucial for us to know that the understandings reached in Alaska in August and reaffirmed during the visit of US President\u2019s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and political adviser Jared Kushner to the Russian Federation on December 2 remain valid.\nWe appreciate the fact that our partners from the Global South, such as the Arab Republic of Egypt, China, India, Brazil, and the Gulf states, as well as many other representatives of the World Majority, express hope that Russia-US efforts will yield results conducive to a reliable settlement of the situation at hand, which Western countries had been plotting for many years following the coup in Kiev in 2014. This should be done in a way that fully reflects the understandings that we have come to in recent years, not to mention the importance of complying with the UN Charter, which calls for respect for the rights of ethnic minorities and human rights, including language and religious rights. The Nazi Kiev regime outlawing the Russian language and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church constitutes a flagrant violation of the UN Charter.\nWe feel the World Majority\u2019s support as we engage with the Americans. I want to underscore this. Minister Badr Abdelatty reiterated Egypt\u2019s position today.\nWe have no information about what actually took place during the consultations held by the EU with Zelensky and Steve Witkoff. The European leaders have already made multiple statements touting what they call the \u201cachievements\u201d of these consultations.\nWe cannot but have questions in this regard. Security guarantees for Kiev are cited as a central issue. As you may be aware, we advocate collective security guarantees based on the principles repeatedly approved at the top level within the OSCE framework, which require ensuring indivisibility of security, its equal nature, and require each state not to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others. In other words, they require not doing exactly what the Kiev regime is now effectively doing with the support of its European \u201cbenefactors.\u201d\nIf one follows media reports and public statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and other participants in this process, they are discussing security guarantees that envisage the creation of multinational forces for Ukraine led by Europe. These forces are expected to assist in rebuilding the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ensuring control over the country\u2019s airspace, and maritime security, as well as conducting ground operations inside Ukraine.\nThat is about yet another brazen in-your-face attempt to use military force to build a launching pad in Ukraine for creating threats to the Russian Federation, rather than providing security guarantees.\nThere\u2019s more to it than creating threats. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has openly stated that Germany needs to prepare for war against the Russian Federation. We hear similar rhetoric coming from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a number of other \u201chawks\u201d among senior EU and NATO officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. All of them are exceeding their authority by a wide margin when they go public with such an aggressive policy, which is at odds with the opinion shared by the EU and NATO member states.\nUnlike them, we realise, and I will reiterate, as President Putin has repeatedly made it clear, that we stand for ensuring indivisible security in Europe on equal terms, a kind of security, which, unlike the European vision, would not be about planning another war, but would reliably prevent any attempts to go down the militaristic path.\nSpeaking of the Europeans as a potential third party to the talks, we do not need their help if they continue to stick to their stance. The Russia-US dialogue relies on solid understandings reached in Anchorage, Alaska. We see no reason why the US administration would depart from this agreed-upon position, especially since these understandings are directly based on proposals by President Trump and his negotiating team. Therefore, Europe does not need to help us; it would be better if they just stay out of it and, I think, things will be fine if they do.\nI will not comment on President Macron\u2019s remark about talking with Russia. Just take a look at his remarks over the past few months when he called Russia and President Putin \u201can ogre at our gates.\u201d If he is ready to sit down and talk, our President has repeatedly made it clear that he remained open to contacts provided the counterparts are well-mannered people with basic people skills.\nQuestion: Over the past four years, Egypt has managed to maintain productive working relations with both Russia and the United States. Do you believe that this balanced approach could serve as an example for other countries which believe they are entitled to choosing whom to cooperate with?\nSergey Lavrov: The policy pursued by the Arab Republic of Egypt has been independent not only during the past four years, but throughout the entire period of Russia\u2019s engagement with that country. Our relations weren\u2019t smooth sailing all the time, but they have stood the test of time. Our peoples are united by affinity, mutual respect, and traditions. We hold this status of the matters in high regard.\nSpeaking of policies shaped by external influence, I have no doubt, and we know it from practice, that countries that choose their external partners guided strictly by their national interests and do not follow someone else\u2019s directives in their relations with their dialogue partners, enjoy respect, unlike those who blindly follow orders and demands dictated by higher authorities.\nI am convinced that Egypt\u2019s position deserves support and should be used as a model. This is already happening. This is exactly how the Global South goes about its foreign relations, including amid the crisis in Russia-West relations, where the West is trying to isolate Russia and to keep the World Majority at a significant distance from it. However, the Global South countries at large, with very rare exceptions, believe they should choose who they cooperate with, who they want to be friends with, and to communicate with. They are our BRICS and the SCO partners, as well as partners in organisations created in the post-Soviet space, as well as many other countries.\nWe respect the countries\u2019 right to choose their international partners which fully corresponds to the UN Charter\u2019s provision about respecting the sovereign equality of states. The EU leaders publicly wonder why China and India talk with Russia. This is rude. They are ill-mannered people who are clearly not familiar with the UN Charter. Someone once pointed them to an article that mentions territorial integrity, and that is all they know about it. They are forcing their Ukrainian policy on everyone and are trying to thwart the approach promoted by the Trump administration and the UN Charter, including the right of nations to self-determination.\nThis particular principle of the Charter drove the decolonisation, primarily in Africa in the 1960s, when the African people refused to live under the rule of the colonial powers. By the same token, following the coup in Ukraine in February 2014, the people of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya refused to be governed by those who espouse openly neo-Nazi ideals, engage in neo-Nazi racist practices, and outlaw the Russian language which is the native language spoken by these people in all spheres of life, and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, all of the above in gross violation of the UN Charter.\nThis Western policy is doomed. I am convinced that the peoples of the Global South and the Global East are experiencing a second awakening. In addition to political independence, which the West largely recognised only on paper, they will now push for gaining economic independence. We will strongly support them relying on the firm principle of the UN Charter about respect for the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their internal affairs which is precisely what our Western colleagues engage in.\nI am satisfied with the state of our relations with Egypt. The meetings between President Vladimir Putin and President of Egypt Abdel el-Sisi in Moscow in May, and most recently in November, when they opened an important phase in the construction of the El Dabaa NPP via videoconference, confirm the commitment of our leaders to maintaining and deepening this policy. Any country interested in independence can follow the example set by Russia-Egypt relations.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:38:41",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during his talks with ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I am delighted to meet with you on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo.\nI know that ECOWAS pays particular attention to the activities of this Forum.\nIn this context, we aim to further deepen our cooperation with national governments, as well as with regional associations such as ECOWAS.\nWe highly value the work of your organisation and look forward to discussing practical areas for our cooperation.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:38:52",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration and Togolese Abroad of the Republic of Togo Robert Dussey on the sidelines of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nIt is a pleasure to meet with you. Allow me first to offer my congratulations on your reappointment.\nI look forward to reviewing the progress made in implementing the agreements reached during the meeting, this November, between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the Council of Ministers of Togo Faure Gnassingb\u00e9.\nThe signing, on November 19, of the important Agreement on the Fundamentals of Relations between the Russian Federation and the Togolese Republic has established a firm legal foundation for our further collaboration.\nToday, on the sidelines of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum, we have an opportunity to discuss our interaction and to identify avenues for bilateral cooperation in regional and international affairs.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:39:03",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during his talks with Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, on the sidelines of the second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nI am pleased to meet you. You have recently assumed the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as I understand, you also briefly served as Minister of Defence. It is important for individuals with military experience to contribute to diplomacy, especially in today\u2019s international environment.\nWe are satisfied with the positive spirit of our relations and the ongoing contacts between our political leaders, including at the highest level. Today, on the sidelines of the Forum, we have an excellent opportunity to discuss ways to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, investment, and humanitarian affairs, as well as our interaction within international organisations, including the United Nations, and with the African continent as a whole.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:39:13",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during his talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, Edouard Bizimana, on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I am pleased to see you again. We met previously in New York, which provided a valuable opportunity for an exchange of views.\nI welcome the participation of both our countries in the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nOn the sidelines of this multilateral event, bilateral meetings offer an important chance to compare notes, and I appreciate this opportunity.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:39:24",
    "page_index": 2,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nI am delighted to see you here in Cairo. This is a good opportunity to once again congratulate you on your appointment to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. Your impressive experience of working for the Government will prove advantageous in facilitating the development of our bilateral relations.\u00a0\nWe welcome the results of the general election in Tanzania in late October 2025. We hope that continuity will be retained in our bilateral relations, based on the foundation that was laid over the past few decades.\nI hope that we will be able to discuss issues of bilateral relations where it is possible to achieve progress.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:42:59",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie, and Congolese Abroad of the Republic of the Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Gakosso,\nIt is a pleasure to see you. Allow me to offer my congratulations on the recent conferral of the honorary title of Ambassador of Russian Education and Science, which was bestowed in October this year. This follows your earlier award with the Alexander Pushkin Medal.\nWe highly value your personal contribution to the advancement of our relations, extending beyond education and science to include the sphere of foreign policy coordination. This coordination has been meticulously established between our nations, a result of the regular dialogue between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso. We particularly appreciate President Sassou-Nguesso's participation in the events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in May this year. Their discussion was most productive.\nMore recently, on September 3, in Beijing, during the celebrations commemorating the Victory over Japan, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso again held a productive meeting.\nWe have a number of tasks, as agreed by our leaders. Today presents a welcome opportunity to explore what additional steps we might take to further strengthen our friendly relations and partnerships.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:43:10",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Sime\u00f3n Oyono Esono Ang\u00fce, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophone Affairs of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I am delighted to meet with you, dear friend, and your delegation.\nI remember our meeting during the First Russia-Africa forum in Sochi a year ago. Time flies. We are interested in fulfilling all the agreements that were approved at the two Russia-Africa summits in Sochi and St Petersburg. This ministerial forum is an important instrument for achieving that.\nToday, we will discuss our bilateral cooperation and highest-level contacts. We appreciated President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo\u2019s participation in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War last May in Moscow. We will always be glad to host you in Russia. This is my official invitation.\nLet\u2019s discuss the details of our bilateral links and cooperation within international frameworks.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:43:21",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Namibian Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Cairo, December 19, 2025",
    "date": "19 December 2025",
    "content": "I am delighted to meet with you in Cairo on the eve of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.\nNamibia is a key partner for Russia in the southern part of the continent.\nEvery Namibian president has visited our country, underscoring the strong foundation of our ties. We particularly value the substantive meeting between President Vladimir Putin and then-President Hage Geingob in Sochi several years ago, where they identified key avenues for advancing our relations.\nThis March, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations by exchanging warm congratulatory messages.\nNow, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in office and your new Ambassador having arrived in Moscow, I look forward to our discussion on bilateral matters.\nThis meeting is an excellent opportunity to exchange views and to lay the groundwork for your upcoming visit to Russia.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:43:32",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at the meeting of the United Russia General Council\u2019s Commission on International Cooperation, Moscow, December 18, 2025",
    "date": "18 December 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nWe now convene for the eleventh meeting of the Commission of the General Council of the United Russia party on international cooperation and support for compatriots abroad. As you will recall, this body was established by decision of President Vladimir Putin and has consistently demonstrated its utility and relevance.\nOur steady work (this is our eleventh meeting in three years) is itself a testament to the Commission\u2019s topical agenda. It has become a significant instrument of party and parliamentary diplomacy. I would also like to note that its membership includes not only representatives of United Russia, which initiated its creation, but also of other parliamentary parties. To all of you, I extend a warm welcome.\nThis collective effort enables us to forge a broad public consensus on the principal avenues of our foreign policy, as approved by the head of state. This spans a range of issues \u2013 from expanding our international and foreign economic ties to countering contemporary neo-colonial practices, a topic of particular urgency at this juncture.\nOne of the most egregious forms of neo-colonialism is interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. The West has never relinquished these methods, though they have evolved and become more superficially acceptable. Their essence, however, remains unchanged: to prosper at others\u2019 expense and to dictate how other nations should organise their governance and societies. The tools employed include coercive pressure, direct military intervention, orchestrating so-called colour revolutions, and covert (and at times overt) interference in electoral processes \u2013 attempting to manipulate the free expression of citizens\u2019 will and to dispute election results across a wide array of countries. Today, what we may rightly term \u201celectoral neo-colonialism\u201d poses a very real threat to the nations of the Global Majority.\nThe West maintains a particular focus on the post-Soviet space. For obvious reasons, President Vladimir Putin elaborated on this point just yesterday, at an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board. He detailed our analysis of Western actions, both in the final years of the USSR and after its collapse, designed to weaken the Russian Federation and, ideally, to dismember and destroy our country.\nTo discredit and falsify elections (when their outcomes do not suit the West and align with the aspirations of Western elites), a whole arsenal of unscrupulous methods is deployed. These include funding so-called \u201cindependent\u201d (in reality, pro-Western) media, brazenly promoting false narratives, aggressively backing Western-favoured candidates regardless of their meagre domestic popularity, and manipulating international observation mechanisms. Biased assessments of election results are then laundered through structures like the OSCE/ODIHR observation missions and presented as the \u201copinion of the international community.\u201d It is worth noting that this ODIHR office lacks proper founding documents, having been established merely by a declarative statement. The OSCE has various commissioners \u2013 on national minorities, human rights, freedom of the media \u2013 yet none of these institutions operates under a properly agreed mandate.\nAll our efforts taken since the end of the 1990s and focused on the election factor to reach an agreement on drafting a provision regulating the operation of the ODIHR, primarily in election monitoring, which was to be adopted by consensus at the OSCE, have been rejected by the West. As President Putin pointed out yesterday, at that time we still entertained the illusion that the West would play fair. Nothing of the kind happened. Fair play implies coordinating mechanisms and criteria. As it is, they declared that it was a matter of \u201cthe golden mean.\u201d This brings to mind a popular phrase attributed to Mark Twain: \u201cIf voting made any difference, they wouldn\u2019t let us do it.\u201d This is the kind of voting that fully suits the West.\nIn 2004, the Americans and the EU orchestrated mass protests in Ukraine because they wanted the other candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, to win. That is why the Constitutional Court was instructed to adopt a decision on the third round of the elections, contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine. None of those who wanted to stay in the Western track did not bat an eye.\nThe EU has openly intervened in the parliamentary election in Moldova in September 2025. Over 20 years have passed, yet nothing has changed. During their numerous visits to Chisinau before the voting day, European bureaucrats openly campaigned for Maia Sandu\u2019s Party of Action and Solidarity. They openly said that her party\u2019s victory would guarantee the continued financing of the country. They did not care for the voters\u2019 opinion. They tried to shape it by means of open blackmail. Cynicism is a quality that is increasingly coming to the fore in the Western politicians\u2019 statements and actions.\nThe other day, EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas publicly promised Armenia EU assistance \u201cto fight the malign [foreign] influence, like [it] granted to Moldova.\u201d Her honesty looks like the admission of guilt.\nThe ODIHR I have mentioned has long become an instrument for political pressure. The reports that its election observation missions produce are motivated by geopolitical factors. If a pro-Western candidate does not win an election, the report is harshly critical and even demands a re-vote. If victory goes to the candidate who was actively promoted by the West, the election results are praised as the \u201ctriumph of democracy.\u201d These conclusions are prepared in advance, as everyone knows. The EU describes this as \u201cthe golden mean of election observation.\u201d \u00a0\nI was shocked by the \u201ccandour\u201d of EU politicians when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly cautioned US President Trump against interfering in European democracy a week ago: \u201cIt is not on us, when it comes to elections, to decide who the leader of the country will be, but on the people of this country. That\u2019s the sovereignty of the voters, and this must be protected. Nobody else is supposed to interfere, without any question.\u201d\nEveryone remembers how it happened in Romania and Moldova, yet these people do not hesitate to make such \u201cstatements.\u201d\nAs for election technologies, our country has been in the spotlight and under the gaze of Western geopolitical spin-doctors. \u00a0\u00a0\nWe saw an unprecedented number of attempts at meddling during the Russian Federation\u2019s presidential election in March 2024, unprecedented in the variety of forms and sophistication of methods. \u00a0\nMost different methods were being used in an active way. The ill-wishers, who stood behind them, were attempting to discredit the free expression of people\u2019s will and call into question its legitimacy and conformity to law. More than that, this was the case at all stages of the election campaign, from its announcement, or maybe even earlier, to the official designation of timeframes, to the nomination period, to the registration of nominees, to the polling days, and to the election count. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nOur services are aware that these actions and these campaigns already used AI technologies. If their own intelligence is not up to the mark, they obviously have to fall on modern scientific achievements.\nAs for the foreign vote, the March 2024 presidential election was greatly complicated by the fact that a number of Western states had drastically curtailed our diplomatic presence on their territory. They closed our missions in an absolutely arbitrary manner without explaining the reason. The implication was the following: we don\u2019t like that you work here, so shut up shop. In particular, this took place in densely Russian-populated localities, where there were general consulates. \u00a0That work was, of course, greatly hampered over there.\u00a0 We were not allowed to open additional polling stations on a one-time basis.\nThe foregoing will be valid for the State Duma elections scheduled for autumn 2026. We must have no illusions on this count. Therefore, we should be ready for this and we will be ready.\nOur foreign policy service, in cooperation with other agencies, has been opposing interference in Russia\u2019s internal affairs. We maintain cooperation with our lawmakers and political parties in this and all other areas. \u00a0\u00a0\nOur methods include adding foreigners notorious for their anti-Russian agitation and activities to stop lists. But, let me repeat, modern technologies make an agent provocateur\u2019s physical presence in a country absolutely superfluous. We know of numerous such examples that emerge almost daily. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nFor this reason, we continue to focus on information support for voting in Russia and elsewhere, including with the use of most advanced technologies. \u00a0During the March 2024 presidential election, Russian Federation missions abroad ensured a fault-free vote despite all the intrigues and obstacles put in their way. They for the first time gave full play to digital diplomacy to cover the electoral process abroad in a 24/7 mode for our compatriots to see how we were creating opportunities for the implementation of their legitimate rights.\nAt our online resources \u2013 available in various languages and in real time \u2013 we showcased the progress of voting across the globe. This included photographs, videos, and reports from correspondents in their countries of accreditation, as well as comments by staff of our embassies and consulates.\nI believe a high level of coordination and transparency was ensured, which allowed us, in this informational endeavour, not only to demonstrate to the international community that the elections were exemplary but also to counter attempts at informational provocations and sabotage swiftly, literally instantaneously, and in real time. These were identified quickly. Anti-fake actions were undertaken promptly.\nNaturally, we are pleased that in rejecting the destructive line of the West, including in the electoral domain, the majority of our partners and like-minded friends in the countries of the Global South and East stand in solidarity with us. It is not without reason that we all refer to ourselves not as \u201canti-West\u201d but as the Global Majority.\nWe seek to shape the international agenda through positivity within the context of the objective trends of multipolarity. Our partners in the countries of the Global Majority increasingly understand the essence of what is happening \u2013 the geopolitical, geostrategic, and geoeconomic nature of the colossal tectonic shifts objectively occurring on the international stage.\nWe are actively working with our like-minded friends, partners, and allies through Eurasian structures. In November 2024, at the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in St Petersburg \u2013 as you are well aware \u2013 recommendations were adopted to ensure and protect electoral sovereignty. This is a significant support to us when MPs create a legal normative framework for our joint efforts.\nPreviously, in 2022, recommendations were adopted to improve legislation to protect electoral processes and sovereignty \u2013 a lengthy but clear title \u2013 in the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. This decision was approved by the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in December 2022.\nIt is clear that work to strengthen what we call \u201celectoral sovereignty\u201d should be placed on a systematic footing. Much has already been done in this regard. This work already has a comprehensive character. This trend will undoubtedly continue.\nIn this regard, we welcome and actively support the efforts of the United Russia party in this direction, as well as those of other representatives of parliamentary diplomacy.\nThe conclusion of interparty agreements to counteract electoral neo-colonialism and protect sovereignty \u2013 also an initiative of United Russia \u2013 we believe will allow the development of common criteria for conducting impartial examinations of so-called democratic processes in the countries of the Global Majority, taking into account their civilisational diversity.\nIn my view, we need to engage more actively in this, to contrast the multiplicity of democratic forms of statehood and organisation of society with what Europeans are attempting to impose on the rest of the world through their neoliberal agenda.\nThe fact that the United States no longer desires such democracy as it is understood in Europe is a serious indicator. Not long ago, US President Donald Trump, commenting on the Ukraine situation, advised Vladimir Zelensky not to trample on democracy and to hold elections.\nAnother matter is how this can be organised and how the West, should this occur, would orchestrate these elections. However, the very reminder that \u201cthe people have already elected you for a certain period, and it is time to recognise that,\u201d or to ask the people once again to express their opinion about you \u2013 is telling.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:43:43",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi, Moscow, December 17, 2025",
    "date": "17 December 2025",
    "content": "Media members,\nForeign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi and I held detailed and substantive talks today and, as always, they were held in a friendly, constructive, and trust-based atmosphere.\nWe stated progress in Russia-Iran relations which have become significantly stronger in recent years. In 2025, the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran was signed and entered into force on October 2. The fact that President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian put their signatures under this treaty underscores its importance for Moscow and Tehran.\nWe discussed the tasks set by our respective presidents during their meeting in Ashgabat last week and expressed confidence that once implemented this treaty will give a powerful boost to bilateral interaction and help us align our approaches to regional and multilateral issues with a primary focus on expanding the capabilities of the two countries in the interest of improving stability and security in our common region.\nWe noted the particularly trust-based nature of the political dialogue at the top, intergovernmental, and interparliamentary levels, as well as at the interagency and ministerial level. Civil society contacts are expanding to further strengthen neighbourly ties between our countries.\nWe highly praised the advanced level of practical bilateral cooperation in trade, the economy, and investment. Trade has been steadily up by more than 10 percent for the second straight year, over 15 percent last year. The Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation is fully operational with its co-chairs, Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilyov and Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad, remaining in contact at all times. We discussed the importance of making thorough preparations for the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission, which will take place in Tehran in February 2026.\nWe share a common view on the importance of promoting business ties. In this regard, the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and Iran this year, and Tehran obtaining observer status in December 2024, is of utmost importance. We are interested in continued expansion of the legal and regulatory framework between our countries with an eye towards eliminating trade barriers.\nWe underscored the importance of carrying out flagship infrastructure projects, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. With the support of the Russian personnel, it continues to operate in standard mode and remained operational even amid the June aggression by Israel and the United States. We reviewed in detail the status of the implementation of the project to build the Rasht-Astara Railway section financed through a state loan provided by Russia. The construction of this railway is monitored by our respective presidents as a priority project. The railway is the key to the full-on launch of the western branch of the strategic North-South International Transport Corridor.\nThe exchange of views on international and regional issues reaffirmed our overlapping positions or close views on most matters. We spoke in favour of further democratisation of international life based on multipolarity, which is on track to become a reality in full accordance with the principles enshrined in the UN Charter that have been sabotaged by the collective West for many decades now.\nThe objective course of history warrants the implementation of the lofty principles of the UN Charter. Importantly, these principles must be acted upon, respected and applied in practice not occasionally, but exclusively as an indivisible and interdependent whole.\nThis strongly resonates with the Ukraine conflict, where the collective West is pushing to manipulate every provision of international law and to replace them with its own \u201crules\u201d that are at odds with the universally recognised international legal norms and serve only the push of the collective West, above all Europeans, to continue their neocolonial policies aimed at living off other nations the way they did over the past 500 years starting in the era of colonialism. The neocolonial economic, trade and financial dependence of African countries, as well as many countries in Asia and Latin America, on the West has remained unchanged to this day.\nWe denounced the use of unilateral coercive measures that undermine international law which fact has become particularly glaring amid the Ukraine crisis. Europe is trying to scuttle the constructive ideas put forward by the Trump Administration, as it violates every rule and principle that have until now governed international economic and financial relations, encroaching on property that the West itself had only recently declared inviolable, and eroding in many ways the principles promoted by Europeans, including as part of the globalisation efforts. What we are witnessing today is a process of fragmentation, not globalisation.\nSpeaking about the use of unilateral coercive measures, we stand fully in solidarity with Iran and a number of other countries. We advocate creating a group of countries that have a stake in countering this lawless behaviour. I believe this process will gain ever more supporters as it moves forward. We agreed to consolidate members of the international community who share these approaches. We will continue substantive work to neutralise the negative impact of illegal sanctions on the economies of our respective countries.\nWe covered in depth the Iranian nuclear programme dynamics amid the unapologetically aggressive and unlawful anti-Iranian policies adopted by a group of Western countries. Once again, Russia confirmed its readiness and willingness to help its Iranian friends identify acceptable solutions to overcome the nuclear dossier-related crisis created by the West. Acting in violation of all existing agreements and regulations that are legally established by the UN Security Council, Western Europeans are doing everything in their power to re-impose UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, even though these sanctions expired more than a month ago alongside Security Council resolutions that were used to impose them.\nWe decry such disregard for law and international legislation, and the attempts to prioritise self-serving interests over the principles of the UN Charter. We hope that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom they are also trying to weave into this game, can clearly see that he is being nudged into a trap and will say no to those who conspire to take advantage of his authority, reputation and office of Secretary-General to push through the Western countries\u2019 self-serving and unlawful plans.\nClearly, any decisions regarding potential arrangements that could put an end to the current crisis and put the process on a constructive track must be taken exclusively by the Iranian government based on the interests of the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and with full respect of its right, as a full-fledged member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.\nWe will continue to deepen our cooperation at the UN, the SCO and BRICS. We covered several important regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East, primarily, the Palestinian territories, the South Caucasus, the Caspian region, Afghanistan, and neighbouring countries.\nI would like to close by once again expressing satisfaction with the outcomes of the talks and to thank my Iranian counterpart for accepting the invitation to visit Russia.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): International relations are getting more intricate by the day. The international situation is marked by securitisation. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, what can Russia suggest in order to keep international law intact? How serious is Russia about fortifying multilateral policy on international platforms? Is Russia ready and willing to support BRICS and the SCO?\nWith the US seeking dominance, especially in the context of the ongoing developments in the Caribbean, is the UN under threat of falling apart?\nSergey Lavrov: As President Putin has repeatedly made it clear, including in his most recent remarks, the UN is the finest creation of diplomacy in the entire history of humanity, because there has never been a universal entity that would bring together all independent states of the modern-day world. This organisation is vested with authority and mandates in virtually every sphere of human activity, ranging from security and disarmament to the economy, investment, climate protection, and now also AI and other cutting-edge achievements in ICT.\nThe UN system, which comprises around 20 specialised agencies and institutions, is, by all accounts, unique. However, just like any other bureaucracy, it is affected by intrinsic flaws. Regrouping the currently functioning entities is the order of the day. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has spoken in favour of this change as well. In his UN80 Report released ahead of the UN anniversary, he pointed out that the organisation was overstaffed, noting that the opportunities to conduct personnel optimization looked good. I am confident that it will end up taking place eventually.\nAt the same time, based on the experience and impressions from my contacts with my colleagues in Europe, reforming the UN Secretariat and its units and departments will be no small feat, but still a much less daunting endeavour than reforming the EU bureaucracy in Brussels which has broken every record known to humanity. We even went as far as to draw the attention of the senior officials from the UN Secretariat to what is happening with the Brussels-based elite that continue to attempt to usurp the powers and legitimate rights of the sovereign governments of nation states.\nTruth be told, the UN Secretariat has never come even close to such an adventurous undertaking. However, there have been half-hearted attempts by certain Secretariat bureaucrats, primarily in New York, to shove their own ideas down the throats of UN member states. In most cases, these attempts were backed by our Western colleagues. We brought this to their attention during the discussions that followed the Secretary-General\u2019s report on UN reforms. Without a doubt, this issue will take centre stage in the context of overcoming disproportionate representation of the Western countries at the UN Secretariat, where the bulk, if not all important positions (with extremely rare exceptions), are held by citizens of Western states or citizens of other countries with second Western, mainly US or UK, citizenship.\nThis violates the UN Charter\u2019s requirement for fair geographical representation across all bodies serving the organisation. This is kind of a congenital/acquired disease.\nThe US actions in the Caribbean are rejected by almost all countries except Europe. The latter have hunkered down and remain silent with regard to what Washington is doing. All they can think of is to persuade the Trump Administration to go down the European path on the Ukraine issue in order to perpetuate the war unleashed by the West against the Russian Federation and, as I said earlier, to bring the Americans over to their side of the fence and to prevent them from advancing their constructive agenda aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis.\nAll other countries have made their positions clear. We are very concerned about what the US Navy is up to and, more broadly, about the bellicose rhetoric of the Pentagon whereby they are planning a ground operation on top of illegal actions involving the sinking of civilian vessels without trial or investigation in the Caribbean Sea. Looking at the prevailing balance of power in the international arena, all of the above undermines hope that agreements can ever be reached and honoured. Nevertheless, the United States remains open to a dialogue, but not on all issues. President Trump claims that he has made every decision there was to make on a number of issues, and carrying them out is all that\u2019s left to do.\u00a0\nNonetheless, we welcome the positive side of the current Trump Administration as compared to the administration led by Joseph Biden, which refused to talk to anyone about anything and was incapable of any meaningful actions to begin with.\nYour question was what we think about BRICS and the SCO. Unlike the EU, or what has become of it, and unlike NATO with its discipline of the rod, these are truly constellations of a new type. Incidentally, the EU and NATO alike are being subjected to attempts by their administrative heads, the head of the European Commission and NATO Secretary General, to bring them to heel.\nIf you ever have a chance to read what these characters have to say, you will get an impression that they think of themselves as the high and mighty political leaders of our time, rather than hired bureaucrats who are expected to carry out the will of the member states.\nNothing of the sort can even happen in the SCO or BRICS, which follow the principles of the UN Charter that have been tested over many decades now, namely sovereign equality of states, peaceful settlement of any disagreements, the search for consensus and common agreement on all issues, and concentration of efforts on implementing practical projects based on the principle of mutual benefit.\nThe work done by the SCO and BRICS will come as a reliable benchmark for making changes that are overdue at the UN and which, I would like to underscore this once again, should lead not to something revolutionary, but exclusively to reaffirmation by all UN members of their commitment to strictly observe all provisions of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnection. I look forward to our Western colleagues, including the United States, contributing to the efforts designed to achieve such consensus.\nQuestion: You said in your opening remarks that Russia is ready to help Iran look for a way out of the nuclear file crisis. Does it also imply Russia\u2019s readiness to mediate the possible signing of an agreement between Iran and the United States?\nSergey Lavrov: For a number of years, Mr Abbas Araghchi and yours truly have been involved in preparing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was adopted in 2015 and approved by the UN Security Council several months later.\nRussia, as well as the other participants in this process, is deeply involved in the details that constitute the basis of that agreement and the details of how it was destroyed by the United States. This is the cause of the current problems. Those who have destroyed the JCPOA and undermined the UNSC resolution that \u00a0approved it are now trying to shift the blame onto the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is clear to everyone.\nWe maintain contacts and regularly communicate with our Iranian friends. Our presidents communicate, and it is the fifth time that we have met with my Iranian colleague this year. Just like Mr Araghchi, senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Larijani has visited Russia and met with President Putin.\nThese issues were discussed. Both Russia and Iran would like to stabilise and normalise the situation, precluding any further use of force. Exclusively political and diplomatic solutions is what we need in the current situation.\nSince Russia is cooperating with Iran in the nuclear sphere, we have built and are now expanding the capacity of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Since we are well aware of the situation in relations between Iran and the IAEA, we regularly discuss the approaches made public by European countries and the United States. Incidentally, we raise these questions during our expert contacts with our American colleagues, urging them to look for mutually acceptable solutions.\nTherefore, the mediation services we can offer are well known. President Putin mentioned them during his contacts with Iranian and other representatives, and we also discussed them at the level of foreign ministers.\nWe are not imposing these mediation services on anyone. If the Islamic Republic of Iran as the main participant in that process decides that such services are necessary, we are ready to provide them, if Tehran\u2019s other counteragents agree.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): We see that the Iranian-Russian relations are at their peak, especially after the entry into force of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.\nOn the other hand, you know that our enemies are trying to sour our relations. What do you think about our bilateral interaction and practical efforts in trade, the economy and science, as well as in defence and security, in light of the implementation of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership? What other measures should we take to continue strengthening this common stance? \u00a0\nSergey Lavrov: Speaking about our practical cooperation in the material sphere \u2013 in trade, the economy and investments, we talked about it in detail during our opening remarks at this news conference, so I won\u2019t repeat it.\nAs you correctly said, we are developing our military-technical cooperation in full compliance with international norms and without violating universal international rules in any way. There are contacts between our militaries, including aimed at training to combat common threats and challenges such as terrorism and drug trafficking. This cooperation will continue.\nThere are also cultural, humanitarian and educational ties and scientific contacts, which are rapidly developing, both within our bilateral relations and also \u00a0in the context of Russia and Iran\u2019s participation in various multilateral formats such as BRICS, the SCO and the Caspian Five. The interregional factor and contacts between municipalities are increasing their stance on the agenda of these structures. This is probably the best guarantee of the sustainability of these organisations and associations, because they reach to the ground, to the level of towns and cities, connecting the people living in them with the strong ties of friendship and contacts.\nI have very optimistic expectations regarding the further build-up of our strategic partnership in full compliance with the new treaty.\nAs for additional measures, today you attended the signing of the plan of consultations between our ministries for 2026\u02d72028. We did not have such documents or used such practice before. We held consultations, but it is the first time that we are planning them for three years ahead. I am confident that this will increase the effectiveness of our foreign policy cooperation as our contribution to the implementation of the tasks set out in the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.\nWe are ready to develop our ties in all spheres. We discussed this today, and we have reached agreements on a number of specific issues.\nQuestion: Are you discussing the drafting of a new agreement between Iran and the IAEA to replace the Cairo agreement, or can the Cairo agreement be relaunched? If so, is Russia involved in this process?\nSergey Lavrov: We discussed this issue today. My colleague, Mr Araghchi, briefed us on Iran\u2019s stand regarding contacts with the IAEA. We fully share this view, including because any steps in this direction should be based on the good will and fundamental assessments of our Iranian friends after the Israeli and US attacks on the facilities that have been and officially continue to be under the IAEA safeguards.\nOf course, it worth noting that the IAEA has not yet expressed its attitude to the fact that facilities under its safeguards have been flagrantly subjected to illegal attacks.\nAs I have said, we appreciate the good will of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is ready to resume cooperation with the IAEA despite these facts but not in the interests of promoting the Western agenda. There is no doubt that agreements with the Islamic Republic of Iran are possible if the IAEA Secretariat acts in strict compliance with the powers assigned to it. We wish success to these efforts.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:43:53",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi, Moscow, December 17, 2025",
    "date": "17 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister, my dear friend, colleagues,\nWe are delighted to welcome you to Moscow. I know that your delegation has a busy programme. You have just delivered a lecture at MGIMO University, the alma mater of many people in this room.\nWe appreciate the regular trust-based communication between our ministries \u00a0conducted in the spirit of a frank and comradely dialogue between our leaders.\nThe fact that it is our fifth meeting in 2025 says a lot about the coordination of our foreign policy activities. Today, we will sign our first plan of consultations between our ministries for 2026\u02d72028.\nIt is obvious that the main landmark event in our relations this year was the signing and entry into force of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has formalised the special nature of our cooperation and set out guidelines in all \u00a0priority areas for the next 20 years.\nDuring their meeting in Ashgabat several days ago, presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian discussed the tasks formulated in that fundamental document. Today, we have an opportunity to discuss our foreign policy contribution to the fulfilment of relevant tasks.\nWe will give special consideration to various regional and international situations in order to strengthen and enhance our coordination regarding them, including Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, the situation in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian territories, and several other traditional issues on the agenda of our talks.\nI am delighted to see you.\nWelcome to Moscow.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:44:04",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at the 45th meeting of the Foreign Ministry\u2019s Council of Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation on stepping up partnerships in Africa, Moscow, December 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 December 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nI suggest that we discuss stepping up cooperation between Russian regions and our partners in Africa as the second item on our agenda.\nIt goes without saying that this track has strategic importance for us. In fact, this is one of our key foreign policy priorities. This cannot be reduced to the fact that Africa, as they say, is the continent of the future with its immense resources which can be compared to Siberia\u2019s riches. But I suggest that we leave this matter for the academic community.\nIn any case, until recently these rich resources did not earn African nations any dividends. Even having achieved political independence following the decolonisation with our country playing a leading role in this process, the newly independent African countries remained dependent and largely remain dependent on their former colonial powers in terms of economic and financial matters. We are witnessing what I would call Africa\u2019s second awakening in our contacts with our African friends.\nHaving achieved political independence, they want to move on and take ownership of their resources and riches so that they can dispose of them in their national interests while remaining open to international cooperation.\nThis trend confirms that the African continent has already established itself and is set to play an even bigger role moving forward as a pillar of the emerging multipolar international order and is destined to have a major bearing on global politics, economics and finance.\nWe have been focusing on expanding our relations with the African continent for quite some time now. A new and unprecedented dialogue format was created in 2019 with the launch of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. Two summits took place in this format: in Sochi in 2019 and in St Petersburg in 2023. There was also the first Ministerial Conference in Sochi in November 2024.\nAdopted at the St Petersburg summit in 2023, the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023\u20132026 includes efforts to promote region-to-region cooperation between Russia and Africa across various sectors. In just three days, Cairo, the capital of Egypt, will be hosting the second ministerial conference for Russia and its African partners. We will have a preliminary performance review as part of the joint Action Plan, and will pay special attention to preparing the 3rd Russia \u2013 Africa Summit, which is scheduled to take place in 2026.\nRegarding the potential of our regions to contribute more to expanding our cooperation with Africa, I can say that trade with this continent has been steadily increasing. It grew by a factor of 1.5 since 2019 to exceed $27 billion in 2024. It can be much higher than that. At the federal level, we are committed to enabling regions to become part of this process by launching new promising undertakings for working together on practical matters.\nEver since the decolonisation, our country, first the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation, have always supported efforts to reinforce the sovereignty of African nations. As you know, our country stood at the helm of the decolonisation movement not only in its political dimension, but also supported aspirations to achieve sovereignty in economics, energy, food supplies, technology and military-technical affairs. This effort included all the sectors with a direct bearing on the sovereignty of any given country. And the Africans are ready to move forward with this agenda based on their own resources and national interests.\nEver since the Soviet era, we have always sought to enable them to be more effective when relying on their own resources. This is why we have been paying so much attention to training personnel for these countries. Since 2020, the number of African students studying in Russia doubled from 16,000 to 32,000 students, while the quota for Government scholarships awarded to African countries tripled to over 5,300 scholarships.\nWe will discuss the way regions have been making a meaningful contribution to working with the African continent. I would like to recognise Moscow, St Petersburg, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk and Stavropol territories, as well as Tatarstan, Yakutia, Rostov and Kemerovo regions for their efforts.\nRussia\u2019s southern regions have been major suppliers of agricultural products to Africa for many years now. In October 2025, the St Petersburg Mining University held the 1st Russia-Africa Dialogue on Raw Materials. Our objective, as articulated by our African colleagues, consists of going beyond food supplies and ensuring that food and especially fertilisers are made on the African continent.\nI have already mentioned our cooperation in science and education. In this regard, the Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Irkutsk regions play quite a useful role as research and student centres.\nWe also believe in supporting Russia\u2019s historical regions, including DPR, LPR, Crimea and Sevastopol which are already demonstrating their interest in working with Africa.\nThe Foreign Ministry also welcomes the traditional commitment of our northern regions, as Governor of the Vologda Region, Georgy Filimonov, has said. We need to replicate these practices across other regions.\nWe do understand that there are challenges, including logistics and financial restrictions. I am convinced that we can overcome all these hurdles. We will do everything to encourage our regions, including those represented here today and others, to forge mutually beneficial contacts with African countries. We will ensure that our embassies help promote the interests of the regions and mutually beneficial projects. Today, we will discuss what more can be done to further this agenda.\nMake no mistake, Africa is waiting for us. This is the message we have been getting from our friends from this continent all the time. We must live up to these expectations.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:44:16",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at the 45th meeting of the Foreign Ministry\u2019s Council of Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation on the Arctic dimension of region-to-region ties, Moscow, December 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 December 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nWe are holding this regular anniversary 45th session of the Foreign Ministry\u2019s Council of Heads of Constituent Entities. This format has been working for quite some time now, and we have accumulated some positive experience in this regard.\nAs usual, let me start this meeting by saying a few words on the topic of fulfilling recommendations resulting from the Council\u2019s preceding meeting on April 16, 2025. During that meeting, we discussed matters dealing with the Presidential Executive Order on the voluntary relocation of foreign nationals who share our spiritual and moral values to our country. We outlined practical steps for every Russian region. Today, we can already see the first results. I would like to recognise the Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk and Pskov regions. They have offered a stable environment and favourable conditions for attracting relocators and helping them get used to their new environment. This does not mean, however, that this executive order failed to gain traction in other regions. I just wanted to highlight these four regions for their proactive efforts.\nAs for the Foreign Ministry, it has been working closely with the Interior Ministry and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives on carrying out this Presidential document. We offer informational support to all the interested regions. In particular, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) has been organising regional discovery tours for journalists and bloggers who then spread the word about how it feels there. We hope that these useful efforts continue in this inter-agency setting and in cooperation with the civil society.\nToday\u2019s meeting focuses on the Arctic dimension of the region-to-region ties. Let me tell you right away that even in the northern latitudes the negative trends affecting the situation around the world, including growing military and political tension and illegal sanctions, can be felt. The degradation of effective multilateral cooperation mechanisms was one of the consequences resulting from the West\u2019s commitment to confrontation. The Russian Federation used to be part of several now-defunct mechanisms of this kind.\nIn fact, the Arctic Council is the only remaining intergovernmental format. It has been in a state of relative suspension since March 2022, even if it did not stop working. There were no attempts to change its composition at the expense of Russia\u2019s interests. Our colleagues may have moved in this direction but these aspirations have not materialised. Overall, there has been some progress within what we view as a very important body.\nThe Arctic Council held its 14th session at the level of senior officials on May 12, 2025, in the so-called hybrid format with some taking part in-person and some joining the event via videoconference. Adopted as an outcome document, the joint statement reflects several aspects which have principled importance for us, including the commitment to peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic, as well as the need to reinforce the Arctic Council. This may seem rather obvious but in today\u2019s environment with the West locked in its frenzied attempts to punish Russia and defeat it on the battlefield, as they say, and also on the diplomatic front, this wording and the fact that there were no Russia-hating assessments injected into the document is an achievement in itself. We do understand, however, that this stems from the recognition by some in the West, including those in charge of the Arctic Council, that their attempts to isolate Russia are futile, just as it is futile to treat our actions to ensure justice, respect for human rights and the assert the principle of indivisible security in Ukraine as some kind of an aggressive policy, as we have been hearing from European leaders who have lost their bearings. The Arctic Council has every chance to retain its importance.\nIn the current geopolitical climate, we are not only working to preserve this important institution but are also actively promoting cooperation with non-regional states interested in responsible and equitable partnership in the High North.\nThis includes, first and foremost, China and India. Dedicated working groups have been established with each. A key priority is our joint effort to develop the transport and logistics potential of the Northern Sea Route. A prime example is the collaboration with the Chinese company NewNew Shipping Line, which has launched a container shipping service between Arkhangelsk, Shanghai, and Ningbo (the Arctic Express No 1 project). On October 14, the regular meeting of the Russian-Chinese subcommittee on the Northern Sea Route was held in Harbin, where an action plan for further expanding cargo transportation along this corridor was approved.\nFurther evidence of growing international interest was a thematic roundtable held at the 10th Eastern Economic Forum in September, co-organised by the Russian Foreign Ministry with the Rosatom State Corporation. The event saw participation from China, India, South Korea, and Japan. We appreciate the pragmatic stance of relevant agencies and businesses in South Korea and Japan, who understand the need to distance themselves from the deeply ideological approach that Western capitals are attempting to impose on their Asian allies.\nWe will continue to strengthen mutually beneficial ties with Asian and other partners and to support our northern territories, businesses, and civil society. Special attention will be paid to protecting the interests of the Arctic\u2019s indigenous peoples, including through various international forums.\nThe comprehensive development of the High North through federal initiatives and the expansion of its transport infrastructure will positively impact the lives of our regions. Siberia, the Urals, and northwest Russia will gain direct access to Arctic ports. Furthermore, new access points to the Arctic will be created along the International North-South Transport Corridor, a project of strategic importance for the Greater Eurasian Partnership, in line with President Vladimir Putin\u2019s initiative.\nA promising format for sub-regional cooperation is the Northern Forum, an international non-governmental organisation of northern regions. We believe it would be beneficial for the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation to engage more actively in its work.\nI am confident that our country\u2019s Arctic policy will maintain its balanced and pragmatic character. We will continue working purposefully to meet the objectives set by the national leadership. As President Vladimir Putin emphasised at the Eastern Economic Forum this September, extensive development is underway in the Far East and the Arctic, and we are open to all who wish to participate. Naturally, such participation must be based on equality, respect for Russian interests, and the fundamental principles governing our cooperation with foreign partners in the Russian Arctic.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:44:27",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting media corporation, Moscow, December 15, 2025",
    "date": "15 December 2025",
    "content": "Question (retranslated from Farsi): The international community is facing hard times. United States\u2019 threats to Venezuela, the war in Ukraine, the threats by the Zionist regime and its crimes in Gaza, Europe embarking in an arms race \u2013 all that makes people\u2019s lives harder.\nWith your experience at the international arena, do you think the world is moving towards increasing chaos or a new world order is emerging for the future? Crucially, how does Russia see its role as the UN Security Council permanent member?\nSergey Lavrov: You have mentioned some processes in various parts of the globe. However, I would point out the only and probably the major threat which is the actions of the European Union, or, to be more precise, of the elite that usurped power in Brussels trying to subjugate national governments and making them ignore the interests of their peoples, give up the results of elections and referenda held in the European countries, and submit to the\u00a0 usurping position of \u201ccollective Brussel\u201d and its bureaucracy that is totally unelected and made up through compromises between legitimately elected national governments.\nThroughout history, Europe has repeatedly been a source of all evil and spawn of deepest crises, including slavery, Crusader campaigns when any resistance was weeded out with a sword, and also colonialism. And obviously, the two world wars that were launched in Europe due to delusive ambitions entertained by European leaders.\nRegrettably, Europe is now trying again to dictate to everyone its terms and wishes which seem to be connected with the Ukraine crisis. Europe is using it to assert itself, to throw sand in the wheels and scheme against the United States and all those who seek a just settlement.\nThe saddest and the most hazardous thing is that the theory and practices of Nazism are being resurrected in Europe, primarily in Brussels but also in Berlin, London, Paris, not to mention the Baltic States. Blatant Nazi-like approaches, blatant ignoring of what the Nazi regime is committing in Ukraine, which is a copy of Adolf Hitler\u2019s actions and those of Napoleon before him. However, there was no Nazism under Napoleon whereas Hitler, just like Napoleon, drafted practically entire Europe and pushed it, under the Nazi banners, against the Soviet Union.\nAt present Europe \u2013 and Biden\u2019s administration until recently \u2013 is trying to do exactly the same \u2013 to bring together all European countries, pump Ukraine with money and weapons and give it a Nazi flag. The latter was unnecessary since the regime that came to power through a state coup in 2014 grabbed the Nazi flag itself. And now Europe is waging a war with us once again with Ukrainians under a Nazi flag, using European money, instructors and all Western intelligence and reconnaissance data while Europe is pumping Ukraine with increasingly more modern weapons.\nThis is a revival of militarism. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announces that Germany has set the goal of becoming the \u201cmajor military power\u201d in Europe. He forgot that the last time his country was the major military power in Europe, it was under the Nazi slogans and the slogans of conquering all other nations surrounding Hitler\u2019s Germany, turning Slavs and Jews either into slaves or a disposable material to be destroyed by burning in the concentration camps.\nFinland also used to be Hitler\u2019s closest ally including during the heinous siege of Leningrad organised by the Nazis. Finns also took an active part in it as well as a number of other countries. Therefore, when all of them, many figures in Germany and other countries, begin recalling their grandfathers and other family members who served at the SS and were active members of the Nazi party, it cannot but cause concern.\nI don\u2019t want to create an impression that all the world\u2019s woes are born on the European continent. It is a dangerous mix of European ambitions and a realisation that those ambitions have failed in Ukraine because Russia is standing up to its legitimate interests, those of security and the interests of the people who were declared \u201cnon-human,\u201d \u201cspecies,\u201d who were banned to speak their mother tongue and had it banned altogether, as well as the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church \u2013 unthinkable - by the junta that came to power due to the 2014 coup. \u00a0Whatever relations Israel may be having with Muslim countries, none of them bans religion. It is a well-known fact, whereas Ukrainian Nazis are allowed to do that.\nA lot has been said of late about the new US National Security Strategy. One of its major purposes is to make Europe know its place and to prevent it from imposing its liberal ways that it has been proud of and cooperated with the US democratic administrations in promoting them for decades for decades; make it mind its own business and not try to engage the United States in its fairly rogue games intended to promote the liberal way that suits its elite to the political life of all other countries. This is a direct interference in internal affairs, including prohibition of the election results as it was in Romania and later in Moldova and some other countries, where election rigging is absolutely evident.\nThe US strategy of national security tells Europe: \u201cMind your own business and do not hope that the United States will constantly support your schemes. We have more important issues, primarily in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.\u201d\nClearly, the United States wants to set up its policy for opposing China that gained strength and each year demonstrates increasingly higher indicators of economic development, financial power and political clout.\nThe United States does not want to play second fiddle. As you know, we are not against competition, however, it should be fair. When someone is trying to suppress rivals by 100- or even 500-percent tariffs, it is not the globalisation, which the United States called us to after WWII. When sanctions are imposed after overtly declaring that the reason is the political position of this or that country or this or that person, this is even more than inequality, this is a disrespect for human rights. This is diktat.\nWhen such sanctions involve a ban on the activities of major world companies, like it was the case of our private company Lukoil and Rosneft State Corporation, if we sort things out, then I cannot see in it anything but the desire to suppress competitors by dirty methods. It means that the West, including the United States, do not always has enough power to maintain its domination, and thus they have to resort to dirty, anti-democratic and anti-market methods.\nI would like to finish answering your question by saying that all this begins to dominate in relation to conflicts like the one in the Middle East, establishment a Palestinian state and the Iranian nuclear programme.\nEverything that is happening on a global scale \u2013 this competition, this confrontation of the \u201cgreat powers\u201d as they believe they should be called \u2013 is accompanied by an attempt to drive these problems somewhere to the back stage, including the oldest unsettled conflict (I mean the Palestinian issue) and the issues concerning the Iranian nuclear programme.\nThe last year\u2019s developments around the Iranian nuclear programme, the absolutely outrageous illegitimate actions by Europeans, the attempts to put the blame on the Islamic Republic of Iran for the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)\u00a0 - although Iran never allowed itself to violate this document until the United States declared in 2018 that it was no longer bound by this UN Security Council\u2019s decision - reaffirms that the entire world order is being subject to most severe tests.\nIn the case of Iran, the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 was thrown by the United States into the dustbin. And then the West, Europeans above all, started accusing Iran of its failure to adhere to the JCPOA. Still, I will stress it again, Iran\u2019s adherence to the JCPOA is so obvious that the West was forced to invent some tricky schemes. I think it was a shame of the world diplomacy when they deceptively pushed through the decision on reinstating the sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. True and honest diplomats do not behave like this. Swindlers and thieves do.\nActually, Europeans have theft running in their blood, which we can see from the example of \u201cfrozen\u201d Russian assets. By the way, Iranian assets are also partially frozen like Venezuelan assets and assets of many other countries. Such an urge to steal must be genetic in many of our Western \u201ccolleagues.\u201d\nAlthough now they started quarrelling whether it is OK to steal Russian money. Some sane voices can be heard from there, but Brussels is attempting to hush them. It is not by chance that many media outlets in Russia and abroad call President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen none other than \u201cFuhrer Ursula.\u201d\nThe second outrageous example is Palestine. Not only was the UN Security Council resolution violated in this case, but also a great number of resolutions of both the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, which demand creation of a Palestinian state as a cornerstone for resolving the entire situation in the Middle East, as a condition for Arab and Muslim countries to normalise their relations with Israel. A well-known plan is the Arab Peace Initiative, which Saudi Arabia has been promoting since 2002, and which became a pan-Islamic initiative because it was approved by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and not just anywhere, but at the Tehran summit \u2013 a pan-Islamic position to give the Palestinians what they are legally entitled to and which was promised to them many times. Following that, normalisation of relations with Israel will begin. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military cabinet have repeatedly stated that there will be no Palestinian state. We have now received Donald Trump\u2019s peace plan. Both sides, Israel and Hamas\u2013 are talking about its terms being violated. Therefore, further implementation of this peace plan is questionable. We were on the side of those who welcomed Donald Trump\u2019s initiative, as it made it possible to end a crucial humanitarian stage of this crisis, return the bodies and free the remaining hostages, prisoners of war, and imprisoned Hamas members. But it is hard for me to imagine what is coming next.\nI am sorry that I got so deep into the events, but you provoked me with your global touch on the issues.\nIt is disturbing that there are no rules. In the West, they say that there should be \u201crules on which the world order is based,\u201d meaning that what is beneficial to them shall be called rules. Now there are not even such \u201crules\u201d that the West would manipulate on a case-by-case basis (when it is necessary to recognize Kosovo, then this is the right of nations to self-determination, and when people in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine voted in a referendum after the coup, this is not self-determination, but a violation of territorial integrity). They mean that they will treat global events of great historical significance the way they want.\nBut it is not only international law that has been undermined. I have already given examples. The Iranian nuclear program was \u201ccrushed\u201d despite the fact that the UN Security Council adopted a decision while the UN Charter states that everyone is obliged to comply with its decisions. The same logic applies to Palestine: there are a lot of decisions, but Israel says it does not want to implement them and there will be no state. The United States, although publicly disapproving of this position, is moving in the same direction in practical terms.\nWhen Iran was attacked by Israel followed by the United States, we condemned (1, 2, 3) those actions as having absolutely nothing to do with international legality. The key is that so far no one has offered any clear evidence that Iran has violated something, neither the IAEA, nor the Israelis, nor the Americans.\nWe are ready to support the efforts that the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently making to overcome this crisis, including in its relations with the IAEA and with the West in general.\nWe understand your position. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his representatives that we will accept the position that the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran chooses for itself in the interests of the Iranian people.\nQuestion: Thank you so much for such a detailed comment on international issues. Given the conditions facing the international community, where do Iranian-Russian relations stand in Russia\u2019s foreign policy?\nSergey Lavrov: This is one of priorities in terms of our bilateral ties. The Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran signed by presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian during your leader\u2019s visit to Russia earlier this year went into force in October. The treaty determines the principles of our mutual solidarity, support in the matters of principle in the development of international relations, and some additional steps required for developing bilateral cooperation, building up economic, investment and trade relations as well as for infrastructure projects.\nThe Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation plays the decisive role in this respect. It is headed by Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad and our Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilyov. This is a reliable and efficient entity. It will deal with working out specific steps on implementing relevant trade, economic and investment aspects of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.\nSpeaking about the economy, relations between Iran and the EAEU open additional opportunities. In 2023, Iran signed a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and has observer status in that organisation. This is a rare case that \u00a0\u00a0a non-EAEU member enjoys such a status. The Free Trade Agreement offers Iran and EAEU members more opportunities to increase their trade.\nWe and Iran have large plans regarding the development of our common geoeconomic space in the context of the trends existing in Eurasia, where integration becomes more and more active and, I would say, more and more competitive. Not only Eurasian countries in the relevant parts of our common huge continent, but also extraregional players, which are not Caspian or Central Asian states, or South Caucasus nations, and above all, our Western \u201cfriends\u201d permanently seek to penetrate the local developments, subjugate them to their unilateral interests and dictate the countries in the relevant regions decisions which primarily suit the West.\nDefinitely, this is a continuation of a colonial and neocolonial policy that boiled down to the West\u2019s desire to always live at the expense of others. We can see the same in the Caspian region where the West is planning and trying to split the group of the five Caspian states and impose decisions which will not get a consensus of the Caspian countries.\nAnyway, a Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was signed at the latest Caspian nations\u2019 summit in 2018. The convention clearly states that all the issues concerning the use of resources in the Caspian region, environment protection and the use of security structures shall only be decided by the five coastal Caspian states. This is a paramount principle.\nBy the way, all the countries of the Caspian states have ratified that convention. Only the Islamic Republic of Iran is the last in line. Given fast and turbulent developments in the world and around this part of Eurasia, it is important to eventually perpetuate the principle of non-Caspian states\u2019 non-interference in the region\u2019s affairs. This is why we anxiously looking forward to the convention\u2019s ratification by Teheran.\nMoreover, Teheran initiated holding the next summit of the Caspian states in Tehran in August 2026. Hopefully, the convention will have been fully applicable in terms of international law and in practice by that time.\nOne of the projects implemented jointly with Iran is the International North-South Transport Corridor. It comprises three routes: Western, Eastern and Transcaspian. We are working hand in glove with our Iranian friends in all the three areas, including the expedient construction of the Astara\u2013Rasht railway section which will provide a seamless (as we say) and uninterrupted transit from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf.\nSo, our bilateral plans are serious enough as are our plans of cooperation in the world arena. I mean in BRICS, the SCO and the EAEU that I have already mentioned. Of course, this includes the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, with which we closely interact.\nInternational platforms and sites are actively used by our countries jointly with other advocates of fair approaches to international affairs based on international law. In this respect, it is characteristic that both Iran and Russia are members of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): You mentioned the Iran-Russia Comprehensive Partnership Treaty and told us about some of its details. Considering the potential this document has, the economic exchanges were expected to greatly exceed what we have today. Unfortunately, the trade turnover currently is about $5 billion. In your opinion, what can be done to increase trade and promote cooperation?\nSergey Lavrov: Indeed, our potential is immeasurably bigger compared to the current trade turnover. Nevertheless, I must remind you that apart from trade (goods in exchange for goods or services), we are also engaged in investment cooperation. In addition to the North\u2013South corridor, there is also such a flagship project as the Bushehr NPP \u2013 its construction is ongoing. New blocks have been planned and some are already in operation. This adds an important dimension to our cooperation.\nHow can we expand trade and economic ties in general? We must do everything possible to stimulate our economic operators (both yours and ours) and create good conditions for them. As for government agencies, it is important for them to fulfil their obligations in a timely manner. Because when significant debt accumulates for the Bushehr nuclear power plant for various reasons (I will not talk about the reasons now, just state it as a fact), the construction cannot move on because it needs funding.\nRegarding the North\u2013South corridor, we are looking forward for the Iranian authorities to complete the purchases of land, which will allow us to move into an active phase and complete the construction of this section of the railway about 160 kilometres long.\nThere are fundamental factors at play, but I do not see any problems because of them. I am referring to the commitment by our presidents and governments to the comprehensive development of relations, removing any artificial obstacles standing in the way for promoting these ties. But there are practical ones \u2013 when specific structures, ministries, companies and corporations must fulfil their obligations in a strict and scrupulous manner.\nI believe that we have very good prospects.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): The Iran-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty contains provisions on military and defence cooperation. Do you think this cooperation can pave the way for a new security order in the Eurasian region and help counter external threats?\nSergey Lavrov: Of course, I believe that any kind of cooperation which strengthens defence capabilities and combat readiness of the participants in the respective processes, makes a significant and important contribution to strengthening peace and creating a situation where any aggressor will be reluctant to try to pursue its aggressive plans.\nIn this regard, there have been many initiatives in the past, including declaring the Middle East and North Africa a nuclear-weapon-free zone. We know that our Western colleagues have not been eager to support this process. There is a promising format that will help strengthen security in the region \u2013 I am referring to the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), your six Persian Gulf neighbours.\nWe are also very hopeful that the normalisation of relations between you and these Arab monarchies, especially with Saudi Arabia, will help promote various formats for strengthening security.\nRussia has been calling for convening a conference to devise a security concept for the Gulf region for several decades now. This conference could bring together the Gulf countries, as well as your neighbouring states and your Arab colleagues, too. I believe that this initiative is becoming increasingly relevant, especially considering the attempts to discriminate against Iran in the context of the Iranian nuclear programme. There is an effort to deny Iran its legitimate rights.\nWe believe that the fact that your Arab neighbours do not support attempts to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic has a lot of importance. Military technical cooperation constitutes one of the fundamental and core pillars when it comes to strengthening security and moving in this direction. Unfortunately, all security arrangements dealing with respecting specific levels in terms of weapons and arsenals tend to be adopted only once parties understand that conflicts cannot be resolved by military means. This principle underpins nuclear containment and has come to be known as mutual nuclear containment.\nWe are open to cooperation. There is the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and we want to work with the Islamic Republic of Iran and with other neighbouring countries, including within this organisation\u2019s framework.\nIn fact, we have come forward many times by offering our European and American neighbours to agree on security principles for Europe many years before the West staged a government coup in Ukraine. These efforts date back to 2008, followed by the initiatives of 2009 and 2021 when we told the West that encouraging Ukraine to confront the Russian Federation and pumping it full of weapons was setting it on a dangerous path. We suggested agreeing on security principles, and presented a draft treaty for guaranteeing that NATO would not seek further expansion. But the West ignored all this in its arrogance. So here we are.\nToday, there are reasonable people, including in the United States and certain countries of Europe, as well as in the structures in which both our countries take part, such as the SCO \u2013 there are people who have been speaking out in favour of reviving the arms limitation and control frameworks, including transparency measures. Iran and Russia have been proactive in backing this approach.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): You have pointed to the fact that the West has been treating the Iranian nuclear programme in a discriminatory manner. Russia does deserve credit for its position on this matter, and the people of Iran are grateful for this positive attitude.\nToday, some people in Iran believe that since certain facilities belonging to the Iranian nuclear programme suffered from bombing attacks, while the IAEA refrained from taking any serious measures in this regard, there is no reason for Iran to remain within the NPT framework and comply with the Agency\u2019s protocols. What do you think about this?\nSergey Lavrov: Our respective presidents, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, had a detailed conversation on this topic. We also had contacts on other levels, including with my colleagues, Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi, as well as the Advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Larijani. There were detailed discussions on all these matters. Russia is firm in its commitment to ensuring the Islamic Republic of Iran its unconditional right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, just as any other country. As a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and considering that it has been complying with its provisions in good faith, Iran has every right to do this.\nWhen the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on settling the situation with the Iranian nuclear programme was adopted and approved, it resulted from a consensus. This was a decision by the UN Security Council. Iran undertook to ensure transparency and enable the IAEA to access its nuclear sites and programmes. This went beyond the obligations of an NPT state party. Still, Iran assumed these additional obligations. At the time the IAEA recognised this development by saying that it made a substantial contribution to strengthening trust by ensuring better transparency for Western countries considering their suspicions. This addressed all these suspicions, or so we thought.\nBut three years after the UN Security Council approved this plan, the United States said that it will not comply with it \u2013 just like that. We were quite saddened by this turn of events. Russia tried working with the Europeans to persuade Washington to reaffirm its commitment to the plan. But the Europeans opted for shifting the burden on the Islamic Republic of Iran by engaging the snapback mechanism. It does exist within the JCPOA framework, but it was done directly, by Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State of the United States.\nAt least, Russia and China did not participate in devising this mechanism. It is an unprecedented development in international affairs as it allows any member of the group related to Iran\u2019s nuclear programme to pretend that Iran fails to comply and submit a resolution that nobody will be able to counter. This automatically engages the snapback mechanism.\nWhen we learned in 2015 that American and Iranian negotiators found this would-be solution, we asked our Iranian friends if they were sure that it was the right solution. We were told that Iran was not going to violate anything. We shared this conviction and believed that this provision did not carry any risks.\nOur Iranian colleagues did not take into account the fact that Americans themselves could refuse to perform their obligations, which they did. It is not a mistake because nobody ever doubted that Iran would not violate the deal. But the trouble came out of the blue.\nI know that that there were numerous comments in Iran\u2019s society. These comments can still be heard, including those of them which accuse the Russian Federation of overlooking something or failing to act. These are futile attempts.\nI am aware that there are politicians in any country. One can hear a wide array of opinions in Iran\u2019s media space and political affairs. On a serious note, neither current nor former politicians have any reason to complain that Russia failed to support the Islamic Republic of Iran at various stages of the negotiations.\nAnd my last remark is about whether Iran should remain within the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We firmly believe that it should. This topic must not be exploited in the public opinion as a way to criticise the latest developments.\nI understand that IAEA released a report that was far from neutral and objective. It contained subtle ambiguities. Mr Rafael Grossi explained that it was within his mandate. Recall how enthusiastic the Europeans \u2013 the French, Germans and British \u2013 were about that report. It became the groundwork for introducing an anti-Iran resolution. Ultimately, it was the IAEA reports which served as a pretext for using the snapback mechanism.\nThe Russian Federation, including President Vladimir Putin, discussed the current situation with our Iranian friends at various levels. We have had, and still have our own ideas. We shared with our Iranian friends our opinion on how to deal with this situation, how to restore relations with the IAEA and with Western countries and on what terms, if they are interested in this. But the final decision remains, of course, with the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): Currently, the United States, Israel and the West have teamed up to exert maximum pressure on Iran. What are Russia\u2019s approaches to counter this maximum pressure policy against Iran?\nSergey Lavrov: We are working with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have channels for communicating with the US administration. Europe does not want to communicate with us. They are all with delusions of grandeur. It is their choice. We do not have much to talk about with European leaders of this kind. But we are presenting our approaches to the Americans on how to normalise the current situation around the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nWe are ready to provide assistance. I will not go into details. There are specific things there that both our Iranian friends and the Americans are aware of, and they are interested in having US President Donald Trump resolve this conflict.\nI recently spoke with our colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. He was worried that Iran had stopped treating the agreement between Iran and the IAEA as concluded in Cairo a couple of months ago as a binding document. I explained to him that this was due to the fact that the IAEA, after the Cairo agreement, released a report and the European Troika used it to cheat and manipulate through illegal, unlawful decisions to reinstate sanctions.\nI fully understand that in this situation the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot start dealing with the IAEA just like that as if nothing happened. When Mr Rafael Grossi insists on accessing the bombed facilities\u2026 In the beginning of this interview, you said that the Agency did not condemn the bombings despite the fact that the agency had a mandate to monitor the bombed sites \u2013 these were the sites in question. This omission was a blatant violation of all the rules and norms. This is why IAEA\u2019s actions did not exactly please anyone in Iran, to say the least, which is more than understandable. This is a question for Mr Rafael Grossi and his team since it deals with ensuring full compliance with the principle of impartiality and refraining from making any political steps in any situation by siding with one of the parties.\nLet me mention the Zaporozhskaya NPP where IAEA observers have been present for a year now, if not longer. Every time Ukraine bombs land within this NPP site, the IAEA observers timidly say that they do not know where these drones and shells came from. This is also wrong.\nWe will do everything to encourage Iran\u2019s cooperation with the IAEA, but it must be honest and based on the principles which work for the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): You have highlighted certain positive aspects of our bilateral relations \u2013 other countries could rely on these models and use them. However, the Western media have been trying to create an impression that Russia cannot be trusted in critical situations. This has been going on for a long time. What would be your response?\nSergey Lavrov: I do not see any reason to counter these pointless claims. Can they provide any examples to convince everyone that Russia cannot be trusted? I have not heard any examples of this kind. If they are referring to what they call Russia\u2019s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine \u2013 if this is the example, this shows the level of diplomats who make arguments of this kind.\nThe West has been turning a blind eye to anything related to real facts. We have been raising this issue within the UN and the OSCE over and over again. I already had a dozen meetings with ambassadors who are accredited in Moscow. We share evidence-backed facts and our vision of the Ukraine crisis. The West was warned from the very beginning. Had Europe wanted to proactively contribute to the Ukraine settlement, it had a plethora of opportunities for doing this. But it ignored all of them.\nWhen the government coup was staged in 2014, Europe had a status of a guarantor in a deal between the president and the opposition. This agreement provided for holding an early election. But Europe decided not to act on its guarantees. The government coup took place. Europe decided to live with it and stuck with the US administration in a subordinate role. Then there were the Minsk agreements with Germany and France boasting that they were the mediators who brokered peace between Ukraine and Russia. The UN Security Council approved these agreements. After that, the French, the Germans and the Ukrainians who signed them in 2015 \u2013 the then President of Ukraine, Petr Poroshenko, said that all they wanted was to win time. No one wanted to fulfil these agreements.\nIn April 2022, with the special military operation already underway, the Ukrainians were the ones who came forward with a proposal to achieve a peace settlement, and we agreed. There were signatures under this document. It was initialled. However, the Europeans, as represented by the UK, while also backed by Brussels and the rest, said that Ukraine had to fight it out.\nWhen and if you interview those who profess accusations against us, ask them about the facts. Where are the facts to confirm that Russia failed to abide by its commitments? Those who are trying to shift the blame, as the saying goes. These people are lying. We must call things as they are.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): US President Donald Trump is now trying to improve relations between the United States and Russia. Some Western commentators believe that once Russia and the United States bring their relations back to normal, Russia would leave Iran to its devices. What would be your response to these allegations?\nSergey Lavrov: I have already told you that they are lying. Let them cite at least one example when we betrayed another country, our old friend and ally, for the sake of improving relations with another country, no matter how big or powerful.\nUnfortunately, there was such a betrayal in the history of our country, but then it was called the Soviet Union. When the USSR was living its last years, it did betray other countries, including the German Democratic Republic which was given to the Federal Republic of Germany for a takeover. The German authorities, as conquerors, took all the lands of the former GDR under their control, while getting rid of all the political figures. No future was offered to them. It was a takeover, not a merger.\nThe fact that East Germans now perceive what is happening in a completely different way is quite significant. This was a mistake and betrayal on the part of the Soviet Union, when almost half a million troops were withdrawn without any compensation, and the opportunity to maintain their presence in the eastern part of united Germany was ignored. We remember everything. The authorities of what was then West Germany made a grave mistake when after taking over of the eastern part they treated their compatriots as second-class people.\nIf you get questions of this kind, then ask for an example of when and whom we betrayed. We were told that we had betrayed Syria. We did not betray anyone. Events have now taken place there which we consider to be an internal matter of the SAR. We have smooth, stable relationship with the new authorities. Let them give an example when, as they think, Russia abandoned someone.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): You mentioned Syria. Bashar al-Assad was one of the allies of Iran and Russia. What do you think happened during his last days in power as head of state and led to the fall of his rule? At the same time, Abu Mohammed al Julani said that he had cooperated with Russia. What did he mean?\nSergey Lavrov: He did not coordinate any approaches. We had a close relationship with Bashar al-Assad. We came to the aid of his government in 2015 when Damascus was already practically surrounded and could have succumbed to opposition attacks.\nWe established our military presence there \u2013 an air force base and a naval base. We actively worked to destroy terrorist hotbeds. We cooperated with other countries within the international community, primarily with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye. The process was quite positive. We also remember the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue (Sochi, January 30, 2018).\nThe agreements that we reached with the Iranians and our Turkish friends consistently failed to deliver progress. Not everything depended on Bashar al-Assad\u2019s government to make them work. I do not want to draw historical conclusions now, but many opportunities have been lost on the fundamental issue of national reconciliation and inviting all political and ethnic and religious forces to dialogue.\nWhen the situation in Syria changed a year ago, we did not have any combat units there. There were two bases, an air force base and a naval base. The speed with which the opposition, led by Ahmed al Sharaa, invaded territories came as a surprise. There was practically no resistance.\nWe are currently in contact with the new authorities. Ahmed al Sharaa paid a visit to Russia. I have met with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of the SAR three times. Russia\u2019s inter-agency delegations visited the Syrian Arab Republic, including to discuss the prospects of the earlier agreements on trade and economic matters.\nDuring all these contacts, we consistently emphasise the fundamental importance of preserving the unity of the Syrian state. This requires a nationwide dialogue, including Alawites, Sunnis, and the Druze people \u2013 all ethnic and religious groups.\nThere is also a Kurdish problem. Over the past 15 years, it remained in the spotlight. Many people try to play it out for their own selfish interests.\nThe Americans keep the territory in the northeast under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces and have been promoting separatist sentiments there in every possible way (since the last administration). This process goes on. We believe that this is another time bomb. The main thing is to start a national dialogue, which was lacking in Syria, including throughout the entire period of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s rule.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): As you know, the United States and Israel are nuclear powers and they have both threatened Iran. What must Iran do, in your opinion, to contain and localise these threats?\nSergey Lavrov: We condemned ungrounded actions targeting the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic of Iran, just as we condemned the political killings of the Iranian political and military leaders when they happened. We had detailed discussions with our Iranian colleagues on these matters.\nI will have a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi shortly. We will continue this conversation. The Iranians know our approach. They know that we are ready to help find a way out of this crisis and bring relations with the IAEA and the United States back to normal. Some mechanisms in diplomacy are usually kept private. We also use mechanisms of this kind. Our Iranian friends know what we think about it. It is up to the authorities in Tehran to decide whether to resume dialogue with the United States (we know that Iran is interested in this), as well the IAEA \u2013 we know that Iran would like to do this. And we stand ready to support any actions which meet the interests of the people of Iran, as long as the country\u2019s leadership views them as advisable.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): Europeans tend to use restoring peace and security as a pretext for overthrowing governments in various countries. You have raised this issue in the beginning of our conversation. During the 12-day war, when Israel attacked Iran, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that this was the way for Israel to do the dirty work for the Europeans. What do you think about Friedrich Merz\u2019s statement?\nSergey Lavrov: I would not like to talk too much about what we think about the European Union\u2019s role in regional and international affairs. Friedrich Merz has made many blatantly racist and Nazi statements. The DNA that runs in his family is still there. This is about contempt, arrogance and I can go as far as call this an attitude of a person pretending to represent a superior race \u2013 you can find all these manifestations in the phrase that you have quoted, as well as many other statements on Germany\u2019s future. These ideas are clearly revanchist and reflect a misanthropic vision.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): President of the United States Donald Trump presented his peace plan for Ukraine. What do you think about it? What are Russia\u2019s red lines regarding this initiative?\nSergey Lavrov: There is an ongoing negotiating process. Our position is clear. We must address the root causes of the conflict, which consist of threats faced by the Russian Federation. They result from NATO\u2019s eastward expansion towards our borders and efforts to draw Ukraine into the alliance, while also refusing to discuss our proposals on enacting collective and reciprocal security measures. Another threat consists of cancelling everything Russian in territories which used to be inhabited by Russians for many centuries and which had a Russian culture and history but happened to become part of Ukraine.\nThose who came to power following the government coup in 2014 designated these people an being inhuman and proclaimed their intention to cancel the status of the Russian language. They sent fighters to attack the Supreme Council of Crimea and vowed to eradicate everything Russian. When Vladimir Zelensky became President, he advised everyone living in Ukraine but identifying themselves with the Russian culture to move to Russia. All this has been piling up for almost a decade, but when we warned everyone that these root causes would have explosive consequences, no one listened.\nToday, we must address these root causes. The fact that the United States understood this is a positive development. They made it clear that Ukraine cannot join NATO and that the territories where Russians have been living for centuries must become Russian, and that the Russian language, culture and the rights of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be restored.\nEurope is like a failed doctor who struggles to diagnose his patients and opts for randomly prescribing pills or mixtures to ease the symptoms, if only for a brief moment. These Europeans doctors have been unwilling to come up with a diagnosis.\nThe United States is trying to get to the bottom of this issue. The latest contacts with the Americans did inspire some hope that they developed a deeper understanding of our position. They are beginning to understand what needs to be done to achieve a reliable and lasting resolution for this conflict instead of having yet another truce in order to once again pump Ukraine full of weapons. This is work in progress. We are waiting for the United States to share its feedback regarding their contacts with the Ukrainians.\nQuestion (retranslated from Farsi): If there is another war against Iran, will Russia stand with Iran or not?\nSergey Lavrov: As I have already said, Russia and Iran signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. We will always support Iran and promote its legitimate rights.\nIn recent months, the Islamist Republic has made it clear that it is not seeking war or new conflicts. On the contrary, it is interested in resolving all issues by respecting sovereign and legitimate rights. We fully support this position.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:44:38",
    "page_index": 3,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Article by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for Serbian newspaper Politika ahead of the 30th anniversary of Dayton Peace Agreement, December 14, 2025",
    "date": "14 December 2025",
    "content": "The Dayton letter and spirit: Key to peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina\n\u00a0\nThirty years ago today, on December 14, 1995, the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which put an end to a devastating armed conflict, was signed in Paris. It was initialled in Dayton, Ohio, which is why it is widely known as the Dayton Agreement.\nTo this day, the echoes of this fratricidal civil strife resonate with pain in the hearts of those who lost their homes and their loved ones. The war claimed over 100,000 lives and forced more than two million people to flee their homes. We mourn the numerous victims, regardless of their national, ethnic, or religious affiliation. The ongoing tensions in interethnic and inter-religious relations reflect the tragic past. A significant portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains a minefield, and innocent people continue to die.\nThe Dayton Agreement was not a cure-all for every problem or difference that engulfed Bosnian society shortly after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. It can be mostly credited with the fact that it stopped the bloodshed and made peaceful life possible again.\nAt the same time, Dayton came as a result of both painstaking international mediation efforts and difficult, determined compromises by the leaders of the warring sides. By making serious concessions, they gained far more - peace and hope for a prosperous future - in return. This approach, which includes achieving mutually acceptable consensus-based solutions, embodies the spirit of Dayton.\nThe agreement, which laid the foundation for the BiH statehood, enshrined the fundamental principles of equality among the three constituent peoples (Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats) and the two entities - Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation of BiH - each enjoying broad constitutional powers. The spheres of competence between different levels of government were neatly defined, and the autonomy of the entities was guaranteed within a strongly decentralised administrative and institutional architecture. A carefully balanced system of checks and balances providing for major nationwide decisions to be taken exclusively on the basis of consensus and compromise among the three Bosnian sides remains at the core of their peaceful coexistence.\nAs a witness to the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian Federation became one of its international guarantors entrusted with upholding the Dayton principles.\nLeading Western countries partnered to ensure Dayton\u2019s implementation and promoting post-conflict settlement. However, driven by self-interest, they almost immediately started pursuing a course aimed at breaking the Dayton structure down. Fierce opposition in Western capitals arose in response to Republika Srpska\u2019s consistent defence of its legitimate rights and special autonomous status, as well as its resistance to plans to drag Bosnia and Herzegovina into NATO against the will of its peoples. The RS capital, Banja Luka, has employed and continues to employ exclusively the mechanisms provided by the Peace Agreement. Meanwhile, the West launched a multi-tiered campaign against the Serbs, aiming to restructure the country through unitarisation and by stripping Serbs and Croats of their Dayton-granted rights.\nUnder the pretext of ensuring the functionality of the BiH state apparatus, a \u201ccivic concept\u201d is being imposed on it, which is intended to water down the identity of the constituent peoples. The real goal is to create circumstances under which political elites from only one of the three peoples could freely implement an externally dictated agenda to the detriment of the interests of the other Bosnian parties. Such ventures have profoundly negative implications for the region. That reminds me of the fact that unilateral declaration of independence by the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in circumvention of the Bosnian Serbs\u2019 opinion triggered the civil war.\nThe Office of the High Representative was among the principal sources of instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Initially designed as an auxiliary mechanism of international oversight over civilian aspects of the settlement, it gradually became a puppet body, allowing Western powers to interfere almost without constraints in BiH\u2019s internal affairs. Instead of its direct Dayton function, which is to facilitate dialogue among the Bosnian parties, the High Representatives, all of them representing the Western community, are wreaking legal havoc in a sovereign state. They deliberately provoke domestic political turbulence to justify the need for continued external control over BiH. Meanwhile, responsibility for the crisis is baselessly shifted onto Republika Srpska.\nThey came out in true colours after the secret \u201cappointment\u201d of retired German politician Christian Schmidt as High Representative which took place even without attempting to maintain the appearance of legality in violation of every procedure in the book. This is very much in the spirit of the infamous rules-based order. Legally void \u201cresolutions\u201d by the self-appointed High Representative, who lacks a UN Security Council mandate, contradict democratic principles and cause irreparable damage to intra-Bosnian dialogue.\nThere\u2019s no doubt that the immediate and unconditional closure of the High Representative\u2019s Office is the first step towards normalisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This much was clear 20 years ago when the international community made a principled decision to this end in 2006. In the 21st century, the existence of such a colonial tool in a sovereign UN member state is inconceivable. It\u2019s high time for the peoples of BiH to gain true sovereignty and independence, and to determine their own future and the future of their state. Western actors oppose the abolition of external governance as best they can.\nMoreover, in an attempt to bypass the key role of the UN Security Council in stabilisation processes in BiH, the West continuously seeks to privatise the settlement issue, creating \u201cmonitoring\u201d formats that are alternative to the UN Security Council and dampen dissenting voices.\nWhat is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina is by no means an isolated example of disregard for international law. Similar cases include the Kiev regime and its European patrons in Berlin and Paris blocking the implementation of the Minsk Package of Measures approved by the UN Security Council.\nFor many years now, Western patrons of Pristina have been ignoring the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which is basic to Kosovo settlement and guarantees Serbia\u2019s territorial integrity. By unilaterally recognising the self-declared \u201cindependence\u201d of Kosovo, they continue to encourage mayhem perpetrated by the Pristina government, including steps to form an illegal Kosovo-Albanian \u201carmy.\u201d They initiate military alliances in which Pristina participates on equal footing with sovereign states, creating dangerous dynamics in military buildup and shifting the balance of power in the Balkans. This also constitutes a direct violation of Dayton agreements, primarily those set out in Annex 1-A On the Military Aspects of the Peace Settlement and Annex 1-B On Regional Stabilisation.\nWe are convinced that only on the international - Dayton - legal platform can durable interethnic reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina be achieved, ensuring stability in the Balkans at large. Any changes to Dayton Accords can only be made on the basis of consensual decisions independently adopted by all peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina through mutually respectful dialogue, without external interference and strictly in accordance with established constitutional procedures.\nAs a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible participant in the Bosnian settlement, Russia consistently and firmly supports the Dayton Agreement and its core principles of equality among the three constituent peoples and the two entities with broad practical powers. We call on both the international community and the Bosnian parties to uphold Dayton in the interest of successful and sustainable development of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its entities, and prosperity and well-being of all its citizens, as well as robust security in the Balkans.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:45:05",
    "page_index": 4,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks and answers to questions during an embassy roundtable discussion titled \u201cUkraine crisis. Diplomacy and settlement prospects,\u201d Moscow, December 11, 2025",
    "date": "11 December 2025",
    "content": "Good morning, colleagues.\nYour Excellencies,\nThank you for taking a lively interest in discovering our position on the Ukraine topic and international affairs in general. However, we are focusing this roundtable discussion on the Ukraine crisis, which was orchestrated by the West in an effort to turn Ukraine into an anti-Russia, and pumping it full of weapons for preparing it to wage war against our country.\nOf course, this is one of the most sensitive and urgent issues on the international agenda, even if, to be honest, we are witnessing attempts to exploit the sense of urgency related to all the debates regarding Ukraine, including within international forums, for diverting attention from other challenges the international community faces, which can be even more fateful and critical, not less. I am referring to the Palestinian issue.\nWe welcomed the steps by President of the United States Donald Trump. The key takeaway was that his initiative\u2019s first phase helped free people, hostages, and facilitated the return of bodies so that they could be buried according to the religious traditions. We are now all waiting for the second stage. The fact that this plan has a humanitarian focus and does not provide for a final and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue in keeping with the UN resolutions does not inspire any optimism.\nNevertheless, we have gathered here to discuss the Ukraine crisis. If you allow me, I will say a few words regarding the way Russia assesses the developments on this topic at the present stage.\nWe are holding this meeting at a time when not a single day goes by without the media relaying messages which create new expectations that a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict is getting closer. All these assessments and expectations stem from the fact that various international actors have stepped up their contacts. And all this is taking place against the backdrop of reports that the economies of the Kiev regime\u2019s sponsor countries are sinking deeper into crisis, which primarily relates to European bureaucrats, as well as most NATO and European Union members.\nThere has been quite a lot of speculation regarding all kinds of destructive planted stories and fakes. We view these actions as being initiated by our Western colleagues with the primary goal of making it harder to come to a negotiated solution and make the conflict last longer. This includes efforts to derail the initiatives coming from the United States and its President, Donald Trump, since their genuine purpose consists of finding solutions and addressing the root causes of the Ukraine crisis.\nIn Europe, no one mentions the root causes at all. All they do is demand that hostilities be stopped immediately so that Ukraine and the Europeans could breathe a sigh of relief and win some time to be able to prop up the Kiev regime with weapons and money.\nHere is a recent news story, which I wanted to bring to your attention. The media has reported about a telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of the UK Keir Starmer, and Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. Stefan Kornelius, who is a spokesperson for the German government, made a public statement saying that the four heads of state and government discussed the talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Just that. Europe is not interested in anything else. Meanwhile, Russia insists on agreeing on a package of measures to achieve solid, sustainable and lasting peace with security guarantees for all the parties.\nOur negotiations with the US President and his team are focused on precisely that objective: developing a long-term solution that addresses the root causes of this crisis. In contrast, as illustrated by the recent statement from the official German government spokesperson, Western Europe is currently preoccupied with securing a ceasefire \u2013 essentially pausing to catch their breath and regroup before redoubling efforts to prepare Vladimir Zelensky and his regime for renewed hostilities against the Russian Federation.\nSo today we will try to separate the wheat from the chaff. We will examine the dynamics that have unfolded this year and, drawing on our accumulated experience, outline our assessments. These assessments will, in turn, inform our decision-making regarding negotiation formats, timelines, and potential outcomes.\nFirst, however, some necessary historical context. While many of you are familiar with the background story, nevertheless, it is worth reiterating that under the Joe Biden administration, the United States became the primary sponsor of the Kiev regime. Shortly after the violent seizure of power in Ukraine in February 2014, then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, testifying before the Senate, openly endorsed the developments in Ukraine. She noted that the $5 billion invested there in preceding years would guarantee the success of what she termed \u201cthe triumph of democracy.\u201d In reality, it was simply a coup.\nFollowing this coup, the United States established control over Ukraine\u2019s political system and economy, while flooding Ukrainian neo-Nazis with modern weaponry. Donald Trump \u201cinherited\u201d this situation in its entirety. We recall, however, that one of his central and most prominent campaign pledges regarding foreign policy was to bring about a swift end to the conflict in Ukraine. It should be noted that the current American leader, having now returned to the White House, has indeed taken tangible steps to address the conflict and, in our assessment, now appears sincerely committed to facilitating its resolution through political and diplomatic means. We welcome this shift.\nAspiration alone, of course, is insufficient. Concrete steps are required to address the root causes of the conflict, which the President of Russia and members of our Government have repeatedly outlined. This necessitates a change in the policies we find unacceptable, specifically: ceasing efforts to bring Ukraine into NATO, contravening assurances given over the past 35 years, and halting the Ukrainian regime\u2019s campaign to eradicate all things Russian, which is conducted in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, numerous international conventions, and Ukraine\u2019s own constitutional guarantees for the rights of Russian and other minorities across all spheres of public life.\nFrom the outset of the crisis, Russia has taken every possible step to facilitate its resolution. In February 2014, when the coup was carried out in Kiev, we immediately appealed to the leadership of France, Germany, and Poland. We called on them to exert their influence on the opposition \u2013 which, in fact, had orchestrated the coup with direct Western support and guidance. Specifically, we asked these European governments to demand that the opposition honour the political settlement agreement signed on February 21, 2014, with then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich.\nCrucially, Berlin, Warsaw, and Paris had acted as guarantors of that very agreement. Their signatures were on the document. We told them plainly that their reputations were on the line, and urged them to take action to bring the usurpers to their senses and restrain them. Had this happened, had the Germans, French, and Poles fulfilled their obligations as guarantors, Ukraine could have been spared the civil war that the new regime, having seized power by force, immediately unleashed against millions of its own citizens who categorically refused to recognise its legitimacy.\nGiven that the West, even then, almost twelve years ago, simply refused to honour its own commitments, this episode provides a clear answer to the question of how sincerely these European capitals have ever wanted peace in Ukraine.\nNevertheless, Russia has persistently pursued diplomatic efforts. The Minsk Agreements were agreed upon after protracted, late-night discussions in the Belarusian capital, with direct involvement of President of Russia Vladimir Putin. These accords were not only coordinated but also initiated by Russia (a deliberate move on our part) and later endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council. Article 25 of the UN Charter stipulates that the Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council.\nHowever, the West perceived these agreements merely as a stalling tactic \u2013 to buy time which they utilised to continue arming the illegitimate Kiev regime and advance their agenda of preparing for conflict against the Russian Federation. The signatories of the Minsk Agreements \u2013 the then-President of France, Fran\u00e7ois Hollande, the then-Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, and the then-President of Ukraine, Pyotr Poroshenko (whose signature, naturally, is also affixed to the document) \u2013 sought only to secure time for themselves. They candidly admitted this. Three years ago, in interviews amidst the ongoing special military operation, they clearly stated that there had never been any intention to implement these agreements. Their aim, they confessed, was to bolster the beleaguered state of the Ukrainian armed forces, thereby preparing Ukraine for war against Russia.\nThe work of the Contact Group, established by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany to facilitate the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, also reached a deadlock. This too was sabotaged by the Kiev regime and its Western sponsors.\nConcurrently, with NATO\u2019s support, the Kiev regime enhanced its military capabilities, eventually escalating hostilities significantly against the civilians of south-eastern Ukraine \u2013 those who, as I have previously stated, categorically refused to recognise the legitimacy of the coup instigators. This refusal was partly based on the fact that upon seizing power in the immediate aftermath of the February 2014 coup, these individuals announced their intention to revoke the status of the Russian language, effectively outlawing millions of Ukrainian citizens who, like their ancestors, had been nurtured and lived within Russian culture for centuries. The southeast of Ukraine, including Odessa and Nikolaev, comprises territories and cities established by Russians. Factories, ports, infrastructure \u2013 all were constructed by Russian hands. These lands were later bureaucratically reassigned within the Soviet Union to the regions (of the then Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) now known as Galicia and other western territories.\nYet, the core issue remains: the Minsk Agreements were never honoured. The Kiev regime had no intention of engaging in a sincere peace process or negotiating with representatives of south-eastern Ukraine. They publicly declared they would never negotiate with these representatives \u2013 a direct breach of the Minsk Agreements\u2019 provisions.\nThe fact that, in late January to early February 2022, the Ukrainian armed forces significantly intensified artillery and aerial strikes on the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People\u2019s Republics was corroborated by reports from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. I will not elaborate on specifics; we have addressed this matter extensively. The key takeaway is that Russia prioritised diplomacy until the very last moment.\nIn December 2021, two months before the beginning of the special military operation, we pursued no agenda other than a peaceful resolution. We presented the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance with draft documents aimed at negotiating security guarantees on the western flank. We proposed signing legally binding agreements. These proposals were arrogantly dismissed by both the Americans and NATO.\nIt was only after it became apparent that the West sought to grant Ukrainian Nazis carte blanche to violently suppress those who refused to recognise the coup \u2013 as President Vladimir Putin stated \u2013 that we had no alternative but to launch the special military operation. Its purpose was to protect the population of south-eastern Ukraine, whom the Kiev regime had branded \u201csub-humans,\u201d \u201ccreatures,\u201d and \u201cterrorists,\u201d and against whom, in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law, it deployed regular armed forces, including artillery and combat aircraft.\nNevertheless, even after the commencement of the special military operation, we did not abandon efforts to resolve the situation through political means. Contacts with the Ukrainian side, at their request, took place in Belarus mere days after the operation began. These were subsequently continued in the Brest Region of Belarus, in Istanbul, and via video conference. Yet this dialogue, too, was disrupted through no fault of ours. Here, the leadership of Britain \u2013 and personally the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson \u2013 played a subversive (I can think of no better term), highly detrimental role. In April 2022, he instructed Vladimir Zelensky to abandon the settlement plan proposed by Kiev itself and already initialled, declaring that Ukrainians must fight \u201cto the last.\u201d All this was done in the illusory hope of witnessing the collapse of Russia\u2019s economy. Such was the calculation of that dishevelled political figure. They believed that under sanctions pressure, we would descend into a deep crisis, precipitating political destabilisation in Russia \u2013 an outcome the West, particularly the Europeans, pursued then and continues to pursue today.\nIn other words, according to the schemes of Western strategists, Ukraine was to serve as an anti-Russian battering ram, holding out until the pressure on our country broke us economically, politically, and indeed morally and psychologically. Their goal was to shatter our resolve to defend the unity, sovereignty, and security of the state, as well as the dignity of Russian people who, by the twists of history, found themselves on Ukrainian territory. They would have lived there peacefully, had the Ukrainian leadership respected its own constitution, which mandates the protection of the rights of Russian and other ethnic minorities.\nTheir objective was to inflict a strategic defeat upon us, thereafter dictating Western terms on matters of interest to European capitals. Yet the plan for an anti-Russian blitzkrieg using Ukraine failed. Russian society demonstrated internal consolidation, while the economic and political systems proved their resilience and immense reserves of strength.\nThis, too, is a crucial point for understanding the historical context. As we say in Russia, whenever our nation has been attacked \u2013 our cause is just. This conviction in our righteousness \u2013 historical, legal, and moral \u2013 reflects the character of our people. \u00a0It underpins the current state of affairs in the struggle against those who sought to crush all our legitimate rights and interests.\nToday, the resources available to the West for conducting a proxy war \u2013 financial, logistical, and military \u2013 are being depleted. According to numerous independent estimates, the AFU\u2019s human losses have long exceeded one million and continue to rise. The Kiev regime, once an ideologically driven combat unit fuelled by Nazi ideology, including battalions such as Azov and other neo-Nazi groups, as well as certain prohibited substances in daily life, has devolved into an organised criminal entity mired in corruption and dragging its sponsors down with it.\nIn these circumstances, the ruling circles of the West can broadly be divided into two camps. The majority advocate for the militarisation of European economies and preparations for large-scale armed confrontation in Europe, evidently in the hope that, as the saying goes, \u201cwar will justify everything,\u201d and their mistakes will be forgotten.\nAmong such figures, I would mention NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone: \u201cWe are looking at acting more aggressively rather than reacting. The Alliance (NATO) could consider pre-emptive strikes as defensive actions.\u201d How about that? This underscores how other figures \u2013 not just military but political \u2013 openly declare that preparations must be made for war against Russia by 2030, if not 2029.\n\u201cAmusingly,\u201d Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attempted to justify this Italian admiral\u2019s remarks on the necessity of pre-emptive strikes against the Russian Federation. When asked how she viewed this, she stated that these words should be interpreted correctly to halt and prevent dangerous escalation. How else can one interpret an explicit call for pre-emptive strikes?\nI am confident that everyone understands what is at stake and how the West, out of desperation, is attempting to escalate the situation and remain on the path of war. They hope that by stoking this issue and hyping up the \u201cmilitary threat\u201d emanating from Russia, they can cling to power and save face.\nIn our assessment, this represents the majority of Western elites in Europe. Others, the minority, seek to devise an exit strategy from the conflict, striving to find avenues for de-escalation and the creation of conditions for a political settlement. This policy among some European countries aligns with the actions of the Donald Trump administration, which has long moved beyond rhetoric to leverage its influence over Kiev, persuading Vladimir Zelensky to return to the negotiating table.\nWe appreciate these efforts, as well as the willingness of certain partners to provide platforms for dialogue. Though, frankly speaking, Vladimir Zelensky, with the backing of leaders in Brussels, Berlin, London, and Paris, seeks to obstruct these efforts at every turn, concocting excuses aimed solely at derailing the Donald Trump administration from its chosen path \u2013 one oriented towards sustainable, long-term settlement. They aim to substitute all this with fabrications, just to avoid taking any meaningful action.\nAs you know, confirming our commitment to negotiations and a political solution, we initiated the resumption of direct talks in Istanbul this spring. Three rounds were held \u2013 in May, June, and July. We approached these meetings in good faith. We prepared and submitted our proposals to the Ukrainian side: a draft Memorandum on Settlement Principles, outlining our vision for a resolution. Specifically, we proposed establishing a joint Russian-Ukrainian centre for monitoring and enforcing a ceasefire during designated periods to address pressing humanitarian issues.\nWhen the Ukrainian side claimed that Istanbul was unproductive \u2013 arguing that only limited humanitarian agreements on prisoner and body exchanges had been reached \u2013 we responded by offering to create dedicated working groups: one for humanitarian issues, one for military matters, and one for political questions. This proposal, too, was ignored.\nSubsequently, the Ukrainian delegation complained that the level of negotiators in Istanbul was insufficient for making substantive decisions. We then proposed a significant elevation in the rank of the negotiating teams. This also received no response. Every initiative we put forward to advance the bilateral dialogue was rejected or ignored. This pattern confirmed that the Ukrainian regime is fundamentally unwilling to seek genuine solutions or agreements.\nI noted that there were some positive results in the humanitarian sphere: the exchange of the bodies of the deceased and of prisoners. Nearly 2,500 individuals from each side were able to return home. Several rounds of repatriating the remains of the fallen were organised. To date, we have transferred over 11,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev and have received, in return, 201 bodies of our own soldiers.\nDespite the above, Kiev cited a lack of progress and decided to suspend negotiations with Russia. The West, for its part, has offered no reaction and has made no attempt to compel or even encourage the Kiev regime to create even the appearance of readiness for a political settlement.\nGiven these events, our conclusion is clear: the Kiev regime engaged in the Istanbul talks for a single purpose \u2013 as it did during the Minsk agreements \u2013 to exploit any pretext to secure an unconditional ceasefire, thereby buying critical time for rearmament, replenishing losses, regrouping forces, and other military preparations. Naturally, we could not agree to such a scenario.\nNow, a new and personal factor has emerged for Zelensky. A major corruption scandal has erupted in Ukraine, making the prolongation of the conflict a pressing political imperative for him, and perhaps even a matter of his personal survival.\nFor us, talks designed to achieve a negotiated settlement, as President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised, remain the preferred course of action. We have never refused to talk, which is confirmed by our constructive work to review the initiatives advanced by the United States.\nWe appreciate the efforts of our BRICS partners to help create an environment conducive to finding peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis, including the Group of Friends for Peace in Ukraine created by our Chinese and Brazilian partners. We regard these efforts as a sincere desire to make a constructive contribution to stabilising international situation.\nImportantly, such work should rely on international law, above all the provisions of the UN Charter understood as an indivisible and interdependent whole. It is essential to strive for what was mentioned several times today, namely, the elimination of the underlying causes of the conflict as a key prerequisite for durable peace.\nI spoke about the principles of the UN Charter. The West also keeps referring to them as the basis for a settlement. But its statements are highly specific. Recently, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz once again stated that the conflict must be resolved on the basis of the principles of the UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity of Ukraine. This represents a selective commitment to the Charter.\nThe UN Charter also speaks of many other things, including equality and the right of nations to self-determination. It was precisely the right of nations to self-determination that became the foundation for the process of decolonisation, when peoples, above all in African countries, refused to live under the rule of the colonial powers, because these powers did not and could not represent the interests of African peoples. By the same token today, the Kiev regime - everyone is clear about that - cannot in any way represent the interests of the residents of Novorossiya, Donbass, and Crimea.\nThere must be no double standards here. When the Group of Friends of the UN Charter created by our partners works on shaping its philosophy, we want all the principles of the UN Charter, without exception, to be taken into account. All the more so since the West forgets another principle of the Charter which includes respect for human rights regardless of race, sex, language, or religion. The Russian language and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been outlawed in Ukraine. I hope that many countries that are part of the Group of Friends of the UN Charter are represented here and will take these issues into account in their work. The Group should be mindful of these considerations.\nThe involvement over the past year of certain Western countries that are directly engaged in supporting the Kiev regime, France and Switzerland to be specific, in the work of the Group of Friends for Peace in Ukraine can hardly help achieve this goal. How can they be members of the Group of Friends (even as observers) when they directly, both in word and in deed, support the Kiev regime?\nSpeaking of the Americans, I mentioned earlier that, in our assessment, they are interested in figuring out what is behind the Ukraine crisis. We saw that during the Russia and US leaders\u2019 summit in Anchorage on August 15. Mutual understandings were reached there that remain valid to us and can serve as a starting point in our quest for a settlement.\nRecently, US President\u2019s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia. Following his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, both sides confirmed the mutual understandings reached in Alaska. This is an important outcome, because the Anchorage summit was followed by a pause. Now, in our talks with the Americans on the Ukraine issue, I personally believe that misunderstandings and misinterpretations have been resolved. And the understanding reached in Anchorage is based on the proposals that President Putin once again summarised in June 2024 regarding the principles of resolving the Ukraine conflict.\nPrior to Alaska meeting, Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and brought proposals that formed the basis of the understandings reached in Anchorage. These understandings come down to Ukraine returning to its non-aligned, neutral, and nuclear-free status which forms the foundation of its statehood. These particular principles were enshrined in the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine of July 16, 1990. We recognised Ukraine\u2019s independence based on the principles proclaimed in that document.\nWhen we hear claims that allegedly nothing can be done because the Constitution contains the goal of joining the North Atlantic Alliance\u2026 We recognised a different Ukraine. Most of those present here recognised Ukraine in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a country whose statehood was based on three principles, namely, neutrality, nuclear-free status, and non-alignment.\nThis is not about a play on words, but about recognising historical facts. The Ukraine that became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union had guarantees in its laws and Constitution protecting the rights of the Russian and other ethnic minorities. The Ukraine as it was then did not have legislation institutionalising militarisation and Nazification of the state and society. Today, all of that exists.\nIt is important to understand the need to eliminate discrimination against the Russian language, Russian-speaking citizens, and other ethnic minorities. We are well aware that the Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Slovak minorities feel like second-class citizens. It is important to end the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.\nAs for territorial realities, Zelensky says he can\u2019t do anything regarding the territorial issue because their Constitution prohibits territorial concessions. Take a look at that character, who doesn\u2019t always remember what happens around him. The [Ukrainian] Constitution also enshrines the obligation \u2013 I will be saying this for a third time today \u2013 to guarantee the rights of the Russian and other national minorities.\nThey have no regard for that constitutional provision. They have adopted laws that \u00a0expressly prohibit the use of the Russian language in education, culture and media. They have created a strainer of media outlets. It is impossible to work in the media sphere if you criticise Zelensky. They have shut down all media outlets of both Russian and Ukrainian owners that broadcast in Russian and criticised the authorities. They have banned all of them. If they really care about the integrity of their Constitution, civil and human rights are much more important than anything else.\nI would like to state once again that we have a Constitution as well, and under it, Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk people\u2019s republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are the integral and equal entities of the Russian Federation.\nI will now repeat what I have said many times: We don\u2019t want territories. We are concerned about the life of the people whose forefathers have developed these lands for centuries, building cities, roads and ports, and who have been commemorated in monuments as the founding fathers of these territories. It is the rights of these people that have been \u00a0cancelled by the Kiev regime. That is why the people of the Russian entities I have mentioned took part in the referendums to express their refusal to live under the neo-Nazi rule. It is a subject that can\u2019t be hushed up.\nI assume that all countries in this audience have a correct understanding of human rights in full compliance with the principles of the UN Charter, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language, religion or belief. However, we are well aware of the Western interpretation of human rights.\nAfter the United States circulated its 28-point plan, it has been leaked to the media. I am sure you have seen it. It included vital provisions on human rights and the denazification of Ukraine. It stated that the rights of minorities and religious freedoms must be protected, and that the Nazi ideology and activities must be outlawed.\nAfter contacts with Europeans, the number of points in that plan was decreased. The provision on prohibiting the Nazi ideology and activities disappeared, apparently at the request of Europeans and Zelensky\u2019s regime.\nAs for the rights of national minorities and religious freedoms, a provision has been added on Ukraine accepting the EU\u2019s rules on rights of national minorities and religious freedoms. I believe that issue should be phrased differently. Ukraine must comply with the UN Charter and the numerous international and universal conventions on human rights, the rights of national minorities and religious freedoms. I consider it inappropriate to limit Ukraine\u2019s obligations to compliance with the EU\u2019s \u201crules.\u201d\nThe rights of national minorities and religious freedoms are not limited or regulated by the European Union. It is inappropriate to enforce one\u2019s rules on others, especially since we know which minorities \u2013 and these are not national minorities at all \u2013 modern Europe is now concerned about. We know how they interpret religious freedoms. Just watch the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, and you will understand their views on minorities and religious freedoms.\nWe continue to build upon the understandings reached with the American side in Anchorage. We have conveyed additional proposals to our American colleagues concerning collective security guarantees. We recognise that a discussion of such guarantees cannot be limited to Ukraine alone. The proposals that Zelensky and his handlers in Western Europe are currently commenting on have not been formally presented to us. However, if media reports are to be believed, these proposals, which reportedly include declaring a demilitarised zone along the entire border and creating a buffer zone free of heavy weapons on both sides of the border, are inherently pointless to discuss without our direct participation.\nFurthermore, these reported plans envision an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army and propose security guarantees focused on Ukraine\u2019s defence and post-war restoration. This represents yet another iteration of the flawed \u201cZelensky formula,\u201d which pursued a single goal: to channel all international efforts into sustaining the current neo-Nazi regime without altering its fundamental nature, its policy of suppressing religious freedoms and human rights, while completely excluding Russia\u2019s legitimate security interests from any dialogue.\nAs far back as 2008, we proposed developing a legally binding treaty on collective security with the North Atlantic Alliance. More recently, at a meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ten days ago, President Vladimir Putin clearly stated that we understand any security architecture must also encompass Ukraine. The other side, however, seeks guarantees solely for Ukraine. Judging by the information leaking to the press, these guarantees are being structured in a manner that effectively prepares for a future attack on the Russian Federation.\nThis, of course, is unacceptable. We believe the comprehensive proposals we submitted to the US and NATO in December 2021, which I mentioned, remain fully relevant and could serve as the foundation, or at least a starting point, for substantive discussions.\nWe are also prepared to consider other proposals. What is essential is a return to a fundamental consensus, as embodied in the decisions of the OSCE summits in Istanbul (1999) and Astana (2010). These principles remain valid:\nFirst, that every state has the right to choose its own security alliances.\nSecond, that no state may strengthen its own security at the expense of the security of any other state.\nThird, that no state, group of states, or organisation in the OSCE area can claim a position of dominance. It is precisely this position of dominance that NATO has been pursuing by steadily absorbing, one after another, the states to the west of Russia.\nWhen we drew our Western colleagues\u2019 attention to their duplicitous behaviour and their violation of commitments made by their own heads of state and government, their response was that those were merely political decisions, unsupported by signed legal obligations. That was it. That is their logic. That logic is untenable. If they insist on adhering to it, the outcome will be grave.\nWe are prepared to consider all credible proposals formulated within a collective framework to launch negotiations on fundamental, legally binding agreements. This is a matter of principle. We cannot allow one crisis to be immediately succeeded by another.\nThe West, however, appears intent on precisely that: sowing the seeds of a new conflict now while publicly declaring its preparations for it. We are determined to ensure that our current efforts do not meet the same dismal fate as the Minsk agreements \u2013 which, despite being unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council, did not deter France, Germany, or other Zelensky\u2019s handlers from their relentless zeal to inflict a \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d upon Russia.\nEarlier today, I mentioned the US 28-point plan. Next, President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump\u2019s Special Envoy for Ukraine Steven Witkoff, with the meeting reaffirming the Anchorage understandings.\u00a0 The work will continue. In parallel, we see Europe fretting and Vladimir Zelensky shuttling between London, Paris, and other capitals. What is being leaked to the press \u2013 I have referred to that in part \u2013 is clear evidence of their intention to undermine the efforts being undertaken by US President Donald Trump and his team.\u00a0 \u00a0\nAn early end to the conflict is not to the advantage of the majority of functionaries like President of France Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas.\u00a0 They are stubbornly playing on the drums of war, as the saying goes, create \u201ccoalitions of the willing,\u201d build up military expenditures, and are trying to save their political future, as I said at the start of our conversation. \u00a0They hold up the imagined threat of a Russian attack as a bogey and discuss Military Schengen plans and whether it will be possible to cut down the time for redeploying forces from Western Europe to our borders from 40 to 3 days.\nMany of those engaged in war preparations are fantasising about sending their military servicemen to Ukraine as \u201cpeacekeepers.\u201d For us, these \u201cpeacekeepers\u201d will immediately become legitimate military targets. This must be understood by everyone. They have had to admit the direct involvement of British military officers, paratroopers, in the war against Russia, after one of them died and the UK Government no longer could conceal these circumstances. It was stated that no fewer than 100 British subjects were within the ranks of [Ukrainian] forces fighting against the Russian Federation. This news was reported in the evening yesterday or early in the morning today. We will draw all the necessary conclusions from this incident, which is yet another manifestation of the British regime\u2019s true character.\nThe Europeans are nurturing plans to build up their forces and assets right on the border of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Poland has announced an intention to boost the output of 155mm artillery shells by 30 times. In this context, they seek to convince everyone that they are preparing for a \u201cjust peace in Ukraine\u201d rather than war. They are aspiring to a role in the settlement. All these Europeans, like President of France Emmanuel Macron, who claim proudly that no one will decide anything without them, without Europe.\nWe are not nurturing, as President of Russia Vladimir Putin stated in no uncertain terms, any aggressive plans with regard to NATO or EU members. We are ready to put the relevant commitments and guarantees in writing in a legal document, certainly on a collective and reciprocal basis in the context of the previously enunciated approaches.\u00a0 \u00a0\nBut let me repeat: we stand by our words, whereas there is nothing but open warmongering on their part. Well, to quote our President Vladimir Putin, if Europe decides to go to war, we are ready for this right now, if you like.\nLegal aggression persists, involving puppet organisations, such as the International Criminal Court and Europol. The Council of Europe wants to establish a special tribunal and a damage register. To the best of our knowledge, they are trying to involve countries represented here in these anti-Russia initiatives. They are striving to ensure the participation of representatives of the Global Majority, including in the December 15-16 \u201cdiplomatic conference\u201d in The Hague, where they plan to open for signing a convention on the international claims commission in order to examine claims by the Nazi regime to the Russian Federation for saving Russian nationals from extermination in full conformity with their legitimate rights formalised in the UN Charter. Such is the essence of Western \u201cliberals\u201d and \u201cchampions of democracy.\u201d\nUnderstandably, the true goal of these \u201cexercises\u201d is to expand the geographical reach of the Russophobic campaign, to involve as many countries of the Global South and East as possible in their provocative actions and, of course, to put Russia at loggerheads with Asian, African and Latin American countries. I have absolutely no doubts that our friends and partners are aware of this, and that they will not yield to such provocations.\nKaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, has set forth the general line of our adversaries and sponsors of Ukraine. \u201cThe EU has a very clear two-point plan. First, weaken Russia. Second, support Ukraine,\u201d Kallas said. This masterpiece of diplomatic art is worthy of Annalena Baerbock who demanded that President of Russia Vladimir Putin must change his course by 360 degrees.\nEurope, in the person of Kallas, has insisted that supporting Ukraine is the main thing. We can observe all this in the last few days. Of particular interest are the discussions that support for the Kiev regime includes a planned robbery \u2013 the confiscation by the European Union of sovereign foreign currency reserves of the Russian Federation. Representatives of Western countries, including the Prime Minister of Belgium, the leadership of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the IMF, are warning the Brussels bureaucracy against insane and ill-conceived actions. I do not know how much of an impact this will have on certain officials, including Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas, who are engaged in a rather unsophisticated diplomacy. But they should realise that they are taking on a very serious responsibility for the possible outcome.\nKallas recently said (it appears that she sometimes makes some candid Freudian remarks) that it was not advisable to resolve the Ukraine crisis too quickly. In March 2025, Head of Germany\u2019s Federal Intelligence Service Bruno Kahl noted that it is in Europe\u2019s interests for the Ukraine conflict to continue for a few more years. Meanwhile, European countries would beef up their military potential, preparing for war with Russia. \u00a0One can get a clear idea of the advocates of war with Russia by analysing their arguments for European audiences. First of all, these arguments imply that it is necessary to support the Kiev regime because it is fighting for European values. As they say in Russia, this amounts to admitting one\u2019s guilt. This means that the leadership of European countries forgive neo-Nazism that has been legalised in Ukraine. The Ukrainian state glorifies people who were recognised as criminals by the decisions of the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. Ukraine introduces racist practices and legally bans the Russian language and all things Russian, it persecutes Russian culture, media outlets and the Orthodox Church. No one in Europe is even mentioning that all this violates the UN Charter and Ukraine\u2019s other international commitments. It turns out that this is how European values look like. I believe this is a lesson that everyone should learn.\nThe Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance has offered a new take on defending the so-called European values. Established 20 years ago by the government of Ukraine, this is not a grassroots institution. It operates in the status of a central executive agency with a mission to preserve national memory and designate individuals and entities accused of undermining the interests of the Ukrainian people. The lists this institute compiles include those who are viewed as posing a threat to the state and the Ukrainian nation and have to be subjected to what they call decommunisation and decolonisation processes. This formal listing includes writers such as Ivan Turgenev, Mikhail Bulgakov, Valentin Katayev, Ilya Ilf, Issac Babel, Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, composers Mikhail Glinka and Modest Musorgsky, painter Vasily Surikov, and many others. Of course, this black list also includes major figures from our Imperial past who are viewed as a threat to Ukraine, including the Romanov dynasty, i.e., Nicholas II and his family, as well as Mikhail Lomonosov and Pyotr Bagration. The Poltava and Borodino battles have been outlawed, too.\nConsidering how inadequate this posturing by the Kiev regime is, we can therefore hardly expect it to be ready to engage in serious talks and, importantly, reach any serious agreements. This is something to keep in mind for anyone trying to insist that any decision for overcoming the Ukraine crisis can be taken only by working with the Kiev regime and its European masters. The fact that Europe has been treating Vladimir Zelensky as someone immaculate and deserving support no matter the circumstances also gives us reason to question whether the European leaders are in their right mind and whether they can make a meaningful contribution to the talks for achieving a solid, sustainable and just settlement based on the principles as set forth in the UN Charter and international law.\nUnlike these people, we have the political will to bring about peace. President Vladimir Putin has been saying that we are ready to continue a meaningful dialogue, primarily with the United States, considering its serious commitment to achieving results. We really want to put an end to this conflict. Our principled position remains unchanged \u2013 this can be done only if we address its root causes, which are well known to everyone. I am certain that you understand this too.\nI hope that the way we elaborated on this matter today will be useful for your respective governments for assessing the situation and acting accordingly.\nQuestion: Your Excellency, the Alaska summit between presidents Putin and Trump constituted a significant breakthrough in overcoming the diplomatic impasse surrounding the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The international community received it with optimism. His Majesty the King of Bahrain dispatched two cables of congratulation and support to both presidents in recognition of their effort to achieve a resolution of this conflict. Nevertheless, the European states did not endorse this initiative, and it appears evident that they continue to harbour doubt and mistrust towards Russia despite the fact that the ongoing war poses a substantial risk to the European continent. I would like, your Excellency, to pose two questions. First, in Your Excellency\u2019s view, what explains Europe\u2019s apprehension towards Russia? The second question: why did Russia not take the initiative to propose assurance or security guarantees to Europe that might have encouraged it to support the American initiative. Thank you.\nSergey Lavrov: On the question of the EU\u2019s apprehension towards the Russian Federation, as well as our plans and our thoughts, I cannot understand what guides the European leaders in their choices. Read what they have been saying so that the vanity of trying to understand their way of thinking or putting yourself in their shoes becomes clear.\nFinland used to be our good neighbour for many years after World War II. We succeeded in overcoming a challenging period we had in our relations before World War II, as well as in its early days and especially with the start of the Great Patriotic War when Hitler invaded the USSR. The Finnish Army took a very active part in the war against Russia, including by sending a substantial force to enforce the inhuman and unprecedented siege of Leningrad. Finish troops took part in it alongside the German troops.\nAfter the war, we were able to move beyond this period in history, and lived as good neighbours for several long decades with the border open for people on both sides to travel back and forth. Finland benefited from affordable Russian energy resources for developing its manufacturing, shipbuilding and timber industries. There was mutually beneficial trade and cultural ties.\nBut all of a sudden it seemed that our Finnish colleagues scratched off their gold platting, to use this metaphor, which included Finland\u2019s current president, Alexander Stubb. He used to serve as a foreign minister and was my colleague, leaving an impression of being a serious and responsible politician. Finland turned into one of the most Russia-hating states and is trying to lead the pack when it comes to demanding that Russia be punished, claiming that no deals can be made with Russia anymore and that the only thing which can be done is fight and confront Russia. Only recently, the country\u2019s current Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said: \u201cTake it from us: whatever happens in this war, Russia will remain a long-term strategic threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Rather than encourage, we need to keep it at bay. <\u2026> There is no reason whatsoever to believe that Putin has moderated his demands from those he laid out in December 2021 \u2013 demands that, if accepted, would roll back decades of progress in European security. Caving to these demands would expose Europe to further aggression.\u201d These are the words of a foreign minister from a country whose capital was where the CSCE was born and then turned into an organisation. It is within its framework that the principles of indivisible security were approved at the highest level, including the principle of not seeking to ensure security at the expense of others.\nThis is precisely what lay at the core of the December 2021 proposals as presented by Vladimir Putin. But Elina Valtonen has rejected them by saying that they are unacceptable since they would reverse several decades of progress in enhancing European security. I would like her to hear these proposals. This is the last chance to salvage the existing achievements in European security. The West has been trampling upon them, and has been treating the OSCE accordingly. As a country where the so-called Helsinki spirit was born, Finland cannot ignore this. Nevertheless, Elina Valtonen did not have any problem when it came to defending the Nazi regime.\nEurope is doing everything to squeeze itself into the settlement process. However, it does not have any useful ideas it could contribute to these talks. They must step back, look at themselves from the outside and start doing serious things instead of persisting with their propaganda and trouble making.\nAs for the security guarantees, everyone knows what we propose in this regard. This information has been disclosed to the public. We made these proposals in December 2021. They are very clear and de facto consist of promoting indivisible security but not as a political commitment but as legally binding obligations with the corresponding verification mechanisms. However, the European West rejects this and wants to continue treating us as an eternal enemy.\nQuestion (retranslated): What does Russia regard as the main humanitarian component of a durable settlement of that crisis?\nSergey Lavrov: We appreciate the ICRC\u2019s contribution to the settlement of humanitarian problems. I would also like to once again thank our colleagues from some Arab countries \u2013 Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, who have been working without any fuss or self-aggrandizement to help organise prisoner swaps and the return of bodies.\nIt would be wrong to say that some humanitarian issues are of secondary importance. Everything is important. It is important to return prisoners to their families. It is important to return the bodies so that they can be properly buried. And it is important, of course, to prevent any risks to children in such situations.\nThe issue of children has been excessively politicised. Kiev continues to claim that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russian servicemen and are being maltreated. When this issue was first raised, we asked our Ukrainian counterparts at the Istanbul talks \u2013 we maintained contacts at that time \u2013 to give us a list of the \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of children, which would be in the interests of children and in the interests of settling that problem. We repeated our request many times, and eventually the Ukrainians produced a list of 339 names, which we started checking. We also asked your respected organisation for assistance. It turned out that a large part of these names were not children, and these people were not in the Russian Federation but in Europe. This has helped us reaffirm the suspicion that some Ukrainian operators and their European accomplices were involved in child trafficking.\nI know that you prefer to act discretely, in accordance with your status as a depoliticised organisation, but this issue has no relation to politics. It is about the children who are presumably cannot be found. If the ICRC is ready to help establish facts and use your opportunities to help check these lists, this will be a great contribution to our common efforts.\nAs for humanitarian issues in a wider context, they include language and religion. I urge our friends in this audience, including from the Friends of Peace in Ukraine, to take a look at the rights of Russians and believers in Ukraine. On November 28, 2025, in the midst of the ongoing talks and discussions, as the West\u2019s refusal to as much as mention Ukraine\u2019s policy of eliminating the Russian language and prohibiting the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine, allegedly because Ukraine is protecting European values, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Khristina Gayovishin stated: \u201cUkraine opposes concessions on the status of the Russian language. We will not reward the\u00a0genocidal\u00a0intent that underpins Russian aggression by undermining our identity, including our language.\u201d In other words, our truth, and our policy of protecting the Russians who live in Ukraine from extermination has been described as \u201cgenocidal intent.\u201d If those who maintain contacts with the Kiev regime took notice of such statements\u2026 I believe that the feeling of complete impunity of Zelensky and his team requires attention.\nOn December 2, 2025, US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff brought serious proposals to Moscow. The talks in the Kremlin continued for nearly five hours. It was an extremely serious discussion of concrete problems that need to be settled to achieve a durable peace. On December 3, 2025, Verkhovna Rada adopted a law, in addition to an existing set of laws, that prohibits the use of the Russian language in all spheres of life, and excludes Russian from the list of languages to be protected in accordance with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. It is a challenge to the ongoing peace efforts, in particular, by President Trump\u2019s special envoy. The propaganda move that equates the fight for the Russian language to the genocide of the Ukrainian people has deliberately been made at this moment.\nDon\u2019t be shy to speak about this openly. It is only a legitimate demand to comply with international law. Europe remains silent, which is proof that its agenda includes encouraging racism, Russophobia and the revival of Nazism.\nQuestion: Mr Minister, regarding the negotiations between Russia and the United States, the question is about the conclusion. I mean that if the current talks between you and the United States would not be able to find a political settlement and an agreement to end the war because of the destructive efforts of Europeans, as they say these days, Mr Trump may withdraw and leave the table of negotiations. The question is, what will be the alternative plan, I mean the plan of Russia in the case of failure of negotiations?\nSergey Lavrov: Trying to guess what will happen if someone suddenly changes course is not about us.\nFirst, following the many contacts we had with the United States, including in Anchorage between the two presidents, with a follow-up at the level of their aides, special envoys of President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, as well as at the level of Foreign Minister and Secretary of State, we have reasons to believe that the United States has a sincere and genuine interest in finding an honest solution to this conflict in terms of enabling all parties to fulfil their legitimate interests. This is what underpins our position.\nWe are still waiting to be informed about what came out or comes out from the contacts between Vladimir Zelensky, his European masters and Donald Trump\u2019s administration. There are all kinds of leaks in the media. As I have already said, if these leaks are accurate, this basically means that Europeans are exclusively focusing on forcing the United States to offer security guarantees to Ukraine while ignoring Russia\u2019s security interests. They want to agree on managing to find money for the Ukraine Recovery Fund. This is a lop-sided, unilateral approach. I have no doubt that this is what Ukraine\u2019s contacts with the Europeans are all about. If this is the case, this approach has no future.\nPresident Vladimir Putin made a special point when he raised this topic once again, including during his meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He said that we want and we are ready to discuss security matters taking into consideration the interests of all parties and seeking to achieve a balance of these interests collectively, taking into account the current realities. This is Russia\u2019s position. As for those claiming that offering Ukraine security guarantees is what matters the most so that it can expand its army headcount to a million or 800,000, and so that there is nothing standing in the way of arms supplies for the Ukrainian army \u2013 these people are trying to create a new storm. This much is obvious.\nYou see, all options are on the table for Europe when it comes to playing its dirty tricks. I have already mentioned the robbery they are trying to arrange regarding the reserves of Russia\u2019s Central Bank. Arms trade is another example of a blatant violation of international law and the very rules the West has been advocating.\nThe West went on a global shopping tour to buy up Soviet and Russian weapons which can be found in European countries and in several states present in this room. We reached out to all the capitals to tell them that there are end-user certificates which are used in military-technical affairs. When one country sells weapons to another party, the buyer does not have the right to dispose of these weapons by transferring them to someone else without the seller\u2019s consent. But they did away with all these principles. They simply ignored them. Moreover, they are now boasting about it in public.\nOne developing story has come into the spotlight. Several years ago, we supplied advanced air defence systems, the S-400 complex, which is one of the best in its class, to the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye. Much to the displeasure of the West, including the United States, T\u00fcrkiye owns these systems. But the United States also knows that Ankara wants to buy the F-35 jets, which led the US to demand that T\u00fcrkiye stops using the S-400 as a condition for delivering the F-35s. The media has been covering this story for quite some time now. Yesterday, Europe \u2013 of course, I mean the European Union, since they believe that there is no one else in Europe \u2013 said that it decided to buy the S-400 systems from T\u00fcrkiye to send them to Ukraine.\nIt never occurred to anyone that T\u00fcrkiye is under obligation, as a buyer, to refrain from taking these steps without coordinating them with the Russian Federation. But this does not seem to bother anyone in Europe. This creates an impression that they are the ones who could enable T\u00fcrkiye to buy the F-35s from the United States. This is an example of Europe being ready to ignore anything to achieve its goals despite all its claims about respecting private property, the presumption of innocence and the need to comply with laws and international norms.\nBut going back to the question from our friend from Bahrain, Europe is proving yet again that it was not in vain that it served as the main culprit during its long history in all the human sufferings starting with colonialism and slave trade, as well as the first and second world wars. Today, Europe also finds it impossible not to act. Maybe it worries that it has been left in the cold or that the way economics and politics have been evolving around the world sidelined it and placed it on the margines of the global processes and events taking place today. I cannot tell you the exact reason, but we are once again witnessing their belligerent instincts and attempts to use aggression to keep their head above water.\nQuestion: I have a question and a suggestion. Tell me honestly, do you see the conflict we\u2019re discussing ending in the foreseeable future \u2013 say, within six months? Or is it endless, with another conflict waiting to follow, instigated by different parties?\nMy suggestion relates to this conflict. Why doesn\u2019t Russia donate its share in the NIS company to the Serbian government, or sell it for a symbolic one rouble? It could be returned to you in full when conditions allow. This is my personal opinion, offered without prior consultations. I do hope that, if you don\u2019t want to answer this, President Vladimir Putin will do it on December 19.\nSergey Lavrov: Regarding predictions on when the Ukrainian conflict will end, it is European representatives who are offering specific timelines \u2013 some say before spring, others point to 2026. We are not diverting our energy to such speculation. We have clearly defined objectives. They have been publicly and unambiguously outlined within a specific framework by the President of Russia. As I mentioned earlier, we discussed the path to these objectives in detail in Anchorage, where we reached an understanding on how best to achieve them \u2013 not in the context of a mere ceasefire or temporary pause, but as the foundation for a sustainable peace. We will continue to advance along this path, irrespective of timelines set by others.\nFor us, the paramount issue is one of essence: the security of Russia and of the Russian people whom the Kiev regime has labelled terrorists and stripped of all rights. This remains our goal.\nConcerning the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) and the situation engineered by US authorities around this enterprise, in which Russian companies hold a majority stake, negotiations are ongoing. I am aware that the Serbian leadership is engaged in appeals to the United States. It was, after all, the US that demanded this company, established through a bilateral intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Serbia, comply with its directives.\nThis behaviour is characteristic of the American approach. Regrettably, through such actions, unilateral sanctions, and the weaponisation of the US dollar, they are eroding the very globalised system they spent decades constructing and promoting as the foremost benefit to humanity. The realisation is growing \u2013 not immediately, and not swiftly \u2013 that this configuration of the global economy serves not the common good, but rather allows one nation to impose its own \u201crules\u201d upon all others.\nOf course, serious nations intent on preserving their sovereignty will inevitably create alternative frameworks. They will shift their reliance away from mechanisms that have proven to be instruments of dictatorship and coercion, and toward reliable platforms not subject to ideological dictates. This work is actively underway within frameworks like BRICS, the SCO, and CELAC. While the architects of unilateral coercive measures may derive temporary benefit from this process, its long-term historical consequence is clear: it is fundamentally eroding the very architecture of globalisation, which is now crumbling before our eyes.\nAs for the specific path forward regarding NIS: there are, as I mentioned, intergovernmental agreements between the Russian Federation and Serbia that explicitly prohibit nationalisation without mutual consent. The conditions under which such consent could be granted are a separate matter. I will not speculate on nationalisation or other specific solutions \u2013 perhaps the answer lies in finding a way for NIS to continue its operations irrespective of the United States\u2019 capacity to penalise it. This is what energy ministers, relevant economic operators, including those in neighbouring countries, and NIS partner companies are currently working to determine.\nOne principle, however, is beyond doubt: fairness must be the ultimate criterion. To do otherwise would be to set a dangerous precedent for many other countries, and no one wants that.\nQuestion: You highlighted several human rights-related issues. I would like to draw your attention to the tragic events unfolding in Darfur and western Sudan. The RSF forces, rebel groups, and mercenaries are committing horrendous crimes and atrocities with the support of external actors. Everyone is well aware of who these actors are. Ukrainians mercenaries are fighting in Sudan and committing horrifying human rights violations, as they commit genocide against the Sudanese people. We saw the footage that they themselves had uploaded. This incriminating evidence is available for all to see. They mistakenly believed they could oppose Russia\u2019s presence in Sudan and, more broadly, in the African region. What are your thoughts about this?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe you can, perhaps through your representatives in Kiev - I\u2019m not sure you have an embassy there, but if not, you can take specific steps to this end - convey your position directly to the Ukrainian government for it to stop sending mercenaries there. In case they tell you they know nothing about this, they should look into it and take the necessary steps.\nWith regard to the situation in Sudan, we have strongly urged the Government led by Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan Abdel al-Burhan and forces that oppose him to sit down and talk. A number of countries with a stake in finding a solution to this conflict made proposals to this end. Others suggested that your government start a dialogue with the external actors you mentioned. Unfortunately, this did not work out and the dialogue failed to materialise. However, a proposal was made, and we passed it on.\nI\u2019m sure the important thing to do is to focus on practical solutions to this issue rather than to engage in public condemnation of whoever it may be. We are ready to help. We have the means to do so. If your government gives a green light, we will do our best to make use of these opportunities.\nQuestion: In your opening remarks, you mentioned the efforts to end the war in Gaza. This gave hope for ensuring maritime security in the Red Sea, which would also be beneficial for the Gaza Strip and the entire region. Maritime security issues are not limited to the Red Sea; they concern the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea as well. How do you think the international law can be improved to promote maritime security across all these bodies of water?\nYou also mentioned legal obligations of all parties with regard to safeguarding human rights, freedom of religion, and so on, in accordance with the UN Charter. Do you think the International Court of Justice is in a position to contribute to ensuring compliance with these rights?\nSergey Lavrov: This is a serious matter. The United States is aggressively promoting its policy, whereby they can destroy ships carrying illegal drugs without trial or investigation, simply based on the information at their disposal.\nAs you are aware, they have destroyed several such boats and power boats. Yesterday they boarded a tanker off the coast of Venezuela, declaring that the tanker was transporting illegal oil. There is too little information. I have no knowledge about the way the United States interprets the Venezuelan situation, other than President Trump publicly calling for a regime change or for the country\u2019s leadership to voluntarily resign. Yet, Chevron continues to operate in Venezuela and to purchase local oil. What kind of illegal volumes of this type of fuel, hydrocarbons, was that tanker carrying? This needs to be looked into.\nI very much hope that despite believing they are entitled to such operations, the United States will, out of respect for the international community, provide grounds for taking such actions. We are in favour of collective discussions on ways to combat drug trafficking and to ensure maritime security to avoid situations where members of the international community are forced into dealing with unilateral actions.\nAs for the International Court of Justice and its role in upholding the principles of the UN Charter, there was such a precedent, including with regard to Serbia, whose Ambassador spoke here today. Acting as a representative for the Kosovo settlement, Martti Ahtisaari suddenly said - at a time no hostilities were underway - that it was pointless to continue working on the matter. He claimed there was no option left except to proclaim Kosovo\u2019s independence.\nIndependence was effectively proclaimed. Our Serbian friends appealed to the International Court of Justice which said that indeed, the UN Charter contains the principle of self-determination, and that the self-determination of a part of a state may take place without the consent of that state\u2019s central authorities. That\u2019s all there was to it.\nKosovo declared independence without holding a referendum, just as a unilateral move. Several years later, following the coup in Ukraine, Crimea said it would not live under the government that had declared the abolition of the Russian language its main objective. A referendum was held in Crimea, and the West said it was not a matter of a nation\u2019s right to self-determination and claimed it was a violation of territorial integrity.\nWe are confronted with a situation where we must interpret the fundamental rulings of the International Court of Justice consistently, or we may find ourselves in quite a challenging situation. I have no doubt that its rulings must be treated with respect, since the ICJ is a body of authority. Indeed, the rights of states and human rights enshrined in the UN Charter fall within the Court\u2019s purview, and the Court remains available to states to bring their cases before it.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:45:15",
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  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks and answers to questions during Government Hour at the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, Moscow, December 10, 2025",
    "date": "10 December 2025",
    "content": "Ms Matviyenko,\nSenators of the Russian Federation,\nI am genuinely pleased to have this opportunity to speak at the Government Hour, to exchange opinions, to share the Foreign Ministry\u2019s plans, and to learn more about the parliamentary diplomacy plans.\nOur Ministry appreciates comradely interaction with the Federation Council. Your suggestions and initiatives to improve our work in the international arena are always welcome. The extensive professional experience of the senators, who are well aware of the needs of the people in the regions they represent, makes these suggestions and initiatives particularly valuable.\nI am confident that direct communication is extremely important. Creating the most favourable and secure external environment for the country\u2019s internal development, raising the standard and quality of life of the Russian citizens is our diplomacy\u2019s top priority as set out in the Foreign Policy Concept approved by President Vladimir Putin in March 2023.\nThe international developments have largely corroborated the assessments and forecasts that President Putin has repeatedly provided over many years, starting with the 2007 Munich Conference. The principal conclusion even then was that the world was on an irreversible track to become multipolar and that it was pointless to try to stop this objective historical process. As you are aware, we have been saying this for a long time now. More and more participants in international relations are joining us in this view.\nSome Western elites, who used to view multipolarity as a threat and a challenge to their privileged position, have also begun to recognise this.\nEveryone heard President Trump accuse his predecessor Joe Biden of undermining confidence in the US dollar and pushing, as he put it, BRICS countries to search for alternative payment platforms. This process, which the current US President accurately noted, is now accelerating and not only within BRICS. Of course, Joe Biden is not the only person responsible for that, nor are the sanctions, which the sitting US President is not in no hurry to lift and is adding more of them. President Putin recently spoke about this as well.\nThe process of insuring against the diktat of those who print dollars and euros and provide other Western \u201cservices\u201d in the global economy is picking up pace, because it reflects the legitimate interests of the World Majority. These are legitimate and long-term interests rooted in unwillingness to report to anyone or to focus only on a single centre of power and decision-making. This trend will get stronger moving forward.\nWe appreciate President Trump\u2019s push for establishing dialogue and overcoming the Ukraine conflict using political and diplomatic means. The discussion of the US proposals continued on December 2 during US President\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff\u2019s visit to Moscow. The sides agreed to continue this work. Most importantly, there is a fundamental understanding that durable settlement cannot be achieved without eliminating the underlying causes of the crisis. These causes are well known, and President Putin has mentioned them on many occasions.\nDespite the importance of coming to terms with reality, London, the senior officials in the European Commission in Brussels, and the majority of NATO and EU member states stick to their openly destructive position on the issue of Ukraine. Having invested their entire political capital in the war against Russia using the hands and bodies of Ukrainian citizens, they continue, in hopeless political blindness, to entertain the illusion of \u201cdefeating\u201d our country.\nAs President Putin made it abundantly clear, we do not plan to go to war against Europe. We don\u2019t even think about doing that. However, we are prepared to deal with and will respond to any hostile action, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine, or the expropriation of Russian assets.\nRussian diplomacy clearly understands what\u2019s at stake and works to support the efforts undertaken by President Putin to reliably ensure Russia\u2019s security on its western borders, to protect honour and dignity of our citizens and compatriots, including their right to their native language and Orthodox faith under any circumstances, and to do so, preferably, by political means, but, if need be, by military and military-technical means as well. Every day, we pay tribute to the heroism of those who defend our truth on the battlefields of the special military operation.\nThe evolution of the situation in Ukraine and, more broadly, on the western front is of paramount importance for the entire spectrum of our relations with foreign states and for Russia\u2019s position on the international stage. We continue \u2013 and this is absolutely non-negotiable \u2013 to pursue an independent, sovereign foreign policy. This course entails the defence of our national interests while simultaneously demonstrating readiness to strengthen multifaceted, constructive ties with all those willing to engage with us on an equal and respectful footing, grounded in universally recognised norms of international law.\nThis approach is also pursued by other states of the Global Majority. A telling example is that of our good friend, India, which maintains relations with all key players and, like us, considers the advancement of domestic development objectives the primary goal of its foreign policy. The alignment of our strategic assessments and objectives was reaffirmed during President Vladimir Putin\u2019s visit to New Delhi and his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Indian capital last week.\nAmong our priorities is the deepening of strategic partnership and alliance relations with countries of the near abroad and the CIS across various formats. Integration efforts within the framework of the Union State of Russia and Belarus continue unabated. A significant pillar in this regard is the shared defence space being established under the Treaty on Security Guarantees, which entered into force in March this year. During the joint session of the Collegiums of the Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries held in Moscow on November 25, we agreed to further consolidate foreign policy coordination and outlined concrete steps in this direction.\u00a0\nOur ties with our Central Asian friends are progressing fruitfully. In October this year, the second Russia\u2013Central Asia Summit took place in Dushanbe. During the state visit to Russia by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in November this year, a declaration was signed to elevate Russian-Kazakh relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. Furthermore, following President Vladimir Putin\u2019s state visit to Kyrgyzstan in late November, a decision was adopted to deepen Russian-Kyrgyz relations of alliance and strategic partnership.\nMultifaceted cooperation within the EAEU and the CIS is advancing. The new CIS Plus format, the launch of which was agreed upon at the October CIS Summit in Dushanbe, holds considerable promise. In 2026, Russia will assume the chairmanship of the CSTO. We are committed to close collaboration with our allies to bolster the potential and international standing of this organisation \u2013 a reliable mechanism for maintaining regional stability.\nSpeaking of Greater Eurasia, I would like to highlight the particular significance of the Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. The high-level trust-based dialogue \u2013 what our Chinese friends refer to as \u201cleader-to-leader diplomacy\u201d \u2013 is of inestimable value. In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow to participate in the Victory Day celebrations. In September, President Vladimir Putin paid a visit to China, attending a parade commemorating the anniversary of the end of the Second World War.\nThe joint commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory over German Nazism and Japanese militarism is deeply symbolic: it was our nations that played the decisive role in these momentous events of the last century.\nToday, the diplomatic tandem of Moscow and Beijing serves as a pivotal factor in global strategic stability and the resilience of the emerging multipolar world. I am confident that our citizens will appreciate the opportunities afforded by the reciprocal visa-free travel regime between Russia and China for tourism and business purposes.\nWe are developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Pyongyang, based on the relevant Treaty signed by our leaders in the summer of 2024. We sincerely appreciate our Korean allies for their fraternal assistance in liberating the Kursk Region from Ukrainian militants. We see broad prospects for the advancement of bilateral relations across various fields, as well as for joint actions within the framework of the United Nations.\nSignificant new opportunities are opening up following the entry into force of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with Iran. Furthermore, our relations with T\u00fcrkiye and with Arab nations across the Middle East and North Africa are advancing steadily.\nOur diplomatic focus is now directed toward the comprehensive development of the Eurasian continent. We continue to advance President Vladimir Putin\u2019s flagship initiatives aimed at establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership as the cornerstone for a common space of security and cooperation. Together with our Belarusian allies, we are championing the development of a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity for the 21st Century. It is our vision that all interested states across our shared continent will eventually accede to it.\nWe are actively collaborating with our African partners to implement the agreements reached at the Russia-Africa Summits in 2019 and 2023. Key agenda items include convening the second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum and preparing for the third Russia-Africa summit in 2026.\nStrengthening ties with the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean remains an intrinsically valuable dimension of our foreign policy. Brazil, our strategic partner both in the region and globally, is successfully chairing BRICS. The Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Treaty with Venezuela entered into force this past November. Meanwhile, the Sandinista leadership\u2019s decision to recognise the Donetsk and Lugansk people\u2019s republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as integral parts of the Russian Federation reaffirmed our strategic partnership with Nicaragua.\nWe are also intensifying our efforts within multilateral diplomacy. Together with like-minded partners \u2013 including through the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations, established in New York \u2013 we are working to ensure the goals and principles enshrined in this foundational legal document are observed not selectively, as the West often does, but in their entirety and interdependent integrity.\nI noted the role of BRICS, an association whose global authority is growing unmistakably. BRICS has truly evolved into a pivotal centre for decision-making of worldwide significance, itself embodying the cultural and civilisational diversity of the modern world. It is gratifying that the Brazilian Chairmanship has continued to advance numerous initiatives launched during the Russian-chaired summit in Kazan in the autumn of 2024. These include work on a cross-border payments platform, settlement, depository, and reinsurance infrastructure, a new investment platform, and a BRICS grain exchange.\nThe Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) operates on principles that align with those of BRICS. It stands as a pillar of the emerging multipolar world and an integral element of the Eurasian architecture of equal and indivisible security and cooperation, which we are actively developing. The decisions adopted at the September summit in Tianjin, China, provided powerful momentum for the SCO\u2019s further growth.\nThis year marks the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. We have spared no effort to ensure this historic event was commemorated with the solemnity and respect it deserves. The commemorations in May of this year were organised to the highest standard. We are redoubling our work to counter attempts to revise the outcomes of World War II, which are codified in the UN Charter and the rulings of the Nuremberg Trials. The majority of the international community stands with us in this endeavour, as evidenced by the consistent results of the annual vote on the Russia-sponsored UN General Assembly resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism.\nWe will persist in drawing the attention of the broad international community to the destructive stance of Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo \u2013 the former Axis powers \u2013 which have, for several years, voted against the draft resolution on the inadmissibility of glorifying Nazism.\nMoreover, Germany is actively supplying the neo-Nazi Kiev regime with lethal weaponry. The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz, continually declares plans to once again transform the Bundeswehr into \u201cthe strongest army in Europe.\u201d Perhaps German politicians, who have forgotten the dark chapters of their own history, ought to reflect on this. Yet dissent, which is evident and growing in Germany, is being systematically stifled. The same applies to Finland, whose collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War \u2013 including active participation in the siege of Leningrad \u2013 is common historical knowledge. Today, it appears that decades of neighbourly relations and constructive cooperation with our country have failed to cure the Finnish elites of their (frankly) visceral Russophobia, which they continue to display.\nWe will intensify efforts to secure recognition of the crimes committed by the German Nazi invaders and their collaborationist accomplices against citizens of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War as genocide of the peoples of the USSR.\nThe Great Victory spurred the process of decolonisation, enabling the peoples of the Global South and East to attain independence and statehood. Our country\u2019s decisive role in supporting national liberation movements is acknowledged worldwide.\nIn just a few days, on December 14, we will mark the 65th anniversary of the adoption \u2013 at the initiative of the Soviet Union \u2013 of the historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. We have taken the necessary measures, mobilising our like-minded partners, and expect that December 14 will soon be proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Day of Struggle Against Colonialism. This will lend further systematic momentum to advancing the anti-colonial and anti-neocolonial agenda, which is highly pertinent today.\nThe Russian Foreign Ministry closely cooperates with the United Russia political party, which initiated and plays a leading role in the For the Freedom of Nations! international movement. It regularly hosts the Forum of Supporters of the Struggle Against Modern Practices of Neocolonialism.\nCountering legal aggression in the West is a key priority. At our initiative and with the support of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter, December 4 was proclaimed by the General Assembly as the International Day of Struggle Against Unilateral Coercive Measures. Our efforts to establish financial, logistical, and transport infrastructure institutions beyond Western control objectively contribute to this aim.\nAmidst global turbulence, we strive to foster synergy among all members of the international community in combating common cross-border challenges and threats.\nIn October of this year, the UN Convention Against Cybercrime \u2013 the first universal international treaty to counter the criminal use of information and communications technologies \u2013 was signed in Hanoi, developed at our country\u2019s initiative.\nEnsuring the rights of Russian citizens abroad and countering all forms of discrimination against them remain under constant oversight. We continue working to consolidate the multinational, multi-faith Russian World, safeguarding the standing of the Russian language and our country\u2019s cultural and historical heritage. Particular attention is devoted to implementing the Presidential Executive Order on providing humanitarian support to people who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. Invaluable assistance in this endeavour is provided by representatives of traditional Russian faiths and regional authorities.\nWe harness the potential of cultural diplomacy. This autumn, Russia successfully hosted the first international song contest, Intervision, designed to promote the world\u2019s cultural and civilisational diversity and instil in youth the traditions of preceding generations. We are engaging with foreign partners to make this contest an annual event.\nImportant tasks include promoting cooperation between regions and municipalities. Presentations of Russian regions hosted at the Foreign Ministry are widely popular with foreign ambassadors and have proven their effectiveness. The joint work with regional heads at the Council of the Heads of the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation under the Foreign Ministry if of note as well. We also hold region-to-region forums primarily with our CIS partners and other neighbours.\nColleagues,\nThe foreign policy approved by President Putin is a strategic and long-term course of action designed to implement ambitious state objectives and to advance a constructive agenda. It is utterly important that at this pivotal moment in global development, our efforts receive the unequivocal support of the country\u2019s leading political forces and the understanding of our people. This makes our actions sustainable and enhances Russia\u2019s international standing.\nIn conclusion, I would once again like to reiterate our interest in and commitment to aligning our efforts with lawmakers in order to strengthen the international position of the Russian Federation as a leading civilisation state of Greater Eurasia which is a centre of influence in the emerging multipolar world.\nThank you.\nQuestion: How do you see the future dynamics of Russia\u2019s relations with Europe and the United States? Is it realistic to expect improvements in the negotiating process and the lifting of sanctions in the foreseeable future?\nSergey Lavrov: President Vladimir Putin addresses this issue regularly and in great detail. The situation is evolving, and new facts are emerging, yet overall the trend has so far remained unchanged.\nThe West is not united, and recent events have shown this once again. In one of his interviews, President Trump offered a principled assessment of Europe artificially holding back the Ukraine settlement-related agreements that could have been reached and which would have eliminated the root causes that are the main obstacle on this path.\nEurope is hobbling this process and is trying in every possible way to goad the Ukrainian \u201cleader\u201d and members of his regime into continuing to fight to the last Ukrainian. The problem is they are running out of money. This ideological fervour is being affected by financial considerations, because they have no remaining sources left to fund this war other than to steal from Russia and seize our gold and foreign currency reserves in violation of every conceivable norm of international and commercial law.\nThis is happening despite a growing number of countries, including several EU member states and opposition parties in EU and NATO countries, recognising the pointless and dead-end nature of this policy. Yet Europe\u2019s desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia blinds it. They cannot imagine such an outcome. Some politicians have even admitted in interviews and exchanges with members of the press that they cannot conceive of a situation in which they would have to swallow the defeat of their client, and acknowledge, and come to terms with the fact that Russia would achieve its legitimate and just objectives.\nClearly, these are their problems for them to deal with, but, as the saying goes, these are the problems of their own making, which they continue to aggravate as they cling to a course of action that leads nowhere.\nAgainst this backdrop, the United States and, above all, President Trump, is growing increasingly restless. He is the only Western leader who, immediately after taking office in January, began to show an understanding of the causes that made the war in Ukraine unavoidable and that underlie the hostile actions against the Russian Federation that the West and President Trump\u2019s predecessor Joe Biden and his European accomplices had been pursuing for many years. This entire situation is coming to a head.\nHaving analysed the circumstances, President Trump agreed that the underlying causes identified by Russia must indeed be eliminated. They include the unacceptability of drawing Ukraine into NATO and freeing the people whose rights were trampled after the 2014 coup from the authority of the Ukrainian regime. These matters are being widely discussed.\nI cannot but note that President Trump is the only Western leader who, in this situation, demonstrates concern for human rights. The proposals brought to Moscow by US President\u2019s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff which were discussed in detail with President Vladimir Putin explicitly state that Ukraine (whatever part of it remains) must ensure the rights of ethnic minorities and religious freedoms in accordance with its international obligations.\nThe amendments to this US document remain classified for now, but one cannot keep human rights issues secret. The proposals from the American side that I mentioned earlier, which concerned Ukraine fulfilling all its international commitments on human and religious rights in their European interpretation have been rewritten. What we saw earlier now sounds quite different and calls on Ukraine to comply with the EU regulations on ethnic minority rights and religious freedoms. The difference is clear.\nThis obsession with infallibility and conviction that everything Europeans do stands head and shoulders above the traditions, norms, and laws of the rest of the world is among the reasons why President Trump and his associates increasingly speak about a profound crisis within the EU and the fact that it is heading in a direction that is clearly at odds with the realities of a multipolar world.\nQuestion: The shaping of a more equitable world order continues today, with the voices of developing nations \u2013 from Asia, Africa, and Latin America \u2013 growing ever louder, while West-centric global politics gradually recedes into the past. Previous shifts in the system of international relations were accompanied by major, even global, conflicts. In your view, can the outcome of the current confrontation with the West and its acute manifestation in the Ukrainian crisis lead to the formation of a new system of international relations, or is this impossible without more profound global upheavals?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe the process of forming a multipolar world is an objective one \u2013 the course of history, a consequence of economic development and solutions to social challenges.\nShortly after the Second World War, particularly post-Cold War, the West promoted the ideals of globalisation, convincing everyone (in the spirit of Francis Fukuyama\u2019s \u201cend of history\u201d) that the world was now \u201cunited,\u201d that only the liberal world order and liberal values would prevail, with no competition to this way of life and thinking. These tools of globalisation were aggressively and persistently imposed under the slogan that they were not Western standards but universal benefits.\nI recall how, twenty or thirty years ago, officials from Washington declared that the dollar was not American property but a global good that \u201cgreased the wheels\u201d of the world economy, enabling it to function most efficiently.\nIn my opening remarks, I mentioned how US President Donald Trump, during his election campaign, sharply criticised the actions of Joe Biden and his administration in weaponising the dollar as an instrument of sanctions \u2013 to punish the disobedient and achieve political and ideological goals.\nWhen Donald Trump became president for the second time, in his official speeches, he strongly criticised BRICS, primarily for challenging dollar dominance. President of Russia Vladimir Putin responded by clarifying: We did not discard the dollar \u2013 we were cut off from it, as its status as the global reserve currency was abused and turned into a political weapon. Hence, we are compelled to seek alternative payment platforms, and we will do so.\nMoreover, this selfish and aggressive US policy, observed since the tenure of former US President Joe Biden regarding the dollar, has given pause not only to us but also to nations subjected to American and European illegal sanctions. Increasingly, nations are questioning what might displease those who control global financial markets tomorrow. No one knows.\nThe trend is toward preparing alternative payment platforms. This is already a sustained development, including within BRICS and the SCO. But let me reiterate: President Vladimir Putin emphasised that it was not we who abandoned the dollar; rather, the West, chiefly the United States, weaponised it. The multipolar world is taking shape. This example illustrates how the process is unfolding economically and financially.\nThe second point I would underscore is decolonisation and the fight against neo-colonialism \u2013 or colonialism as a modus operandi in international affairs aimed at living at others\u2019 expense. When Africa gained independence, and decolonisation was declared in 1960, more and more African and other nations achieved sovereignty. Initially, this was a political phenomenon, met with celebration. But it soon became clear that political independence did not automatically entail economic or financial independence. Numerous examples exist where UN member states, though independent, remain shackled economically and financially by the rules of international division of labour imposed by globalists.\nAt the second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg, 2023, Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni elaborated on this. One example he cited was the global coffee market, valued at approximately $450 billion annually. Africa \u2013 the primary producer of beans \u2013 retained only $40 billion of that sum. The rest \u2013 added value, roasting, packaging, and other preparations \u2013 accrued to the West, chiefly Europe. This starkly illustrates how political independence does not guarantee economic independence.\nToday, engaging with African partners, we sense their growing determination to secure economic justice. This is not about liberation \u2013 disentangling from today\u2019s interdependent economy is difficult \u2013 but about economic fairness\u2026 It is Africa\u2019s second awakening in asserting its rightful economic interests globally. Such examples abound.\nWith the resurgence of President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva in Brazil, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has embarked upon discussions concerning self-protection against the potential \u201cwhims\u201d of those who wield the levers of the contemporary international monetary and financial system. These processes are gathering momentum.\nThe discrediting of the fundamental principles of globalisation remains fresh in the collective memory \u2013 both audibly and visibly so. Principles such as fair competition, the inviolability of property, the presumption of innocence, and much more were summarily disregarded when it became necessary to punish the Russian Federation \u2013 following years of warnings and the neglect of our legitimate interests, which left us with no alternative but to initiate the special military operation.\nThe brand of globalisation championed by the West, led by Washington, particularly after the Cold War, is now fading into oblivion. Instead of globalisation, we are witnessing the fragmentation of the global economy. An increasing number of countries recognise that reliance on regional mechanisms is more dependable. In this context, our emphasis in the latest iteration of the foreign policy concept on Eurasian security, cooperative frameworks, and the formation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership \u2013 spanning economics, logistics, transport, and infrastructure \u2013 aligns squarely with prevailing trends. It is no coincidence that a growing number of states are demonstrating keen interest in this Eurasian approach.\nPresident Vladimir Putin has articulated our objectives in this direction, and we are actively pursuing them. I have previously mentioned our collaboration with our Belarusian allies, who convene an annual conference on Eurasian security each autumn. I have participated in all three editions (1, 2, 3), with the fourth scheduled for next year. Interest in this conference is expanding, attracting not only Asian nations but also states from the western reaches of the Eurasian continent. Notably, my colleague and friend, Hungary\u2019s Minister of Foreign Affairs, P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, attends regularly, alongside representatives from Serbia and Slovakia. I am confident that participation will grow, enriching the diversity of this forum.\nMultipolarity is not something that can be drafted, approved, and enacted within the walls of the UN Security Council. No. The strength of multipolarity lies in its organic emergence from lived experience and its reinterpretation of the lessons accumulated during the era of globalisation.\nA final observation: why has China now been declared the primary threat and competitor? Because China, like others, once accepted the rules of the game under the ostensibly benign globalisation framework. It embraced these rules and refined its mechanisms to participate more effectively in global processes. In doing so, it outmanoeuvred the very architects of that globalisation \u2013 chiefly the USA \u2013 on their own terms and turf. Witness the lamentations of American and European officials over China\u2019s production of high-tech and other goods at unbeatable prices and quality.\nThe West has conceded that these vaunted international projects, marketed as universal goods, serve but one purpose: its own enrichment. This memory remains vivid. Despite the difficulties of extricating oneself from the old system \u2013 cemented as it is by institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) \u2013 the process is underway.\nMoreover, as new formats of cooperation, independent of the West, take shape, no one proposes shuttering the IMF, World Bank, or WTO. Rather, parallel efforts to reform them are afoot \u2013 or more accurately, not so much afoot as demanded by BRICS, the SCO, and the World Majority. These nations insist that the norms governing these institutions be brought into line with contemporary realities \u2013 for instance, ensuring that the voting shares of Global South nations in the IMF reflect their actual economic weight. Quota reforms are artificially stalled by the Americans, who, through manoeuvres and pressure on sovereign states, retain unilateral veto power over all decisions. Under the administration of Joe Biden, this has culminated in the unimaginable scale of funding funnelled to the Kiev regime, flouting the very principles upon which the institution was founded.\nThe WTO, faced with China\u2019s competitive dominance in global markets, including the USA, has for years obstructed appointments to its dispute settlement body. Countless disputes China has dutifully filed under WTO rules languish unresolved. These institutions, too, must be reformed.\nYet I would advocate prudence: even as we pursue reforms within the IMF and WTO, we must construct more reliable alternatives. Our history has shown the utility of such fallback options time and again.\nQuestion: I have a question about the information sphere. As a result of the information blockade imposed by Western countries, the global information space has been swamped and continues to be filled with patently false information about Russia and the special military operation. In this context, it would be logical and necessary to build up the programmes aimed at helping disseminate truthful information about Russia in foreign countries, like the foreign-language broadcasts of Sputnik and Russia Today. Are there plans to create new programmes or to expand existing mechanisms in this sphere?\nSergey Lavrov: Sputnik and RT broadcast in foreign languages, but they also have Russian-language programmes broadcast in the countries with a large Russian diaspora.\nYou have said correctly that they focus on the citizens of Western countries, who are being duped with false narratives. It is largely for this reason that they are persecuting the media resources that work on the international stage, including the media outlets you have mentioned, which have international acknowledgement and reputation.\u00a0\nIncidentally, it was long before the Ukraine crisis that RT and Sputnik were officially denied accreditation at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace. Press secretary of the French government \u00a0Benjamin Griveaux, who was responsible for media accreditation, said, citing President Macron, that these media outlets were instruments of propaganda.\nI more than once raised this issue with my French colleagues back when we were still communicating. Even President of France Emmanuel Macron delicately addressed it. However, nothing has changed. They continue to accuse us of lies and the distortion of facts, although they have not provided a single example based on reliable information.\nWe must continue to fight for and support our broadcasters, which are in a minority on the international information stage, and the Western media outlets who have some conscience left. There are such outlets. We must work with them accurately, providing facts, and let them make their own conclusions. Some media are ready to draw correct and honest conclusions from these facts. We must also fight for factual information at the diplomatic level, like in the case of the Bucha massacre, which everyone is talking about.\nYou remember how it was. President Vladimir Putin has recently recalled it. The Ukrainians themselves proposed the underlying principle of a peace agreement. But the then Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson, personally prohibited them from signing it \u2013 it was in early April 2022, when there was still hope of doing that. Acting at the request of our Western colleagues, we retreated from the suburbs of Kiev, including Bucha, in a gesture of goodwill. Nobody there provided any negative facts for two days after that. The mayor of Bucha went on screen, speaking about returning to their native town. And then, BBC journalists unexpectedly arrived in the town and started filming dead bodies \u2013 not somewhere in basements, but on the main street, where they allegedly lay for three days. Nobody saw these bodies before the BBC came to the town. This caused a new wave of sanctions and allegations of our atrocities.\nWe have been fighting for the truth and justice for nearly four years. I have mentioned this issue several times during meetings with my colleagues at the UN Security Council. I looked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the eye, requesting at least an accurate list of the persons whose bodies were shown by the BBC, the only media outlet to unexpectedly turn up in Bucha that day. No reply.\nWe sent an official letter to the UN Secretary-General, to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and to the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine established by the High Commissioner. No reply.\nWhen we asked the press secretary of Antonio Guterres about it, he replied that they did their utmost to protect human rights and transparency, but they sometimes cannot disclose information because this could endanger lives. This is ridiculous.\nWe will continue to demand that the UN stop the unfair play that is heavily favouring the Ukrainian side, stop Ukrainising the operations of its Secretariat, where the West has usurped all leading positions, and NATO and EU member states holding key posts dictate the Secretariat\u2019s policy.\nIt is true that our representatives hold several senior positions, like the UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism. Our Chinese friends hold the post of UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. But our Western colleagues hold all positions that concern political, peacekeeping and humanitarian matters around the world, as well as security issues. They can influence the Secretariat\u2019s operation and the lion\u2019s share of its budget funds, and they are using these powers more and more shamelessly.\nWe have started talking about this openly. We must think about the UN\u2019s future to prevent it from walking in the footsteps of the OSCE. That is why I fully agree with you. In addition to supporting media outlets, upholding the truth and raising painful questions on international platforms, we should also rally the efforts of our public organisations, above all at the level of parliamentary diplomacy. It is an extremely important \u201cweapon.\u201d There are also non-governmental organisations, like Maxim Grigoriev\u2019s International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis, which is accumulating facts about the crimes committed by the Kiev regime.\nWe have organised visits by Mr Grigoriev and his associated to international bodies, including the OSCE. Our little strokes have not yet felled great oaks, but it has become more difficult to disregard our activities and the facts we provide.\nQuestion: In view of the fragmentation of the international cooperation in the Arctic, including Russia\u2019s withdrawal from the Barents Council and the Euro-Arctic Region, the overall weakening of the Arctic Council, what alternative mechanisms of multi-format cooperation does the Russian Foreign Ministry see to ensure the region\u2019s sustainable development and protection of Russia\u2019s interests at the international level?\nSergey Lavrov: The Arctic Council still maintains its mechanisms. Western members of this essential and once central structure for defining policies at high latitudes understand that the course for dissolving the Arctic Council is hopeless, at least considering the actual geographical, technological and political positions that our country holds in the Arctic.\nThey declined ministerial meetings although expert meetings continue, sometimes organised via video conference. After all, the Arctic Council still exists. I think it will restore its potential eventually. It may take time because members of the Arctic Council, especially in Northern Europe \u2013 I have already mentioned Finland, Norway and Sweden \u2013 currently have governments that are not interested in constructive work or recognising the reality.\nNevertheless, the Arctic Council holds sessions at other levels, not necessarily at the ministerial level. Participants in its 14th session in May 2025 adopted the statement that reaffirmed our shared stance that the Arctic Council is a key platform for multilateral cooperation in the Polar Region that should be maintained. There must be a general course in support of strengthening peace and security, and creating most favourable conditions for economic projects.\nRegardless of what is happening in the Arctic Council (and we support its continuation), for this council to function most effectively, it is necessary to de-Ukrainianise its agenda. We develop the high-latitude regions, including the Northern Sea Route, and cooperate with our close strategic partners such as China and India, regardless of the Arctic Council\u2019s plans. We have sovereignty over the Northern Sea Route and we actively develop it alongside friendly countries.\nThere is a body that was established concurrently with the intergovernmental organisation of the Arctic Council. It is a non-government organisation for the cooperation of the northern regions of the Arctic Council member states. The body is called the Northern Forum. There is an Arctic Economic Council for business affairs. Their work has been coordinated with the Arctic Council\u2019s agenda and, since the latter has experienced a certain slowdown, these non-government bodies continue to operate.\nI should also mention the Arctic agenda that is regularly discussed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Arctic: Territory of Dialogue is our brand, our international Arctic forum that is held regularly and receives wide coverage. There is also a recently established international forum Arctic: Today and the Future named after Artur Chilingarov.\nNon-government formats develop actively. I consider it a useful trend, especially in view of the fact that we encourage regions\u2019 role in foreign trade and international affairs in general, and in establishing contacts with our neighbours. These are the links that produce projects that come from life itself.\nThe formats that I have mentioned should be somehow coordinated to make sure they do not duplicate but complement each other. This is realistic. We work on this too, with the main agencies in charge of Arctic collaboration.\nQuestion: You have described how our country is working to adapt global trade and monetary systems to multipolar realities, reduce Russia\u2019s economic dependence on actions undertaken by unfriendly states, and improve the terms of Russia\u2019s access to international markets, something that corresponds to priorities outlined by the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. What other tasks will have to be addressed in this regard?\nSergey Lavrov: This is an extensive issue. I will try to put it in a nutshell.\nFirst of all, we have to admit that this is not only and not even so much a matter that falls exclusively within the purview of the Foreign Ministry. This is a national goal. We have a number of mechanisms and inter-agency and governmental commissions that have been formed in all the key sectors. Recently, there was a Meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, where much was said about things to be done to address the tasks you have mentioned. \u00a0\u00a0\nI think that the most important objective as far as the Foreign Ministry is concerned \u2013 I began my opening remarks with this \u2013 is to conduct a foreign policy that ensures maximally favourable external conditions for our domestic development, a policy that contributes to security, economic growth, and higher living standards of our citizens.\nThe entire architecture of our state, governmental and inter-agency mechanisms is geared to the attainment of these goals. The most important thing is that all of us work in unison and harmoniously and prioritise the state interests.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:45:27",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, Moscow, December 9, 2025",
    "date": "9 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nPeter,\nI am delighted to see you once again.\nOn November 28, 2025, our respective leaders held productive and useful talks. You and I took part in them. Indeed, this was a very useful conversation between the two leaders considering their commitment to focusing on the national interests of their people and states. They act in a pragmatic and rational manner.\nAll the existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms have been operating in a dynamic and effective manner. I am certain that today\u2019s meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation will make a meaningful contribution to further strengthening our mutually beneficial ties.\nOf course, illegal sanctions constitute a serious obstacle in this regard. It is our so-called Western colleagues, in this case the European Commission\u2019s leadership, who have been imposing these sanctions. However, despite all these challenges, trade has been increasing, which is attributable to efforts by the corresponding agencies in Russia and Hungary.\nThe flagship project to build the Paks NPP, the new blocks of this grand undertaking. is steadily advancing. Overall, electric power industry plays a primary role in our relations, and this sector has been generating sustained positive momentum.\nOf course, we are satisfied with the way we have been working together in culture and on the human dimension of our relations. Only recently, Hungary hosted yet another Russian Music Festival devoted to Sergey Rakhmaninov\u2019s creative legacy. There were also the Days of Russian Spiritual Culture.\nOur contacts in sports have benefited from a renewed impetus. In this domain, we are the ones advocating and asserting the ideals of the Olympic movement and the sports world in general, while overcoming illegal restrictions against athletes. These restrictions are driven by political and ideological considerations.\nThe leaders of our two countries could not fail to mention international developments during their conversation. This was 10 days ago, and since then there have been several events. I am certain that we will exchange views on the way the situation is expected to evolve regarding efforts on the Ukraine settlement issue.\nI know that Hungary, just like the Russian Federation, views strengthening European security and making it reliable and dependable as one of its core missions. The security framework which has emerged from the Cold War is facing a serious test. It goes without saying that we must revive the principles of equality, mutual respect and indivisible security.\nThere is another essential matter for both Russia and Hungary since they view it as one of the inevitable conditions for the Ukraine settlement process. I am referring to reviving international standards for protecting ethnic minorities.\nWe are ready to share the way we view the developments and contacts which took place after President Vladimir Putin\u2019s meeting with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.\nI know that our Hungarian friends are keeping a close eye on all these developments. As usual, I am eager to learn what you think about this, and I believe that it will be quite useful.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:45:42",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the People\u2019s Republic of China Wang Yi, Moscow, December 2, 2025",
    "date": "2 December 2025",
    "content": "Mr Wang Yi,\nMy dear friend,\nColleagues, friends,\nI am delighted to have a meeting with you once again.\nWe had a lot of work today at the Security Council of the Russian Federation. We appreciate the fact that our Chinese friends have been paying so much attention, just as we do, to fulfilling the objectives as set forth by President Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping.\nThis year, our leaders met on May 9 in Moscow to mark 80 years of Victory over Nazi Germany, as well as on September 3 in Beijing as part of celebrations marking 80 years of Victory over militarist Japan. These meetings helped us further expand the foundation for further developing our strategic cooperation and multi-faceted partnership.\nWe held a special meeting of the Ministry\u2019s Board a while ago to review progress in fulfilling the objectives articulated by our leaders during those two summits. The relevant agencies within the Russian Government\u2019s economic bloc are working on matters dealing with reinforcing our cooperation in trade, investment and humanitarian affairs. Our goal primarily consists of ensuring that we maintain a high level of coordination on international policy matters, including strategic stability, and consolidating security for the Russian Federation and the People\u2019s Republic of China. This also relates to the way we work together within international structures such as the United Nations, its Security Council, the SCO, BRICS and the Group of Twenty.\nWe are living in a rapidly changing world. This is why the more often we meet, the more effective we can be in working together on strengthening diplomatic ties between Russia and China for enabling our two countries to promote their national interests.\nI hope that today\u2019s meeting will offer us an opportunity to have a trust-based conversation \u2013 this is the way friends must communicate \u2013 to go over all these matters and outline specific steps for moving toward fulfilling our leaders\u2019 agreements.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:45:54",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s answer to a question from the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin television programme, Moscow, November 30, 2025",
    "date": "30 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Europe has been acting so outrageously, demanding some sort of role in the talks. Can they even demand anything?\nSergey Lavrov: It wasn\u2019t really discussed.\nWe proceed from the premise (as also stated by representatives of the Presidential Executive Office, including Yury Ushakov) \u2013 which I believe is obvious to everybody \u2013 that Europe has already removed itself from the talks.\nEurope spoiled the initial deal of February 2014, when it acted as guarantor for the formal agreement between Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition. It did nothing when the opposition seized all government agencies the morning after the agreement was signed.\nSimilarly, Europe undermined the Minsk agreements when the signatories, the then Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and the then President of France Francois Hollande, subsequently admitted that nobody had intended to fulfil the agreements.\nThe most recent case occurred in April 2022 when, at the demand of the then Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson and with Europe\u2019s full acquiescence, if not connivance, the Istanbul agreements were derailed.\nEurope has used up its chances.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:46:04",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with the Military Acceptance show, Moscow, November 30, 2025",
    "date": "30 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: What challenges does the Russian arms export system face in modern context, and how do we counter them in the international arena?\nSergey Lavrov: The same challenges that we face when exporting any other goods, energy commodities and finished products \u2013 sanctions and attempts to justify them by the need to punish Russia for its \u201cbehaviour\u201d in Ukraine. In reality, it is a dirty and anti-competitive fight.\nThis yet another example of the West acknowledging that it is absolutely impossible to negotiate with. In this case \u2013 about the globalisation rules of a free market, presumption of innocence and many other things that the Western countries have been advocating for decades.\nAll of that has gone down the drain as soon as the West realised it was losing the competition. It was clinging to any excuses. In this situation our special military operation came in handy although sanctions had been imposed on the Russian defence sector long before the operation began.\u00a0\nWe know how to offset this, because the vast majority of non-Western countries do not want to put up with \u201cdancing to this pipe\u201d for life. Everyone wants to trade honestly, and those who sincerely want to make mutually beneficial transactions will always find financial, banking, and logistics chains and this is what is happening now.\nQuestion: Allow me make a little remark. Whenever we visit arms expos, our operator has the \u201cMilitary acceptance\u201d written in big Russian letters on the back of his clothes. When we were in the Repubilc of South Africa, we saw something very unexpected: a local man walks towards us, then unbuttons his shirt, and we see the St George ribbon and the letter Z. And he is one of the local elite, South African elite.\u00a0\nThese countries are much more open to Russia. The situation is the same in Brazil. People used to approach us when they saw we are of the Russian TV, and sometimes they would even suggest giving us an interview.\nRussia has been exporting weaponry for centuries. Already in the 20th and 21st centuries Soviet (and later Russian) arms became a symbol of the quality the competitors would never attain. Some of them have been imprinted in the blazonry of many countries. Can we assume that our country and its military, technological and historical heritage is viewed as a reliable guarantor of security?\u00a0\nSergey Lavrov: A short answer is \u2013 yes, no doubt about it. We talked about our products being absolutely competitive. It is covered with glory including the glory of the fight against colonialism.\u00a0\nThe Kalashnikov is a symbol of decolonisation. African countries have perfect memories of how their grandfathers and fathers were gaining independence with the help of the Soviet weaponry at that time and assisted by our advisers who \u201con the ground\u201d targeted the tasks the newly independent states were resolving in their fight against colonialism.\u00a0\nThus, even in the present-day situation, in the more advanced technological environments we never legged behind in this \u201crace.\u201d\u00a0\nWhen watching reports from various air shows or expos of other military hardware, I am proud of how our products are received. I have no doubt that this is part of Russia\u2019s authority in the international arena, part of the material basis of Russian foreign policy.\nWe will always promote, in a coordinated manner, the tasks set by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the doctrinal documents regarding Russia\u2019s actions and the protection of its legitimate interests in the international arena.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:46:16",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s answers to questions from Moscow. Kremlin. Putin television programme, November 28, 2025",
    "date": "28 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: How did the talks with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban proceed? To what extent was Donald Trump\u2019s peace plan discussed in detail?\nSergey Lavrov: President of Russia Vladimir Putin led the negotiations. We endeavoured to assist him at his request. I consider it a highly constructive discussion.\nQuestion: Viktor Orban enjoys close relations with Donald Trump, who, in turn, holds him in high regard. Could it be inferred that following today\u2019s talks, Viktor Orban might speak with Donald Trump and relay the details? Might this be regarded as shuttle diplomacy?\nSergey Lavrov: I cannot speculate on the plans of the head of government of a sovereign state \u2013 our longstanding and valued partner.\nThere are no prohibitions \u2013 unlike in European countries, which repeatedly level claims and make assorted declarations. Viktor Orban does not coordinate his actions with Brussels. We never conduct ourselves in such a manner. We respect Hungary\u2019s position, just as we respect the position of any other country.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:46:28",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to media questions at a news conference following joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of Russia and Belarus, Moscow, November 25, 2025",
    "date": "25 November 2025",
    "content": "Media members,\nA joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus has ended. Such meetings are convened annually. Once again, I would like to express my appreciation to our Belarusian friends for a substantive and trust-based exchange of views and ideas. All of it was useful.\nAs is customary for our alliance and strategic partnership, the meeting was held in a friendly and warm atmosphere.\nLast night we sat down for an informal meeting to discuss bilateral priorities and joint diplomatic support for the integration process within the Union State. We discussed many international matters as well.\nWe have fully reaffirmed our resolve - at the presidential and ministerial levels - to continue supporting one another as allies and jointly uphold shared interests in the international arena.\nWe noted the unprecedentedly high level of foreign policy coordination. We welcomed the implementation by both sides of the Resolution adopted at the previous joint meeting of the collegiums and the Programme of Coordinated Actions in Foreign Policy, which is approved by our respective presidents. The current programme covers the period from 2024 through 2026. Early next year, we will begin drafting a similar programme for another three-year period.\nToday, we reviewed four main issues. First, we agreed to make full use of all available humanitarian policy instruments to promote traditional values and to preserve historical memory in bilateral contacts with third countries and within multilateral associations.\nWe noted the importance of stepping up joint efforts to preserve cultural and civilisational diversity and to counter the politicisation of international humanitarian cooperation with particular emphasis on sports.\nSecond, we focused on coordinating efforts in our relations with the countries of the Global South and the Global East and their integration associations. When we discussed these matters, we stressed that this area remains our priority and its importance will continue to grow. This approach made it to the resolutions we adopted.\nThird, we focused on further aligning our approaches to building relations with the countries and international organisations that pursue unfriendly policies towards Russia and Belarus. There is no need to name them as everyone knows what I\u2019m talking about. We emphasised the importance of making coordinated efforts to counter the sanctions, legal, and media aggression carried out by these countries and the international organisations they have effectively privatised.\nFourth, we highlighted the importance of comprehensive media support for foreign policy activities. In the decisions we have adopted, we emphasised the need to expand cooperation in combatting disinformation and manipulation of public opinion.\nThe agreements we have come to, and additional proposals that were made during the meeting were included in the Resolution of the two collegiums, which we have just signed, and in the Ministerial Consultations Plan for 2026.\nOverall, we share a common view that the continued improvement of the mechanism for foreign policy coordination between our diplomatic services in implementing the tasks set by our presidents is key to successfully advancing the interests of Russia and Belarus in the international arena and to strengthening the international standing of the Union State.\nToday, we welcomed the new State Secretary of the Union State, Sergey Glazyev, who presented a number of engaging initiatives. We will work on them as a team.\nQuestion: Did you discuss Trump\u2019s peace plan at the talks? How can Belarus contribute to a settlement, including with due regard for Belarusian interests? Was the possibility of the synchronous lifting of sanctions from Russia and Belarus discussed at the talks? Do you think a new Minsk process is possible, and if so, who could take part in it?\nSergey Lavrov: Regarding the Ukraine crisis, we discussed it, of course, in particular in an informal setting yesterday.\nPresident Vladimir Putin provided an explicit and clear comment on President Donald Trump\u2019s peace plan at a meeting with permanent members of Russia\u2019s Security Council several days ago. Our assessment has not changed because the key provisions of Trump\u2019s plan are based on the understandings reached at the Russia-US summit in Anchorage in August 2025.\nOverall, these principles have been reflected in this peace plan, which we welcomed. President Putin has pointed this out. After Anchorage, where our understandings were noted, as we thought, there was a long pause until the new document was presented. We have the text, but we have received it through unofficial channels. It has not been officially sent to us. However, we are ready to discuss concrete details, as President Putin said. Quite a few issues in that document require clarification.\nOur American colleagues have not yet sent us the version of the text which the media are writing about. The goals of those who are practicing megaphone diplomacy are far from noble.\nPresident of France Emmanuel Macron said the other day that Trump\u2019s plan is unacceptable because it means surrender to Russia. Others have said that everything must depend on Ukraine\u2019s willingness or unwillingness to agree to this or that. But serious diplomats discuss such issues confidentially until a final agreement is reached, as diplomats should do.\nThis document has been deliberately leaked to make a fuss in the media environment. Those who are orchestrating this fuss make no secret of their desire to undermine Trump\u2019s [peace] efforts, and would like to change his plan to their liking.\nWe have communication channels with our American colleagues. We are using them. We are waiting for the version of the plan they regard as provisional in terms of its final coordination with the Europeans and Ukrainians. Then we\u2019ll see. If nothing is left of the letter and spirit of Anchorage in the key understandings, it will be a completely different situation. But so far, we have not received the official version.\nAs for the participation of Belarus, it was most actively involved in these efforts, when the Minsk agreements were reached following almost 20 hours of talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko did much to organise this work so that it might end successfully.\nOf course, none of those sitting in the Palace of the Republic in Minsk in the middle of the night could even imagine that the then leaders of Germany and France, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, were just falsifying the talks. Both of them, along with the third participant, Petr Poroshenko, confessed two years ago that they had no intention to implement those agreements, despite the fact that they were approved by the UN Security Council. They declared that it was necessary to play for time in order to pump Ukraine full of weapons and enable it to \u201centrench\u201d itself in Donbass five levels deep underground. This is yet another testimony that they had no intention at all to give up the strong-hand methods of dealing with this issue.\nPresident of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and our Belarusian friends played a very important role. A few days after the start of the special military operation, when we were left with no other way out or chance to ensure our security interests and the legitimate rights of Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine, the Ukrainians suggested that we have talks and our Belarusian friends provided a venue at Belovezhskaya Pushcha that hosted several rounds of talks.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\nLater, the Ukrainian side\u2019s whims prompted the transfer of all that to another location, but this fact does not belittle the role played by Belarus. \u00a0The other location was Istanbul, as you may know. It also hosted several rounds. Each time we achieved progress or interim or more stable and long-term agreements, they were disrupted.\nCurrently, our European colleagues are shouting from rooftops that there will be no \u201cnew Minsk\u201d and that nothing must be decided without Europe because allegedly this directly concerns them. Europe has failed on every count since 2014. It was Europe that presided over the effort to coordinate a plan of settlement, in February 2014, between the then President [of Ukraine], Viktor Yanukovych, and the opposition. It was Europe that put its guarantor signatures to the document signed by Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition leaders.\u00a0\nIn the morning, when the opposition seized government buildings in violation of the signed document, it was Europe that made a helpless gesture in response to our questions \u2013 Why are you, the guarantors, keeping silence and failing to call the opposition to account? \u2013 and mumbled something like: You know, sometimes democracy takes on odd forms and twists. This was all.\u00a0\nIt was Europe that destroyed the Minsk agreements, as we now know. They openly admitted as much.\u00a0 Even though France and Germany \u2013 and in their person the European Union \u2013 were also the guarantors. \u00a0It was Europe (if in the person of the then UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, but Europe was taking the same stance) that talked Vladimir Zelensky out of \u00a0signing the agreements that were proposed by the Ukrainian delegation itself in Istanbul in April 2022.\nWhen they say now, \u2018Don\u2019t you dare do anything without us,\u2019 well, you had your chances. You failed to use those chances; you have just \u201cflunked\u201d them.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron made an aggressive statement today that, in his view, Russia and its demands are the primary obstacle to a settlement in Ukraine, arguing that Moscow is engaged in a strategic confrontation with Europe. According to Macron, Europeans must demonstrate that they will not surrender to external threats. He also said that, following a settlement, he would consider sending troops to the Kiev and Odessa regions. These are no more than futile dreams that are unrelated to a peaceful settlment.\nWhen Europeans say they must stand with Ukraine to the end because Ukraine is fighting for their European values, this amounts to a voluntary surrender and confession that Europe is encouraging the ideology and practice of Nazism, which are legalised in Ukraine. This means that Europe is encouraging racism, which has taken the form of a legislative ban on the Russian language and all things Russian \u2013 culture and media \u2013 and a ban on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. These are the European values \u200b\u200bthat Ukraine defends in the name of Europe.\nIn this case, we can see countries that could play a constructive role as mediators. These are Belarus and T\u00fcrkiye, which President Vladimir Putin has recently discussed with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also interested in helping create the platform. It was not us who rejected the Istanbul negotiation track. The Ukrainians did.\nWe have not received any response so far to our proposal to establish three working groups: humanitarian, political, and military. They complained that Istanbul was only discussing the humanitarian aspect of the situation, while staying away from issues that are crucial for the settlement. We proposed creating three groups: humanitarian, political, and military. There was no response. That was in July. They also complained that the delegation level was not high enough. We proposed substantially raising the level of participants in the Istanbul talks. Once again, this was met with silence.\nWhen statements like President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s are made, suggesting that Russia is the only \u201cred line\u201d preventing a settlement, it is worth recalling that the Russian President has already commented on some of the actions taken by our European neighbours. These actions, he noted, seem directed primarily at distracting their electorates from the failure of domestic policies in the economic and social spheres, and from the real interests of their own populations.\nRussia stated that it was prepared to see Belarus among potential mediators. President Alexander Lukashenko said numerous times that the issue has practical significance for Belarus due to its geographic proximity to both Russia and Ukraine. Belarus\u2019s stance will depend on how security issues are resolved. We fully consider our ally\u2019s security concerns when evaluating proposals and ideas.\nThe new Minsk process. The original Minsk process included negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated, as they believe, by France and Germany. Today, however, any mediation by either France or Germany is entirely out of the question. Among potential mediators, we value the positions of Belarus, Turkiye, and Hungary. The latter has expressed readiness to host the proposed Russia\u2013US summit in Budapest, as initiated by President Donald Trump. We certainly appreciate the stance of the United States, which, unlike London, Brussels, Paris, or Berlin, is the only Western actor to have taken an initiative aimed at reaching a settlement. I repeat: we recognise and appreciate this. I would particularly note that Donald Trump\u2019s 28-point plan (the version we have; we have not seen any other) most importantly reflects the key understandings reached at the Alaska summit.\nQuestion: Following up on security, you mentioned the recently held security conference in Minsk several times today. What are its prospects? Can it become a venue to be used to work out new security architecture, for Europe, too, and take the place of the Munich Conference which has become an unfriendly venue and lost credibility?\nSergey Lavrov (speaking after Maxim Ryzhenkov): I would like to say more about the Minsk Conference\u2019s competitiveness. It is highly competitive, because it opens its doors to all countries of the continent, the largest and richest continent that is home to several great millennia-old civilisations that have preserved their civilisational ethos and traditions.\nYou mentioned the Munich Conference which has completely discredited itself, including through the efforts of its own leadership. They have stopped inviting participants with the viewpoints that offer an alternative to the European discourse, primarily the neoliberal discourse, which the Munich venue has always promoted.\nSome Europeans are now beginning to ponder the future. The Ukraine crisis will not last forever. We are neighbours, and sooner or later we will need to restore relations, perhaps, after shedding Russophobic neo-Nazi nostalgia. Finnish President Alexander Stubb raised this issue, saying relations with Russia will need to be restored. The verb \u201crestore\u201d was used intuitively, because the Europeans want relations to be restored within the frameworks that they control, first and foremost, the OSCE, which they have fully privatised and which has ceased to play the part assigned to it originally. It is sad to see this happening under the leadership of Finland that once hosted the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which established the principles of consensus and agreements that reflect a balance of interests. These are the very principles that the Western establishment has trampled upon and turned the OSCE exclusively into a tool for promoting its interests, primarily in the media sphere, condemning everyone who disagree with the Western attempts to restore its dominance and return, essentially, to the era described as neocolonialism.\nFinnish President Alexander Stubb said that relations with Russia will need to be restored. Speaking of what was there before and what they want to restore, we are looking at the Euro-Atlantic models that have run out of steam. NATO and the OSCE are Euro-Atlantic organisations. The EU has long ceased to be a European forum representing the interests of Europeans and has become a NATO appendage developing military programmes and activities designed to make the territory of all EU members, regardless of their NATO affiliation, available for the alliance\u2019s infrastructure to move eastward and, if need be, to fight on the eastern flank against we know who.\nThat is why the Eurasian approach to security is the only viable approach that is being advanced through the Minsk conferences, three of which have been held so far.\nI fully agree with Minister Ryzhenkov when he says that if someone was to come up with a more practical and workable idea, we would be happy to participate. Most importantly, we are not forcing anything on anyone. We keep our doors open, we listen to what people have to say, and try to shape a concept of future architecture that suits all Eurasian countries.\nThe EU is steeped in the colonial mindset. Back when we operated through a ramified system of relations with the EU, including its various bodies, we proposed discussing the South Caucasus and Central Asia as well. The EU avoided these discussions. They follow their own strategies, including the ones that concern Russia. They are unwilling to sync approaches. They have their own Arctic, Central Asian, and Black Sea strategies. Meanwhile, there is the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, but they do not consider themselves under an obligation to respect what the countries in a given sub-region are doing among themselves. To reiterate, Euro-Atlantic models have no future. In this sense, Belarus has come up with a truly proactive and future-oriented initiative.\nWe strongly support the Eurasian approach to security. Eurasia is a single geopolitical space, and our approach to security must also be single, reflecting the balance of interests of all Eurasian countries, rather than depending on western Eurasia\u2019s desire to dictate everything to everyone, as the EU and NATO are trying to do.\nQuestion: I have a question about Ukraine and the peace plan. You said the American side has not yet provided you with an updated version. Reportedly, Russia-US talks on Ukraine are underway in Abu Dhabi which means Russia is aware of the revised version. What can you share with us about the talks in Abu Dhabi? Who is part of the Russian delegation? And how close (or how far) do you think we are to a negotiated settlement?\nSergey Lavrov: We have channels of communication with the Americans that are always on. President Vladimir Putin mentioned this when providing his assessment of the peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump. We are not hiding it.\nOur diplomatic service is accustomed to doing its job professionally.\nProfessional diplomacy is all about - I mentioned this on earlier occasions - not letting information out before a final agreement is reached. The people who represent diplomacy and politics in Europe are doing the exact opposite. These leaks, unending speculations, and rumour mongering have one goal which, in this particular case, is to undermine President Trump\u2019s initiative in part that concerns the agreements reached in Anchorage. Europeans are not even hiding it.\nRead what German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other political figures, including the Brussels bureaucracy, have to say. We do not do that. Instead, we prefer to go about our work as foreign policy professionals do, that is to negotiate in private before making public statements. Approaching it from a different angle would expose valuable initiatives to the risk of being sabotaged by those who are out there to undermine them. The Europeans are doing this in the media, your corporation included. There have been examples of this recently.\nThat\u2019s not how we do it. As I said earlier, the channels are there, but we prefer to engage in diplomacy rather than run our mouths trying to provoke and undermine various positive and promising initiatives.\nWe are not rushing our US counterparts. We waited for a very long time after Anchorage. We spoke with them to let them know that we remain committed to the agreements we had worked out, and it is good that the Americans have finally put this initiative (Trump\u2019s plan) forward and confirmed their commitment to the Anchorage agreements. It remains to be seen how staunchly the Americans will uphold their position and how effectively they will be able to resist the attempts to lead them astray. We expect that once the United States considers its consultations with the Ukrainian regime and the Europeans complete, they will inform us accordingly. We hope this will happen within a reasonable timeframe in the near future.\nQuestion: You do not confirm the fact of talks in Abu Dhabi?\nSergey Lavrov: I have answered your question.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:46:39",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with France-Russia Dialogue Association YouTube-channel recorded on November 21, 2025",
    "date": "25 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Our today\u2019s dialogue is important for all of us within the French-speaking community who will watch this interview at the time of escalation in relations between Russia and France. In the end of the interview, we have already selected the subscribers\u2019 questions, by tradition. I will be pleased to share the wishes of our audience with you.\nThere is a widespread opinion in both Europe and Russia that Donald Trump is a kind of a visionary peacemaker who can say \u201cno\u201d to the globalists and stop any war. Still, the United States, which as we know sticks to its national interests, has always had the idea that Russia should be severed from Europe. All media are talking about Trump\u2019s presenting his 28-point peace plan. It seems that even Vladimir Zelensky is ready to accept it. What can you say about this?\nSergey Lavrov: Too many unclear things are happening. Now Zelensky says in Istanbul that he is ready to discuss this plan and agree on some acceptable wording. Then his representatives say (including Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations) that this out of the question.\nI find it difficult to comment on such speculations. We still believe that a diplomatic settlement is, of course, preferrable. The Alaska meeting was preceded by the visit of US President\u2019s Special Envoy Steve Witcoff to Moscow with direct instructions from the US President. Steve Witcoff brought to the meeting with President Putin some specific settlement parameters, which took into account our principled approaches consisting in the need to focus on eliminating the root causes of this conflict, which we all know well.\nThis drama began with the West\u2019s attempt to have NATO absorb Ukraine, create a military threat to Russia right at our borders and in spite and in breach of all the promises given to the Soviet Union and contrary to all the understandings concluded then with the Russian Federation as part of the OSCE framework on the indivisible nature of security, the fact that no organisation, no country in Europe will seek to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others. It was approved at the highest level. NATO acted exactly the opposite way.\nThe second primary cause is the Nazi Kiev regime\u2019s policy and laws. The West brought this regime to power in February 2014 by staging a bloody anti-constitutional government coup to exterminate everything Russian. Long before the special military operation Zelensky advised Russians to get out to Russia if they, being Ukrainian citizens, identify with the Russian culture. It was his direct appeal. Actually, both Donbass and Novorossiya followed his advice.\nAs for the very beginning of your question about the way Americans (now Donald Trump\u2019s administration) treat Europe and, in general, everything happening in the world, there can be conflicting assessments. Above all, this is due to the fact that Trump came to power under the Make America Great Again slogan, criticised Joe Biden for interfering in all world processes for ideological reasons, for imposing neoliberal approaches, imposing neoliberal ideas and nurturing neoliberal elites. Trump said that during his tenure the United States will not do any such things. It will do what is beneficial and what serves its national interests.\nIndeed, the methods are different, of course. No ideology. They have disbanded the US Agency for International Development and other instruments of ideological suppression of everybody and everything in all the continents, which had been closely aligned with the agenda of Democrats. Still, the objective to dictate everybody their will has been undoubtedly preserved, and maybe it became even more apparent when its ideological shell dropped.\nThere can be different ways of describing their approaches but the essence is that America should be first in everything and everybody must obey it. This approach was used not only in Europe but in all other places too. It is a different matter that Europe is more dependent on the United States in terms of security and from the point of view of its foreign policy prospects, in this case the European policy towards Ukraine. No one listens to it because Europe and the European elites placed their bets on their conviction that they could use the Nazi regime in Kiev as a proxy and cannon fodder to inflict what they call a strategic defeat on Russia.\nThey rejected the very possibility of talks. Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson simply forbade Zelensky in April 2022 to sign the document that was initialled and based on the settlement principles proposed by Ukrainians themselves. That was Britain\u2019s role. It also \u201cmade itself felt.\u201d They are fond of manipulating Europe like the United States do.\nThe United States is interested in attracting as much investment in its economy as possible. Recently, they held a summit with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Each visit results in announcements of investments worth billions or trillions of dollars. All this is presented as attracting money into the US economy.\nEvery country must think about making its economy independent, affluent and productive, it should be able to reshore (in case of the United States) its manufacturing capabilities after \u201cscattering\u201d them all over the world, in the countries where the labour force was several times cheaper than in the United States and this is why the goods manufactured there by US monopolies and corporations, but using cheap labour force abroad, were competitive.\nWe will see what happens when and if President Trump and his team fulfil their idea to return their manufacturing capabilities to America, what will be their costs and expenditures and how this affects the final cost. In imposing sanctions, started not by Donal Trump (although he also imposed sanctions against Russia under the pretext of the Ukraine issue during his first presidency), it was under Biden\u2019s administration that the United States went all out on sanctions. As for the Europeans, they outstripped them, of course, in doing this.\nLater came duties and tariffs. The world economy is not globalised at all these days, because none of the principles and rules of globalisation that the Americans and their allies have spent decades imposing by working through universal institutions (the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO) have been implemented by any of them. Their basic principles have long been violated because the membership of their governing bodies and the distribution of votes do not reflect the real situation in the world economy and the alignment of forces in any way. The principles of fair competition, market methods of determining what is best and inviolability of property have become a thing of the past.\nI remember that many years ago when the dollar ceased to be pegged to the gold standard (this was during Richard Nixon\u2019s presidency), Americans said, do not worry, the dollar is the most reliable currency, which is not the property of the United States. It is a universal good. The dollar belongs to humankind, it serves the interests of all and this will be forever. So, here we are. \u201cForever\u201d is gone. A different era has come.\nNow we all can see the advent of something close to chaos in international trade and investment. The US actions are not necessarily aimed solely at bringing Europe under its control. Their objective is to generate benefits and dividends wherever possible using any options.\nThe same refers to foreign policy. All the eight wars that Donald Trump stopped (we really appreciate his desire not to unleash wars, as his predecessors did, but stop them), froze for some time. Truces have been made. Truces have now been declared almost everywhere: in the Middle East, between Pakistan and Afghanistan, between Cambodia and Thailand, in the DRC and Rwanda. But these initiatives did not address the root causes. Problems have already emerged on the Cambodian-Thailand border, between Pakistan and Afghanistan and there are quite a few clouds overshadowing the situation on the Israeli-Palestinian track, so to speak.\nThis is why the desire to stop a bloodshed must be encouraged in every possible way. Achieving a lasting settlement, however, requires much more careful, patient initiatives without making any hasty moves.\nQuestion: We are having this conversation under the auspices of the France-Russia Dialogue Association, which means that we would like to focus on relations between France and Russia. I suggest that we begin with topics, which have been widely discussed in the French media over the past several months, including in the context of the Ukraine conflict. First, the Russian military has been allegedly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Second, the notion of Russia having chosen France as its adversary \u2013 President of France Emmanuel Macron was the first to make this statement this past summer \u2013 has unfortunately gained traction in the public discourse. France\u2019s Chief of the Defence Staff followed up by saying that Russia was preparing for a full-scale war with NATO countries in a matter of several years. Just two days ago, the current Chief of the Defence Staff of France said that the people of France had to be ready to sacrifice their children in a war with Russia. He made these remarks in his address to a French mayor and the people of France. What would be your comment regarding these statements?\nSergey Lavrov: Have you decided not to mention the Chief of Defence Staff\u2019s last name on purpose?\nQuestion: I was referring to General Fabien Mandon.\nSergey Lavrov: I have heard this statement and have the impression that what he said about being ready to sacrifice the lives of their children, and by the way he also mentioned the economy, and his words about the need to suffer in order to prevent Russia from winning and conquering Europe \u2013 this has already caused indignation even in France. Where these high-ranking military officials come from and what kind of university credentials they have is anyone\u2019s guess. Seems that they are seeking to play along with their current leader, Mr Emmanuel Macron.\nI do not know where he got the idea that Russia designated France as its adversary. In my opinion, it works in the opposite direction. In fact, it was France which has been treating Russia unfairly for quite some time now, which goes all the way back to the Minsk agreements, to give you an example. In 2015, France acted as a guarantor under these agreements in the person of Emmanuel Macron\u2019s predecessor at the time, President Francois Hollande. He signed the Minsk agreements together with then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Vladimir Putin and Pyotr Poroshenko, who was President of Ukraine at that time. But in 2020, when everyone wanted to understand how and why it all happened, and why no one complied with the Minsk agreements, they \u2013 I mean Francois Hollande, Angel Merkel and Pyotr Poroshenko openly recognised that they never intended to fulfill their part of the deal to begin with.\nQuestion: Was there any possibility of anticipating this turn of events? Did you understand that there will be an effort to derail the Minsk agreements?\nSergey Lavrov: President Vladimir Putin is a very honest person. Speaking to an audience after the start of the special military operation on the Minsk agreements, relations between Russia and the West and the Ukraine issue in general, he said that in the early days of our relations with the West, back in the 2000s, we had a lot of illusions in this regard, but these illusions gradually faded into the background, while still leaving hope that our counterparts, primarily in Western Europe, can live up to their commitments and \u2013 I would like to place a special emphasis on this point \u2013 that they can act in good faith. However, all these hopes vanished in February 2022, as President Vladimir Putin said. Things will never be the same in our relations with the West as they were before February 2022.\nThis was a very strong statement. It demonstrated that there was still hope until February 2022 and the moment we realised that our only option was to launch the special military operation.\nWe demonstrated that this hope was real by putting forward meaningful initiatives as early as in December 2021, while the West kept perorating across the world that Russia was preparing to invade and that this invasion had to be prevented. Then CIA Director William Burns came to Russia to warn us against acting this way. We were honest when we replied that our primary goal consisted in preventing NATO from creating military threats along our borders by militarising Ukraine and including it into NATO doctrines, in which Russia was designated as an adversary, if not an enemy.\nIt was also back in December 2021 that we drafted the Russia-NATO and Russia-US treaties as per President Vladimir Putin\u2019s instructions to demonstrate that there was a viable alternative. These documents provided for addressing security concerns and threats. Our President instructed us, diplomats, military agencies and special services to draft these documents in November 2021. Basically, these treaties consisted in stipulating political commitments as approved by all European countries, as well as the United States and Canada within the OSCE. They signed all these solemn pledges back in 1999 and went on to reaffirm them in 2010 at the OSCE Summit in Astana.\nBut nothing changed. NATO persisted with its expansion, as we can see from today\u2019s vantage point. We still hoped that they could be treated as honest partners by trying to draw their attention to the fact that what they did ran counter to their commitments as per these pledges. But they kept replying that these commitments were political pledges, not binding obligations. This is cynicism at its finest. At the time, when Dmitry Medvedev was President, we suggested turning these pledges into binding obligations. After all, they supported these commitments by signing them. They thought about it, but only to say that NATO was an exclusive framework for granting legal guarantees.\nThis means that on a conceptual and mental levels, they still wanted to ensure that NATO operates as a magnate, a bate of sorts even in an era when the USSR and the Warsaw Pact did not exist anymore and when the Cold War became a thing of the past together with its ideological rivalries. This amounted to positing that if you join our ranks, we will guarantee your security, but you will have to obey us in return. But what kind of advice did they offer? Attack Russia was their only piece of advice.\nJust look at the way they have been seeking to literally force our Serbian friends and brothers to, first, recognise Kosovo\u2019s independence, and, second, make them join EU\u2019s Russia-hating policy. Moreover, they have been quite open about it and saying this for everyone to hear by alleging that they were ready to accept Serbia into the EU. However, Serbia had to forget about Kosovo, as well as its friendship and historical ties with Russians. It had to join all the sanctions and all the aggressive preparations for waging war against Russia.\nWhat a peculiar mindset. It is the Western Europeans, as well as the so-called young Europeans as represented by the Poles and the Baltic states who have been playing a leading role in this regard. It is striking however that even a serious country like France, as you have mentioned, decided to play along.\nOnly recently, President Emmanuel Macron came up with yet another catchy slogan by alleging that Russia invented this war and that there was no reason for starting it, no real threats and that it was all a hoax. I may not remember his exact words, but he talked about a convulsing power lamenting the loss of its statehood and its imperialistic colonial past. This is what President of France said. It seems that he really has a problem with his approval ratings.\nYou have mentioned France\u2019s Chief of Defence Staff, but there is also Germany\u2019s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius who said that Russia is expected to attack NATO before 2030. Now he claims that this can happen as early as in 2029 or even in 2028.\nWhat are they preparing for their people? Do they want to create a sense of inevitability? As far as I understand, France is in the process of reshuffling its economy by forcing civilian sectors to work for the military industrial complex. I have recently come across an article saying that they were even trying to put healthcare on a military footing in an effort to prepare it for having to operate with military action underway and save French soldiers. You have mentioned someone saying in France about not sparing their children for the sake of freedom. Freedom, equality and fraternity. Marianne spun in her grave, I fancy. What an astonishing story. Let me reiterate that there is not a single piece of evidence to prove Russia\u2019s intention to attack France.\nWe have been to Paris a couple of times. In fact, we were the ones who liberated them, I mean the French. By working together with General Charles de Gaulle and his Resistance Movement, we helped them overcome their national shame after they surrendered everything they had to Adolf Hitler and started sipping coffee on Montmartre under occupation.\nThere is one more point I want to make in this regard. Europeans simply refuse to follow this logic, but there is no getting away from it. They keep gloating about Russia failing to achieve its objectives and that it barely manages to take over meagre pieces of land from the poor and embattled Ukrainians, which means that there is no reason to be afraid. They keep pretending that the European army is much stronger and that Russia would not use nuclear weapons, while Europe would easily defeat Russia in a conventional confrontation, considering that Europe exceeds Russia\u2019s population by a factor of five. In these assessments, they present the way Russia\u2019s Armed Forces have been advancing their positions as being too slow and reflecting their inefficiency. If this is the case, why are you afraid of us to such an extent, if we cannot even take over Ukraine, as they have been saying? They keep saying that Europe stands next in line after Ukraine. How can these assessments co-exist?\nThey seem to have a problem with their analytics and simply with their politicians whose mission consists in offering their people an honest explanation about what is going on. These elites opted for war and have staked their entire political carriers on the slogan of inflicting what they call a strategic defeat on Russia, one way or another. A couple of year ago, they talked about defeating Russia on the battlefield. Today, this is about strangling Russia with sanctions. They are already claiming that the Russian economy would break apart and would not be able to sustain this blow. They claim that their mission has almost been accomplished. People making these claims seem to forget the lessons of WWII and other instances when people came together to defend their country, national dignity, history and the future of their children in the minute, hour and year of need.\nAs for the situation as it is currently unfolding along the frontline, the line of contact as part of the special military operation, President Vladimir Putin has recently visited the headquarters of our Armed Forces. Information resulting from these meetings as reported in the media speaks for itself.\nPresident of France Emmanuel Macron and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz have been camping on an arrogant position, and this is even more true for the Belgians, the Dutch and Mark Rutte. But all this demonstrates their confusion. They do not know what to do. They probably risk losing power if they radically change their rhetoric by starting to take their cues from reasonable Europeans such as Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban and Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico who say that they needed to talk with Russia and stop placing their bets on war.\nQuestion: I want to say a word in defence of some experts and analysts who come to us through the France-Russia Dialogue Association platform. They clearly do not want to fight with Russia; on the contrary, they consistently express the most amicable attitudes and assessments.\nWith your permission, I would like to return to the first part of the question. It is important, because we constantly hear accusations that the Russian military deliberately strikes civilian facilities. Could you briefly comment on this?\nSergey Lavrov: We have not seen a single piece of evidence. What we have repeatedly seen is the opposite. Whenever a projectile or fragment from an air-defence system hits a civilian facility, Ukraine and the countries that have supported its regime immediately shout that Russia is \u201cinhuman.\u201d\nThe UN Security Council convened a meeting on this issue in New York on November 19. There, they repeated tired clich\u00e9s in every possible way, and no one responded to our request to present evidence. It is unfortunate that the UN Secretariat is completely under their control. When someone accuses Russia of allegedly striking Ukrainian civilian sites, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres and his spokesperson, the Frenchman St\u00e9phane Dujarric, immediately declare that they strongly condemn the use of armed force against civilian facilities. But [the reaction is different] when obvious incidents \u2013 never disputed by anyone \u2013 occur due to Ukraine\u2019s own actions, such as the bombings they have been carrying out for more than a year now on Russia\u2019s territory, such as the Kursk Region. There is not a single military facility there. They destroyed homes, hospitals, kindergartens, and shops. Yet St\u00e9phane Dujarric, his superior, and others in the UN Secretariat, which is fully dominated by Westerners, merely claimed they were \u201clooking into the matter.\u201d\nLet me remind you of the beginning of the special military operation, when there was an outcry over the railway station in Kramatorsk. A missile struck, causing many civilian casualties and damaging the infrastructure. We were immediately blamed. Later, honest experts established that it was a Tochka-U missile, and its point of impact clearly demonstrated that it had been launched by the Ukrainians themselves at a railway station under their control. It was a sheer provocation intended to blame us.\nThere was also the case of a maternity hospital\u2026\nQuestion: At the very beginning, in Mariupol?\nSergey Lavrov: Yes, in Mariupol. The women who were there and who presented as victims of \u201cRussian inhuman aggression\u201d later stated that nothing of the sort had happened.\nNot to mention the biggest hoax in early April 2022 \u2013 Bucha. At that time, Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul had handed our delegation settlement principles that we accepted. These principles were initialled. We were already prepared to begin drafting the final settlement agreement.\nPresident of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that we withdrew our troops from the suburbs of Kiev, including Bucha, as a gesture of goodwill, at the request of certain Western intermediaries. For two days, no Russian forces \u2013 or Russians at all \u2013 were present in this suburb. During those two days, the mayor of Bucha appeared on television and publicly confirmed that Russian troops had left and that the area was once again under Ukrainian control.\nThen, all of a sudden, BBC correspondents arrived two days later and began filming not some basements but a wide main street, which could not be overlooked. There, dead bodies with hands tied were laid out neatly along this main street. Moreover, despite the fact that it was April, when the weather is slushy, the clothing put on them appeared too clean. Immediately thereafter, a wave of accusations, outcry, condemnations, and yet another round of sanctions followed. Not one party responded to our proposal to conduct a proper investigation. Since then, obtaining any information on Bucha has been extremely difficult. Once the desired propaganda message was extracted, no one has shown willingness to revisit or clarify what actually happened there.\nEvery year when I came to New York to attend the General Assembly sessions \u2013 in 2022, 2023, 2024, and in 2025 \u2013 when speaking before the UN Security Council, I personally addressed UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres and asked him directly whether we could receive a list of the individuals whose bodies were shown in the BBC report as alleged victims of atrocities committed by Russian forces. Frankly, I am already embarrassed for him. He is, after all, a respected public figure. He replied that the UN follows certain rules and that this matter falls under the competence of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. When we contacted that Office, we received a formal response stating that their procedures do not allow the disclosure of confidential information if doing so could cause mental distress or other harm to surviving relatives.\nI am not even going to comment on this. This is a disgrace for the organisation which publishes any facts when it finds it necessary. Concealing the names of those whose bodies have already been used for a major provocation is already a confession.\nWe are well aware of how the Western propaganda machine operates, how easily it fabricates and circulates anti-Russia and Russophobic narratives. On each such episode, our position is transparent. If there are doubts, we are prepared to sit down with representatives of the UN, the Red Cross and listen to any factual evidence they claim to possess. But as soon as we make this proposal, they all, as the Russian saying goes, \u201cgo under the snag\u201d \u2013 disappear and avoid further discussion.\nQuestion: You have been talking about propaganda. There is every chance for our today\u2019s interview to be labelled propaganda too. Russia has been facing allegations in France in recent months of carrying out cyberattacks in Western countries, including in France. There are many alternative platforms too.\nYou often talk to journalists from around the world, but small channels struggle to have their voice heard on this market. What you have been saying here amounts to a de facto informational world war. In your opinion, who is dominating this war?\nSergey Lavrov: Do you mean who will win this war?\nQuestion: My question is about who dominates this war. But if you know who will win it\u2026\nSergey Lavrov: This depends on the way you define dominance. From a quantitative perspective, there is a plethora of media outlets in the global broadcasting and online media space, which are established in the United States, the UK, or using funding from the US and the UK. The same goes for Europe and its effort to fund affiliates beyond its borders. It is hard to compare as far as numbers are concerned.\nThe fact that such outlets like RT and Sputnik have been among the top performers in terms of their audience numbers demonstrates that there is another important indicator, which deals with the extent to which users trust their sources of information. From this standpoint, RT and Sputnik have a serious reputation. This is why they attract so much hatred \u2013 for telling the truth.\nThis has nothing to do with war. I am referring to the war the West has unleashed against us by using the Kiev regime as a proxy, staging a government coup and offering the opposition generous funding long before the government coup. Under Secretary of State of the United States Victoria Nuland mentioned investing $5 billion in preparing this government coup. President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron at the latter\u2019s summer residence in Fort Bregancon back in 2019, long before this happened. The agenda of their meeting included the question about Elysee Palace depriving RT and Sputnik of their accreditation to.\nAt the time, our French counterparts refrained from offering any detailed comments. But there was a news conference in Paris following the Bregancon summit where Benjamin Grivaux, the Spokesperson for the French government, was asked why RT and Sputnik were denied accreditation from the outset. His answer was quite simple. These are propaganda tools, not media outlets, he said.\nThe world marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists recently. Speaking on behalf of the EU, the infamous Kaja Kallas made a bombastic statement to say that freedom of speech operates as the EU\u2019s cornerstone and that it should not be restricted in any way. I think that anyone who has been following what the EU is doing in terms of freedom of expression and speech knows well that this is all a big fat lie.\nThe way RT and Sputnik were treated in France serves as an example of something that happened long before the special military operation. When it started, they went the whole nine yards, as the saying goes, to prevent our media from reaching their wider audience.\nSkill can replace numbers, as we say in Russia. In this case, our international broadcasters demonstrated their skill by acting as true professionals. Western journalists who work for RT and Sputnik are doing this not because they want Russia to dominate and not because they earn generous salaries, but because they are professionals. And they feel ashamed when forced to lie from the screen or online, and view this as offending their professionalism.\nQuestion: You recalled President Vladimir Putin\u2019s meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron in 2019. The France-Russia Dialogue Association was established 20 years ago. Then President of France Jacques Chirac and President Vladimir Putin created this platform which served as an impetus for promoting bilateral relations. We marked the 20th anniversary in 2024.\nThe last thing people in France who care about what is going on remember is the long table separating Emmanuel Macron from Vladimir Putin. It happened right before the sorrowful events, and there was a lot of talk about this. Is there no going back to the normal relations our two countries used to enjoy?\nSergey Lavrov: Are you speaking about a long table all covered with luxurious food?\nQuestion: No, an empty one.\nSergey Lavrov: Did it happen before the special military operation started?\nQuestion: I think it was in January 2022.\nSergey Lavrov: It was February 7, 2022, in the midst of the pandemic.\nIt is not that I have a problem commenting on this matter. In fact, I do not want to comment it. We are being told all the time that we have betrayed what they call the European ideals. However, they were the ones who betrayed these ideals, as demonstrated by facts.\nI am referring to everything approved by the OSCE\u2026 the 1990 Paris Charter for a New Europe, for example. Russia still tries honouring its provisions even today, believing that it remains relevant, while the principles it sets forth are just and reflect our commitment to working together on an equal footing. However, France basically ignores this document, despite the fact that it hosted that summit. The same applies to other EU and NATO members, including in terms of media freedoms.\nThis summit paved the way for several decisions. In 1990, the Soviet Union was living its last days, and everyone tried to enchant Mikhail Gorbachev and build a forward-looking future. Some probably thought that the Soviet Union was about to fall apart, and even at that time there were those who thought about diminishing Russia\u2019s role, as we can now see from the archival documents.\nAmong other things at the summit, the OSCE adopted at the highest level a document on accessing information. It sets forth without any doubt or ambivalence that every OSCE member must ensure free access to information regardless of whether its sources are in the corresponding state or beyond its borders. There cannot be any restrictions in this regard.\nRT and Sputnik offer a glaring example of the way the West has been ignoring what it once championed. But back then it acted this way for opportunistic reasons so that the USSR opens up as much as possible in order to make it easier for infiltrating it and promoting the Western agenda.\nWe do not harbour any illusions regarding people holding senior roles in the West. Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban and Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico are an exception. Andrej Babis has now taken office as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic These are pragmatic-minded people. It is not that they are pro-Russian. They are pro-Hungarian, pro-Slovakian and pro-Czech, and focus on their people. They do not want to call on their people to sacrifice their children for the sake of supporting the Nazi regime.\nMy former colleague Alexander Stubb, who used to serve as Foreign Minister of Finland, now pretends to know everything and camps on outright Russia-hating positions after becoming president, which included, of course, playing golf with Donald Trump.\nFinland maintained its neutrality for many decades, but this did not prevent the sprouts stemming from the Nazi past of the Finnish states from resurfacing. They worked with Adolf Hitler to occupy the Soviet Union, organise the siege of Leningrad and were involved in atrocities and ethnic cleansing. However, I always had a sincere conviction that these years of neutrality and neighbourly relations with Russia did matter. I have been to Finland\u2019s border cities many times for taking part in Arctic Council meetings. People living close to the border used to visit each other and could travel without any visas. They used to hold cinema and dance festivals, and they forged family-to-family bonds of friendship. But they cancelled everything in an instant. I am not even talking about economic damage and the way the closing of borders affected people-to-people ties. They are now building up NATO infrastructure along this border. However, there is rampant Russia-hating ideology which consists in reminding that there was a time when we took something from Finland while referring to the fact that the nationalist regime refused to take into consideration Russia\u2019s legitimate security interests right before World War II started when military units needed just a day to reach St Petersburg.\nThis DNA and the memory of having to keep Russia at bay instantly resurfaced in Alexander Stubb\u2019s case. I do not know how it all happens and how he imagines this. Truth be said, even he has recently recognised that they would have to talk with our country one day.\nThese moments of truth do come. But when they are ready to talk, we will think about what we will talk about. If they hope that we will come running once they express their readiness to sit down with Russia at the negotiating table, this will not happen. We want to understand what they are ready to bring to the negotiating table. After that, we will decide.\nQuestion: Military operations continue in Ukraine. There is a certain paradox: we have recently been told that the front is advancing and that Russia is dominating on the battlefield, and these are results that are difficult to hide. Yet for major Western countries \u2013 France, Germany, and Great Britain \u2013 these outcomes seem not to exist.\nOn November 17, Vladimir Zelensky visited Paris, for the ninth time, I believe. Together with Emmanuel Macron, he signed a declaration of intent for Kiev to purchase up to 100 Rafale fighter jets. A lot of discussion is now underway as to who will pay for all this, though it is most likely a matter for French taxpayers. My question is: what has been the strategy of France, Great Britain, and Germany from the very beginning? Is it simply, \u201cwe give money to Ukraine and we believe in Ukraine\u2019s victory\u201d?\nSergey Lavrov: I cannot comment on this situation from the standpoint of common sense. Have they promised him 100 Rafales?\nQuestion: Up to one hundred.\nSergey Lavrov: Vladimir Zelensky signed a 100-year agreement with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It seems to me he likes the number 100.\nIt was recently revealed that another 100 million was spent on bribes to corrupt officials. Has anyone in the Brussels bureaucracy, or in the countries that are pumping Ukraine full of money, explained to their taxpayers that they must endure and suffer? Perhaps there are some beneficiaries involved as well. I do not rule anything out.\nBut as for why this Russophobia has taken root in their hearts, I cannot analyse that. The only thing that is probably fair to say is that all the smiles and hugs directed toward Russian representatives before the Ukrainian crisis were nothing but a performance. They pretended to be benevolent, but in reality, they always wished Russia harm and misfortune.\nThe fact that they are now predicting the collapse of our economy, imagining that our people will rise with pitchforks and overthrow everyone \u2013 this once again demonstrates that Europe continues to live up to its reputation earned over the last 500 years, with all major misfortunes originating precisely from this group of states (some smaller, some larger). Two world wars began in Europe because of the ambitions of various European leaders. Sadly, this \u201chistorical code\u201d does not disappear, and aggressiveness with a Russophobic tint continues to persist in Europe.\nQuestion: In recent years, there has been a trend toward silencing or diminishing the role of the Soviet Union in the victory in World War II. You just mentioned Kaja Kallas. She said she was surprised to learn that the USSR and China made the main contribution to the victory.\nIn two decades, young people in the West will know absolutely nothing about this war \u2013 and essentially, few know much about it even now. How can we remind the world of what really happened?\nSergey Lavrov: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, is not alone. She certainly does not give the impression of being a top student, especially in history. But when she claims that Russia and China assert they won World War II and therefore defeated Nazism \u2013 and calls this, as she put it, \u201csomething new\u201d \u2013 well, one must know history. Unfortunately, many forget it.\nHer colleague, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, went even further, saying outright that the Soviet Union started World War II, occupied half the world, and deported everyone in the territories it occupied. This is what happens when no proper textbooks exist. Presumably, such ideas are also passed on to Estonian youth. This is the kind of people they are raising.\nAs regards the actual contribution: at the Yalta Conference in February 1945, statistics were presented based on analyses of battles and combat operations. They showed that Germany spent \u2013 if measured in \u201cman-days\u201d or \u201csoldier-days\u201d \u2013 at least ten times more such days on the Soviet front than on all other fronts combined. Four-fifths of German tanks and 75 percent of German aircraft were destroyed specifically on the Soviet front. There are also statistics showing that the Soviet Union accounted for 75 percent of all military efforts of the anti-Hitler coalition. That is evidently a decisive role. We, the peoples of the Soviet Union, defeated more than 620 divisions, over 500 of them being German.\nRegarding China\u2019s role: 90 percent of everything undertaken against militarist Japan was China\u2019s contribution. Russia and China ended World War II together by defeating the Kwantung Army. There is correspondence: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to Joseph Stalin as early as mid-1942 that the Russian army was bearing the main burden of the war. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also wrote to Stalin that it was the Russians who had \u201ctorn the guts out\u201d of the German war machine \u2013 this was in the autumn of 1944. Another matter is that Roosevelt was not known for duplicity, while Churchill, as later became clear from archival documents, was already thinking \u2013 even as he wrote those words \u2013 well, you \u201ctore the guts out\u201d of the German war machine, but we want to \u201ctear the guts out\u201d of the Soviet Union as well. They were already plotting Operation Unthinkable at that time.\nActually, they were forced to become our allies. They had spent a while hesitating over whether to open a second front, watching which way the scales would tip, and ultimately betting on the winner. But at the same time, they were already drawing up plans to attack the USSR \u2013 both the Americans under President Harry S. Truman and Great Britain under Prime Minister Winston Churchill.\nQuestion: If France wants to join BRICS, will BRICS accept France?\nSergey Lavrov: President of France Emmanuel Macron has already said somewhere that he intends to participate in BRICS. However, no one has extended an invitation to him.\nI do not believe there is a consensus within BRICS, nor even a majority, that would welcome France given its current positions in the global economy, politics, and finance. In my view, France\u2019s natural place remains within NATO and the European Union, which today are hardly distinguishable from one another; and, obviously, within the G7, which is losing relevance\u2026\nIncidentally, the G7 foreign ministers recently met in Canada, which currently holds the presidency. They adopted a statement asserting their uncompromising commitment to the principles of free markets and fair competition, ensuring that no one abuses their position in the global economy and that free-market rules are observed.\nThe impetus for this lofty and in fact reasonable declaration was the situation with Chinese rare-earth metals, which China began to limit on the market in response to unilateral US and EU sanctions. Swift calls for \u201cfairness,\u201d \u201cfree markets,\u201d and so on followed. This is a case of self-exposure.\nA closer look at how Western countries actually interpret the norms and rules of the free market and the principles of globalisation, which they once promoted as the ideal model of economic interdependence, shows that when they seek to punish someone, whether Russia, Iran, or Venezuela, they demonstrate hypocrisy, double standards, an inability to negotiate, and dishonesty. Unfortunately, these traits are now openly visible in the actions of our Western partners.\nQuestion: Will Russia accept French businesses back?\nSergey Lavrov: A significant number of French businesses continue operating in Russia. I hope I am not revealing anything confidential when I say that I sometimes meet with their representatives at their request. They are primarily interested in the conditions under which they continue to work here. They also maintain dialogue with Russia\u2019s Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance. We have no intention of expelling or restricting the rights of those who have remained.\nWhen members of the French business association meet with me, they are also interested in international political trends. These are people who, I believe, act in good faith. They have invested in Russia, want their investments to function, and are prepared to shoulder political risks imposed by their Russophobic governments.\nThis applies not only to the French. German companies and businesses from other European and EU countries also remain here. According to our statistics, more foreign companies have stayed in Russia than have left. And those who departed left their market niches free. Some closed their operations in various ways. President Vladimir Putin has spoken about this more than once. He said that those who left and would later decide to return may find their former niches already occupied, and those who replaced them are now our priority. During challenging times, they placed business interests above politics. Incidentally, I have recently seen reports on social media of several companies re-registering their trademarks and brand names in Russia.\nQuestion: One last, philosophical question. Considering the times we live in, have you ever regretted becoming a diplomat?\nSergey Lavrov: I have never thought about it. That is simply how my life unfolded. The work is truly exciting. I do not have the time to ponder whether I regret it. I take genuine interest in being part of the process of understanding the historic events and transformations we are witnessing on the international stage.\nIf my team here at the Central Office and abroad succeeds in their work, I take great pride in that. I would like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues.\nI believe that throughout this crisis in relations with the West, our team has demonstrated unity. Many expected that some would abandon their duties, tempted by various \u201coffers.\u201d There were indeed many such \u201coffers,\u201d and foreign intelligence services, both overseas and in Europe, repeatedly attempted to recruit our diplomats. Only one such attempt succeeded: a minor employee who left from Switzerland and has since disappeared into oblivion; no one remembers him. As the saying goes, \u201cevery family has its black sheep.\u201d\nLet me repeat this: as President Vladimir Putin has emphasised, the war that the West unleashed against us through Ukraine has united our society and allowed us to cleanse ourselves of those who lacked sincerity in their attitude toward the Motherland. The Foreign Ministry staff likewise remains united, effective, and result-oriented. We always feel the President\u2019s support; he defines the foreign policy that we implement across all areas of international affairs.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:46:53",
    "page_index": 4,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at a joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of Russia and Belarus, Moscow, November 25, 2025",
    "date": "25 November 2025",
    "content": "Mr Ryzhenkov,\nMr Glazyev,\nColleagues,\nFriends,\nI am pleased to welcome you to Moscow for another joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of Russia and Belarus.\nWork in this format, which we maintain only with our Belarusian friends, speaks to the unprecedentedly high level of foreign policy coordination between Moscow and Minsk. Annual collegium meetings have a proven track record as an effective mechanism for developing common approaches to key international issues and synchronising our efforts on the global stage. They provide a good opportunity to strengthen professional contacts between the senior officials and experts from our two ministries, as well as simply to have a friendly unofficial discussion.\nToday, we are looking back at the outgoing year, which marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a sacred holiday for Belarusians and Russians. I would like to express my gratitude to our Belarusian allies for their consistently close cooperation and support in all our joint undertakings. Guided by the Programme of Coordinated Actions in Foreign Policy of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2024-2026, we have closely cooperated within the framework of our common Eurasian associations, such as (in addition to the Union State) the CSTO, the EAEU, the CIS, and the SCO, as well as within BRICS, the UN, and the OSCE. In all of these organisations, we act in solidarity on virtually all international issues. We are implementing important joint initiatives, including those aimed at strengthening security and stability in Eurasia. Diplomatic support of large-scale bilateral cooperation and integration processes within the Union State has remained our overriding priority.\nUndoubtedly, the Union State is a format that sets the tone for interaction across several areas. In accordance with the resolution adopted by the collegiums and instructions issued by the respective heads of state and government, we primarily focused on promoting cooperation within common integration entities, deepening ties among them, and expanding cooperation with the countries from the Global South. Likewise, we focused on coordinating our efforts on international legal issues, among them countering the West\u2019s sanctions aggression, and other areas.\nI believe we have tangible results to present to the people of our countries. Russia\u2019s initiative to grant the SCO an observer status with the CIS has been implemented, and the CIS Plus format has been created. In September, secretaries general of the CSTO, the CIS, and the SCO signed a roadmap to promote trilateral cooperation drafted by the Russian side and a Joint Statement on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII and the foundation of the UN. The practice of cross-inviting heads of the executive bodies of the CSTO, the CIS, and the SCO to one other\u2019s summits continued. I believe it would be useful to have the Permanent Committee of the Union State step up to this interaction as well, if the State Secretary of our Union, Mr Glazyev, who is here today, supports this idea.\nWe have facilitated the dialogue between the EAEU and the SCO and BRICS, and the coordination of 2026-2030 EEC-ASEAN Cooperation Programme. We have started looking into the possibility of expanding CIS contacts with African organisations and established cooperation between the CSTO Secretariat and the AU Counter Terrorism Centre.\nAs I mentioned earlier, we have jointly promoted on all international venues the initiative advanced by the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, on the development of the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century which aligns with the initiative put forward by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to form a new architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia. We helped ensure the success of the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security in October. We are pleased to note the growing number of the countries that share our approaches and are willing to join this work.\nThe bilateral interstate Treaty on Security Guarantees within the Union State entered into force in March. Special representatives of Russia and Belarus - deputy foreign ministers Alexander Grushko and Igor Sekreta - began reviewing its implementation. On September 26, the first meeting of respective interagency delegations took place in Moscow. Overlapping assessments of the security situation in the Union State were noted.\nThe sector-specific departments of our respective ministries coordinated approaches to international legal cooperation priorities, which I mentioned earlier. Notably, the support in the UN General Assembly for the traditional resolution on the report by the International Criminal Court has significantly decreased. For the first time in all the years this resolution has been put to a vote, and fewer than half of UN member states voted in favour. In March, the presidents of Russia and Belarus signed a milestone bilateral Agreement on the Mutual Protection of Citizens from Unjustified Prosecution by Foreign States and International Judicial Bodies. A draft directive of the Supreme State Council of the Union State on mutual support and cooperation in the field of international justice has been drafted and submitted for consideration. In conjunction with our Belarusian friends, we are promoting the Declaration on Enhancing the Role of International Law and guiding principles on qualifying unilateral coercive measures as unlawful, which was signed at the previous meeting of the collegiums. In May, our permanent representatives circulated it in the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.\nWe have made significant efforts to expand international support for countering the practice of illegal unilateral sanctions. On the initiative of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter, of which Russia and Belarus are members and play an important role, the UN General Assembly adopted, in June, a resolution establishing the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures. It will be observed on December 4. We ensured the inclusion in the final document of the 16th UNCTAD ministerial session of provisions on the negative impact of unilateral sanctions on world trade. I\u2019m aware that many in this audience took part in this work. Thank you all.\nThe agenda of today\u2019s meeting is quite extensive. We will begin by discussing issues related to the joint use of humanitarian policy tools, the promotion of traditional values, and the preservation of historical memory. We will then consider matters related to cooperation with friendly states and their associations, as well as our approaches to building relations with the countries whose governments pursue an openly unfriendly policy towards us. This will also include our relations with the organisations that deviate from their own founding principles, do not adhere to impartiality and equal distance, but instead seek to take predominantly pro-Western political positions.\nWe will place special emphasis on sharing experience in foreign policy information support. Following the meeting, we plan to sign a Resolution of the collegiums and a Plan for inter-ministerial consultations for 2026.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:47:22",
    "page_index": 5,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address to organisers and participants of the No Statute of Limitations. Nuremberg. 80 Years International Scientific and Practical Forum, Moscow, November 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 November 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nFriends,\nI welcome participants of the No Statute of Limitations. Nuremberg. 80 Years International Scientific and Practical Forum. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the National Centre for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation for organising this meeting. We appreciate the Centre\u2019s contribution to perpetuating the feat of valour committed by the Soviet people that safeguarded their native land\u2019s independence during the Great Patriotic War and liberated Europe and the world from the \u201cpest of brownshirts.\u201d\nThe International Military Tribunal opened at Nuremberg, Germany, on November 20, 1945, or 80 years ago. The launch of open court proceedings against the Nazis was preceded by strenuous efforts undertaken by the Russian diplomacy since 1942.\nThe Tribunal\u2019s historic judgment not only sentenced the Third Reich war criminals but also outlawed, legally and morally, the ideology of Nazism itself. The importance of Nuremberg can hardly be overestimated in yet another respect, for it paved the way to forming the postwar international legal architecture. \u00a0The principles defined by the Trial of the Nations Charter and consummated in its sentence laid the foundation of international humanitarian and criminal law and plotted a vector for international justice.\nToday, the West prefers to \u201cforget\u201d Nuremberg\u2019s conclusions and lessons of World War II. Cynical attempts are being made to rewrite history, belittle the decisive role of the peoples of the USSR and the Red Army in the rout of Hitler\u2019s Germany, exonerate the Nazis and their stooges, and put the occupiers and the liberators on the same footing. Today, this is on full display in Ukraine, where forces hating all things Russian seized power in a NATO-supported coup d\u2019etat in 2014. \u00a0\u00a0\nOur absolute priority is, as before, a systemic work to promote the historical truth and oppose any relapses into Nazism in all its forms and manifestations. Our fundamental approaches in this regard are shared by the majority of international community members. A case in point is the broad support for the Russian draft resolution of the UN General Assembly against the glorification of Nazism.\nSimultaneously, we continue to press for obtaining an adequate international legal assessment of the crimes against the citizens of the Soviet Union, committed by Nazi invaders and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War. These crimes were qualified as genocide of the peoples of the USSR in an address by the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter to the UN General Assembly\u2019s ceremonial meeting dedicated to the memory of WWII victims on May 7, 2025.\nProfessional historians have a special role to play in the efforts to preserve historical memory and truthful, undistorted information about tragic past events. We hope that the further study of archive documents and materials will make it possible to introduce into scientific discourse new evidence of bloody crimes and atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis and collaborationists, their henchmen. There is no statute of limitations for these crimes. \u00a0\nOur moral duty is not to allow anyone to forget the past and oppose in every way the spread of destructive ideas and practices of xenophobia, Russophobia, racism, and neo-Nazism. I am confident that your forum will contribute to a profound and thoughtful conceptualisation of the legacy of Nuremberg in the interests of addressing these crucial tasks.\nI wish you successful work.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:47:34",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for the Nuremberg documentary, Moscow, November 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Why do these unshakable rules get violated in Europe? Immunity to the Nazi virus has significantly weakened. Why is that do you think? Who is trying to revise the Nuremberg Trial verdicts, and to what end?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe all of this reflects, first and foremost, the West\u2019s position which has never been steeped in justice or any ideals whatsoever. It has always relied on containing competitors.\nMany historians are of the opinion that in the early days of the Second World War, Western countries, particularly Britain and the United States, waited to see who was going to gain the upper hand, Adolf Hitler or the Soviet Union. There was a reason it took them so long to open the second front. It goes without saying that they did not want Hitler to achieve an unconditional victory. Had he seized the riches of the Soviet Union, his empire would have become unbreakable.\nThe Lend-Lease was launched immediately after the Great Patriotic War broke out and was a great accomplishment in the history of Russia-US relations. We had joint projects to deliver supplies across the North Sea with the British as well.\nWe cherish this memory. The last time President Putin mentioned it was during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. It was truly touching to see the Americans in Alaska preserve the hallowed memory of those years of alliance. President Putin laid flowers at that monument.\nHowever, the principles of wartime brotherhood were quickly put to a rigorous test. Less than a year after Victory, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his Fulton speech about isolating and fencing off the Soviet Union and lowering an Iron Curtain to prevent the communist scourge from spreading to other countries.\nThe main reason behind Nazism rearing its ugly head lies in what was happening in the countries such as the Baltic states which cultivated a genetic hatred of everything related to our shared history, including vocal refusal to acknowledge the immense contribution the Soviet Union had made to advance these backward territories and to build their own industry and infrastructure for them.\nThis hatred runs deep in their genes, It was widely fueled by the elites of the Baltic states and major Western actors, who saw it as an another chance to annoy and to destabilise the Soviet Union, later Russia, when we granted independence to the Baltic states.\nThis Nazi scourge spread rapidly to manifest itself in marches of veterans and torchlight processions. Look at what is happening in Finland, which enjoyed a reputation of a neutral state in the post-war period. That country promotes conciliation and consensus; it was behind the Helsinki process that led to the creation of the OSCE.\nYet now, in his remarks, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, at one point my counterpart as foreign minister, says that the Nazi charge is not going anywhere.\nWe are now talking about Finland as one of Hitler\u2019s most devout allies. It took part in imposing the Siege of Leningrad and perpetrating other inhumane acts, such as setting up concentration camps. We didn\u2019t feel like bringing this matter up earlier, because we thought the lessons had been learned. Not really. Nothing has been learned.\nNationalism has long been evident in Ukraine, long before the special military operation and long before the February 2014 coup. A couple of years before that coup, US Congress examined an inquiry regarding the creation and ongoing activities of the Azov battalion in Ukraine. It was recognised as an extremist organisation. The congressional resolution was adopted which proscribed any efforts to support it. Later, the Americans forgot about the resolution adopted by their own legislative body.\nTorchlight processions in Ukraine went unnoticed for years on end. Moreover, President Petro Poroshenko and President Vladimir Zelensky made sure no attempts were made to disrupt these marches.\nThe developments in Germany are the saddest part, though. I noticed a change in the mood of our German dialogue partners a long time ago, ten years at least, in my dealings with the German counterparts, several of them, including the current President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Other ministry officials who communicated at different levels with our counterparts from the German Foreign Ministry and other government agencies noticed this change as well. I\u2019d be hard pressed to come up with accurate quotes, but if I were to summarise the message they tried to convey it was that they had long since paid up their debt and atoned for everything Hitler had done, and they owe nothing to anyone anymore.\nI mentioned this in an interview many years ago. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now in office. He proudly stated that Germany must once again become Europe\u2019s strongest army. This once again shows that no lessons have been learned, at least by Merz and his inner circle.\nIt is gratifying to see that the German people do not let these metamorphoses go unnoticed. The lowest ever Merz government approval ratings can be attributed not only to economic difficulties, but also to overt revanchism, which could lead Germany into catastrophe this time again.\nWe cannot afford to let all the trends unfolding in the countries around us play out unchecked. This concerns the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Germany. In a number of European countries, Poland included, monuments to the heroes who liberated Europe are being torn down, while monuments are being erected (such as in Ukraine) to Roman Shukhevich, Stepan Bandera, and other Nazi puppets whose remembrance and glorification must be outlawed under the Nuremberg Tribunal\u2019s verdict.\nThe West, primarily Europe, is collectively pushing ideas about setting up tribunals against the Russian army, pushing all kinds of false claims about crimes allegedly committed by our military without providing any evidence to back it up. We oppose this provocation with our own efforts to establish the factual basis of our stance.\nRussia\u2019s Investigative Committee has been looking into these matters since the bloody crimes in Odessa in 2014, when frontline aviation bombed cities including Lugansk, and artillery fire targeted peaceful cities. Using regular army in internal conflicts is prohibited by international humanitarian law.\nLook at where the West stands to see once again its duplicity and hypocrisy. There is a compelling example to prove it. During Maidan protests in late 2013-early 2014, the West, including NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, vocally called on then President Viktor Yanukovich not to use the army against peaceful protesters who for weeks staged the West-fuelled provocations on the Maidan.\nShortly after the coup that brought to power the people who didn\u2019t give a hoot about the guarantees provided by France, Germany, and Poland under the agreement reached by the opposition and Yanukovich, they seized government buildings. The first thing they announced was they would cancel the status of the Russian language in Ukraine. Next thing they did was send militant groups aka friendship trains to storm the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea. After these lads began using militants and military force against those they called terrorists, meaning the people of Donbass who refused to recognise the coup, NATO - through the same secretary general - called on the new Ukrainian authorities to use force against peaceful citizens, but do so measurably. That is, Yanukovich was told not to use any force, while the new authorities were allowed to use force measurably.\nEverything we have put on record with regard to the crimes committed by the Kiev regime after the coup is of great importance. Without a doubt, these materials will come handy over time, and the criminals will get the punishment they deserve. In addition to the Investigative Committee of Russia, this work is being carried out by the International Public Tribunal on Kiev Regime\u2019s Crimes established by a member of the Russian Civic Chamber Maxim Grigoryev.\nThe Foreign Ministry created the position of Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law quite a while ago. The commissioner publishes thematic reports annually. In April, the report titled \u201cThe 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory: The Shadow of Nazism Once Again Falls over Europe\u201d was released. This is an illuminating report based on numerous facts and authentic documents, including the ones we obtained from international and governmental organisations in Europe.\nA new position - Ambassador-at-Large for the Crimes of the Kiev Regime - was recently created at the Ministry manned by renowned politician Rodion Miroshnik, who was personally involved in many events related to implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which were deliberately disrupted and which no one intended to act upon. This, too, is part of the record. The agreements to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine by granting special status to Donbass territories have been approved by the UN Security Council, yet the Kiev regime constantly violated every provision of these agreements from ceasefire to refusal to use military force.\nA couple of years ago, former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, former Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, and former President of France Fran\u00e7ois Hollande who signed these agreements admitted they never intended to implement them. That speaks volumes about their approach to international law. All UN member states without exception must comply with the UN Security Council resolutions and the Nuremberg Tribunal verdicts.\nWe see that revisionism attributed to Russia and China is actually displayed by those who erode our collective accomplishments and try to re-open the door to hate-fueled ideology and practice.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:47:46",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Moscow, November 18, 2025",
    "date": "18 November 2025",
    "content": "Dear Mr Minister,\nIt is a pleasure to see you.\nFortunately, your participation in the meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states has afforded us this opportunity to meet.\nThe advancement of our constructive partnership stands as one of the priorities of the Russian Federation\u2019s policy in South Asia. Our relations continue to develop dynamically. We share common approaches to the majority of key international issues.\nWe maintain close collaboration across various international formats. This includes the SCO, which is today convening a meeting of heads of government here in Moscow. Naturally, there is the United Nations, where recent developments have been particularly contentious \u2013 a subject I look forward to discussing with you today, especially given Pakistan\u2019s role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.\nYou are having an exceptionally productive day today. You have already discussed our bilateral trade and economic relations with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk. I understand you have had other meetings as well. Now, we can focus on international affairs, particularly as, I have already noted, there is much of considerable interest to address.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:48:03",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Moscow, November 17, 2025",
    "date": "17 November 2025",
    "content": "Distinguished Minister,\nFriends,\nWe are pleased to welcome you to Moscow as you take part in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of Government.\nWe regularly use the opportunities offered by multilateral events to talk and to sync our agendas on matters that are discussed and advanced during top-level meetings between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.\nThis is our sixth meeting this year which shows that relations between the Russian Federation and India are relations of a particularly privileged strategic partnership and are our top foreign policy priority.\nWe maintain a substantive political dialogue; the heads of security councils, foreign affairs and defence ministries, and economic agencies meet on a regular basis in addition to top-level summits. Our treaty and legal framework and numerous and highly effective interstate cooperation mechanisms are being constantly updated and improved.\nAt this point, we are placing special emphasis on creating favourable conditions for our economic operators to work in each other\u2019s markets. The list of bilateral trade items continues to expand, and supply chains that are impervious to illegitimate external influence continue to be built.\nThe International North-South Transport Corridor and the Northern Sea Route are the most promising projects in which Russia and India are deeply involved.\nWe can boast impressive results and, arguably, have even more favourable prospects in energy, industry, agriculture, military and military-technical cooperation, as well as in scientific-technical and cultural ties.\nWe closely cooperate on the international stage, including within the UN, BRICS, the SCO, and the G20. Without a doubt, our interaction contributes to strengthening regional and global stability and enhancing the effectiveness of these groups and organisations.\nYou have a rich and diverse programme in Moscow. As I understand, you will focus in particular on bilateral relations at your meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Today, however, we can address some of bilateral issues and focus mostly on cooperation in the international arena as part of the agreements between our respective foreign ministries.\nYour visit comes at an opportune time in light of the Russian-Indian summit in India\u2019s capital which is just three weeks away.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:48:17",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for the documentary Nuremberg, Moscow, November 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: How and when did the idea emerge to set up an International Military Tribunal? What role did the Soviet Union play in organising and conducting it? Why, at the early stages of the tribunal\u2019s creation, did Britain and the United States consider the Soviet Union\u2019s position on the need for a trial to be irrelevant?\nSergey Lavrov: It was the Soviet Union that was the main driver in initiating discussions and then establishing the tribunal. The issue of the need to ensure the inevitability of punishment for Nazi criminals was first officially raised in a note from the Soviet side in November 1941. Similar notes quoting facts of the Nazis\u2019 bloody and brutal crimes were sent repeatedly, including in 1942 and in 1943. In 1942, the Soviet government released a special statement which called on all countries to cooperate in the detention, search, expulsion and trial of Nazi criminals. At first, our British and American colleagues (even though the dialogue with the participation of the Soviet Union in such a format started soon enough) were chilly to this idea for various reasons. However, they expressly articulated a point that this issue was political and that it was not necessary to turn it into \u201cjudicial ideas.\u201d\nIn October 1943, at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the USSR, Britain and the United States in Moscow \u2013 it was held in the Russian Foreign Ministry Mansion on Spiridonovka \u2013 it was stated, among other agreements, that cooperation on identifying criminals and bringing them to justice would be established and organised. This idea took its final shape in Yalta, and was legally put on paper in October 1945 in London, when the tribunal was established. The statute of this tribunal was signed, which formed the basis for all its subsequent activities.\nI should note that throughout all these efforts, the Soviet Union also acted independently. It did not just hope that we would one day create an international entity and it would \u201crestore justice.\u201d In 1942, an Extraordinary State Commission was set up to establish and investigate the atrocities of the Nazi invaders and their accomplices. The commission gathered facts, materials and eyewitness accounts and organised several trials in the following years and after the end of the Great Patriotic War, including in Krasnodar, Kharkov and other cities. The experience gained through these judicial initiatives was actively used at the Nuremberg Trials.\nAs a result, Americans and the British agreed to set up a tribunal. Initially, they had their doubts, and there are interesting facts about it. At some point, President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt said that, instead of establishing a tribunal, it would be better to have 50,000 German officers publicly executed by firing squad. Then Prime Minister of the UK Winston Churchill also said that they should be executed rather than tried in court. What an interesting observation.\nOn the other hand, as contemporaries write in their memoirs, the Anglo-Saxons were initially expressed their reluctance to setting up an international judicial body which was due to their fears that a trial would somehow lead to the question of what caused the war in the first place, and why, after the Treaty of Versailles, the countries that were supposed to deter and contain Hitler\u2019s Germany, went on to collaborate with Hitler.\nIt is a well-known fact that in 1935, the British signed a maritime agreement with Adolf Hitler, according to which, in grave violation of the Treaty of Versailles, they single-handedly assisted Germany with increasing its naval forces five times against the limits as set forth in the Treaty of Versailles.\nCertainly, there is also the 1938 Munich Agreement which played a decisive role in what was subsequently labelled \u201cappeasing the aggressor.\u201d\nOur Western colleagues were reluctant to dive deeper into history and did not want it to resurface again in the public debate. These facts were widely known at the time. It would be fair to say that eventually, a reasonable understanding of accountability prevailed and the arguments of the Soviet Union \u2013 the primary initiator and driving force of the Nuremberg Trials \u2013 were heard and accepted. Our role here is absolutely indisputable.\nQuestion: In your opinion, what is the historical significance of the Nuremberg Trials in the post-war period? How did they affect the world order?\nSergey Lavrov: The verdicts of the Nuremberg Trials contained the principles that were first developed during the trials. They served as the foundation of modern international law. They abolished the might makes right principle and established that it is unacceptable to use force and violate humanitarian principles in any conflicts.\nIt was during the Nuremberg Trials that the principle of inevitable punishment for war crimes, aggression, crimes against humanity and genocide was articulated on an international and universal scale.\nSubsequently, this was organically reflected in numerous conventions adopted by the UN and in other frameworks. It was also reflected in the principles of international law that formed the basis of the UN International Law Commission. Nuremberg verdicts have largely defined the operations of the International Court of Justice too.\nWhat makes the Nuremberg verdicts especially important is that they eliminated the statute of limitations for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. The Nazi ideology and party, and structures like the SS and SD were prohibited forever. It is deeply regrettable that some of these rulings have been challenged and often breached these days.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:48:28",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with Russian media outlets, Moscow, November 11, 2025",
    "date": "11 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Moscow and Washington have almost simultaneously announced nuclear test plans. Does this signify global instability or rather demonstrate equal capabilities and thus the preservation of parity?\nSergey Lavrov: I have heard nothing about Moscow announcing nuclear tests, so it is inaccurate to say that Washington and Moscow made such statements simultaneously.\nAs I mentioned in a recent interview with Russian media outlets, we have so far not received clarifications from our US counterparts as to what exactly President Donald Trump meant to convey in his remarks. Was it nuclear tests, delivery vehicle tests, or subcritical tests which do not involve a nuclear reaction and are permitted under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)? There has been no answer to that so far.\nThe CTBT Preparatory Commission met yesterday, but a US representative failed to provide any clarifications, either, although such a forum is clearly the right place to clarify what the US President had in mind when he said that.\nThe US administration is still in the process of being formed. Many second and third-level positions, primarily in the Pentagon, have so far remained vacant.\nIn particular, Robert Kadlec has been nominated for the position of Assistant Secretary of Defence for Nuclear Deterrence Policy and Chemical and Biological Defence Programmes. Last week, he spoke before Congress, where he was grilled on the issue of nuclear testing and the current administration\u2019s approach to nuclear weapons. He said that President Trump\u2019s decision to resume nuclear tests was driven by geopolitical considerations. As before, there is no technical need to conduct such tests. That\u2019s a strong statement. I\u2019m not sure whether the speaker himself realises the gravity of what he said, but we are compelled to interpret this as confirmation of what we have been saying all along which is that there is no technical necessity for such tests. He went on to say that the goal was geopolitical and thus drove the point home for us.\nWhat may the geopolitical goal of the United States look like? Domination, right? The use of nuclear weapons argument in this setting is alarming and represents a significant departure from the concept once agreed upon by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev where a nuclear war cannot be won and therefore must never be fought.\nRobert Kadlec seeking the position of Assistant Secretary of Defence also stated that nuclear options should be developed to respond to certain regional conflicts that may flare up. That, too, is a rather curious statement. It\u2019s a direct tell that this gentleman, once in office, will be thinking in terms of using nuclear threats in order to achieve the outcomes that the United States may need in a particular region.\nHe then went on to demonstrate even more instances of double standards when he said that NATO\u2019s nuclear deterrence strategy might be revised in the wake of Russia deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Yet, the fact that this was done after many decades of joint nuclear missions with US tactical nuclear weapons long stationed in five NATO member states and the fact that we have long proposed to redeploy all nuclear weapons back to the countries that own them was simply ignored.\nSince Belarus has received nuclear weapons from Russia, the US side now wants to deploy theirs somewhere else as well. We are aware of ongoing contacts with South Korea and Japan. These games are very dangerous.\nBack to your question, we have not announced nuclear test plans. At a meeting of the Security Council\u2019s permanent members, President Vladimir Putin highlighted US President Donald Trump\u2019s statement that Russia and China have long been doing this, and therefore the United States must do so, too. We immediately contacted our counterparts and let them know that there must have been a misunderstanding. We are looking forward to receiving clarifications.\nPresident Putin has issued a directive not to conduct nuclear tests and not even to make preparations for them. The Foreign Ministry, along with other agencies, including military and intelligence, has been instructed to analyse the situation and to reach a consensus on whether this situation warrants considering the resumption of nuclear tests.\nOur principled position was laid out by President Putin in 2023, when, taking a question during one of his speeches, he said that if a nuclear power were to conduct nuclear weapons test (not delivery system tests, not subcritical tests), then Russia will respond in kind.\nQuestion: One more article has recently been published where the journalist and his sources claim that the United States, in particular Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been shocked by your uncompromising stance. Have you really been hard on the Americans or is this yet another article where they have gone too far with their sources?\nSergey Lavrov: We are polite people, and we try to remain polite. I have already answered similar questions in several interviews.\nSince this audience consists of professional journalists, I would like to draw your attention to the latest facts of unprofessional and harmful coverage of certain events in the media, primarily British media. You know what is happening at BBC. It\u2019s a shame that some individuals are trying to justify the situation and are speaking about an orchestrated campaign.\nI would like you to take note of the item published in The Financial Times, which said that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed to meet in Budapest and instructed me and Marco Rubio to prepare that meeting. Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio have talked on the phone, but before that the Russians allegedly submitted a harsh memorandum after reading which the Americans decided that talking with the Russians would be pointless and meaningless.\nThere are so many lies here, including when it comes to the sequence of events. The memorandum the FT journalists mentioned is a non-paper, an unofficial draft we have sent to our colleagues not after but several days before the Putin-Trump conversation. It was designed to remind our American colleagues what we discussed in Anchorage, and what agreements we thought we reached (the Americans have not refuted this) during the US-Russian summit. That unofficial document did not contain anything other than what was discussed in Anchorage, which our American counterparts did not regard as cause for rejection.\nThe presidents\u2019 telephone conversation was held after the document was delivered to the Department of State and the National Security Council. During that conversation, US President Donald Trump did not say a word about receiving a provocative or \u201csubversive\u201d paper that destroyed all hopes for a settlement. No, they had a normal conversation. President Putin gave a positive response to US President Trump\u2019s idea of meeting in Budapest and proposed instructing the countries\u2019 foreign ministries to prepare that meeting. That is exactly what we planned to do.\nUS President Donald Trump also said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would call me. I received his call three days later. We had a polite conversation without any nervous episodes, by and large reaffirming progress based on the agreements reached in Anchorage, and went off the phone. The next step was a meeting by representatives of our foreign policy and defence departments, and possibly our security services. However, the Americans have not taken the next step, although we waited for them to take the lead when it comes to the place and time for such a preparatory meeting because they had proposed holding a summit.\nInstead, they made a public statement that they don\u2019t want to hold a meaningless meeting. When Secretary of State Rubio made public comments on our telephone conversation, he did not say that he had noticed any aggravation or that it had undermined the chances of success. If I remember correctly, he said that it was a constructive conversation that quite clearly showed where we stand, which is why there was no need for a meeting. This can be interpreted in several ways, but this is what he said. There is a joke that we have a clean conscience because we seldom use it. But it is absolutely to the point in this case.\nWe see no reasons to offer excuses for being and remaining committed to what our presidents discussed in Alaska. Even if they did not agree on every comma and semi-colon, they have at least reached an understanding.\u00a0\nQuestion: You just mentioned the summit in Budapest. After his talks in the United States, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n said he still hopes the meeting can happen. Is that still a possibility? And why has the focus shifted from a meeting in Hungary to a discussion of nuclear tests? What has changed?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe I have already addressed this. I cannot speak to what is behind the US position on nuclear testing, because President Trump\u2019s claims about a supposed Russian and Chinese \u201cresumption\u201d of testing are simply not true \u2013 assuming we are talking about full-scale nuclear weapons tests. Other types of tests, like subcritical experiments (which do not produce a nuclear chain reaction) and tests of delivery systems, have never been prohibited. So, we are seeking clarification on these allegations.\nAs for the facts: Russia conducted its last nuclear test in 1991, and the United States in 1993. That was over thirty years ago. China\u2019s last test was shortly after that. The most recent test by the DPRK was in 2017. Since then, we have seen no indications that any country is preparing to resume this practice. If someone were attempting to do this covertly, deep underground, it would be up to the professionals involved to expose it. In that case, they should be briefing the White House, not operating behind closed doors.\nThere is a robust global monitoring system in place, which both Russia and the US participate in. It relies on seismic data to record any significant underground vibrations. They know perfectly well what the indication of a nuclear explosion looks like. So, I would not conflate the issue of nuclear tests with the Budapest Summit.\nThe other day I watched President Donald Trump host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House and then speak with journalists. When asked about a meeting in Budapest, he said that he had thought it over and decided not to hold it, because, he said, \u201cI didn\u2019t think anything was going to be happening of significance.\u201d This fits with the thinking he expressed not long ago when he said that \u201csometimes you\u2019re better off letting them fight for a while.\u201d\nFrankly, I don\u2019t see any causal relationship here. We are ready to discuss the suspicions raised by our US counterparts whereby we have allegedly holed up deep underground and are secretly doing something there. We are also ready to discuss with our US counterparts resuming preparatory work for the summit between the leaders of Russia and the United States, which they themselves proposed.\nIf and when our US counterparts renew their proposal and appear ready to begin preparations for a high-level meeting that could produce meaningful results, Budapest would, of course, be our preferred location. All the more so as, during his meeting with Viktor Orban, Donald Trump confirmed that Budapest was a preferable venue for Washington as well.\nQuestion: There is not much time left before the New START Treaty expires, yet the United States has not presented its official stance on President Putin\u2019s initiative. Do you think the United States will respond in the near future? If, by any chance, an articulate answer never comes, would that make a difference for Russia?\nSergey Lavrov: We have made it clear many times that this proposal is a unilateral gesture of goodwill on our behalf. No talks or consultations are needed for the United States to support our approach. All the United States needs to do is state that it will not raise the quantitative limits under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty for one year that is at least for as long as Russia adheres to its own unilateral commitment. That\u2019s all there is to it. No further steps are required.\nAs for whether any talks are underway to renew the treaty, no, there are no talks. Once again, the situation is completely transparent. The quantitative levels are well known. We know what the Americans have, and the Americans know what they have. Let\u2019s take a year to, so to speak, cool down, analyse the situation, stop measuring everything by the Ukraine yardstick, and focus on the great powers\u2019 responsibility to maintain global security and stability, above all, in terms of avoiding nuclear war. We are ready for that.\nThis has nothing to do with the time constraints. A declaration to renew the quantitative limits can be made at any point before February 5. By the way, the current New START Treaty was renewed right after Joe Biden had taken office just a few days before the initial expiration date. Renewing the treaty is a much more complicated endeavour than the simple act of making a voluntary statement to continue observing and respecting its numerical parameters.\nQuestion: Considering rising tensions in the region, has Venezuela approached Russia with a request to provide military assistance? Has Caracas asked Russia to deploy its weapons in Venezuela similar to the way it was done in Belarus?\nSergey Lavrov: No, no such requests have been made.\nI believe it is inaccurate to compare our relations with Belarus which is part of the Union State and with which we share synchronised, coordinated, and unified positions on all key international security matters with our relations with the friendly nation of Venezuela which is our strategic and comprehensive partner, to which end we signed a treaty not long ago.\nHowever, considering, among other things, the important geographic factor it would be inaccurate to juxtapose our partnership with Venezuela with our Union with the Republic of Belarus.\nThe treaty I mentioned is an entirely new instrument. It was signed in May during President Nicolas Maduro\u2019s visit to Moscow to attend the events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The treaty is now in its final ratification phase. It is called the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation and provides for continued collaboration in matters of security, including military-technical cooperation.\nWe stand ready to act fully within the framework of the commitments we and our Venezuelan friends have assumed in this treaty. It has not yet entered into force. Venezuela has completed its ratification procedures, and we have only a few days left to do so as well. Both chambers - the State Duma and the Federation Council - have held hearings to that effect, and the treaty is almost finalised. We will strictly adhere to the obligations it contains.\nI\u2019d be remiss to conclude my comments on Venezuela without mentioning our position on the unacceptable actions the United States is taking under the pretext of combatting drug trafficking as it destroys boats allegedly carrying narcotics, without trial, investigation, or any evidence whatsoever. Law-abiding nations do not do that. This kind of behaviour is more typical of those who consider themselves above the law.\nRecently, citing the Daily Mail, Kommersant reported that Belgium was rapidly turning into a narco-state, where corruption, blackmail, violence, and the shadow economy based on drug trafficking flourish across all sectors, from customs to the police. Not the most reputable source, perhaps, but if even Daily Mail wrote this, they must have had a reason to do so. Why else would they slander their NATO partner?\nInstead of targeting Nigeria or Venezuela under the guise of fighting drugs - and seizing oil fields in the process - the United States would do better to tackle this problem in Belgium. After all, the US and other NATO troops are already there. They wouldn\u2019t need to chase small boats carrying three individuals each. I\u2019m confident that the policy chosen by the Trump administration with regard to Venezuela will not lead to anything good. It will not enhance Washington\u2019s reputation in the eyes of the international community.\nQuestion: You have repeatedly stated that peace in Ukraine will only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the conflict. As is well known, one of these root causes is the rampant neo-Nazism in Ukraine. Is this issue discussed in your negotiations with American colleagues?\nSergey Lavrov: We regularly raise this issue. In fact, since the Anchorage meeting and my telephone conversation with Marco Rubio, we have had no further contact. We did not specifically broach this topic in Alaska, but they are well aware of our position. It is \u201cin writing\u201d for them. There is no secret about it. The position was articulated by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, when he spoke at the Foreign Ministry, outlining our fundamental approaches to Ukraine and relations with the West.\nAmong other absolutely non-negotiable conditions for a settlement \u2013 such as demilitarisation, the removal of any threats to the Russian Federation, including by dragging Ukraine into NATO, and safeguarding the rights of Russians and Russian-speakers, as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church \u2013 there is also the demand for denazification. This is not something we have invented as a notion alien to modern Europe.\nOne might think of the Nuremberg Trials. Their outcomes, forming part of the UN Charter, are a cornerstone of the international system established after the Second World War. Certainly, all of Europe signed up to this. Germany underwent denazification and a process of repentance.\nRegrettably, now \u2013 perhaps even beginning with Germany \u2013 we sense that this repentance has come to very little. I have spoken about this before: some 15 years ago, during better days, in conversations with German colleagues, we noted the signals they were sending \u2013 not verbatim, but the meaning was quite clear. The gist was, \u201cDear colleagues, we have settled our accounts for the Second World War, we owe nothing to anyone anymore, and now we will act accordingly.\u201d\nFormer Chancellors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz at least tried to observe decorum, while Friedrich Merz has repeatedly declared that his goal is to make Germany the primary military power in Europe once again. I think it unnecessary to explain what kind of signal such statements send \u2013 to make Germany the primary military power again. It already was a military power when it conquered more than half of Europe, calling it to arms to attack the Soviet Union.\nWhen such Nazi relapses occur in the birthplace of Nazism, it naturally causes alarm. Naturally, it will require from us \u2013 from all those invested in a stable world \u2013 principled stances when discussing the final parameters of a settlement.\nIf the West finally recognises the futility of this scenario, i.e. that the demand should not be for a cessation of hostilities merely to continue arming Ukraine, but to act as President Donald Trump proposed before the Alaska meeting. He said then that a temporary truce would resolve nothing and that the conflict must be ended on the basis of principles for a sustainable settlement.\nYes, Europe later attempted (and not without success) to drag our American colleagues back into its camp of \u201ctruce, support for Ukraine, not a step back, not an inch to the left.\u201d Nevertheless, President Donald Trump did say this, and it became the foundation of the understandings unequivocally agreed upon in Anchorage. Incidentally, this is what distinguishes the Republican administration, the administration of Donald Trump, from its predecessor \u2013 the administration of Joe Biden.\nRecently, I came across an interview with Kurt Volker. He was the US State Department\u2019s special representative for Ukraine under Joe Biden. He claimed that Russia would never agree to a peace deal. It is unclear where he got this from, because it is precisely we who are striving for a peaceful settlement. He added that Vladimir Putin does not consider Ukraine a legitimate or sovereign state. There is an answer to this as well. We recognised Ukraine when it was not a Nazi state and had not banned any language \u2013 in this case, Russian \u2013 as the only country in the world to do so. We recognised Ukraine as it was defined by the Declaration of State Sovereignty and the Act of Independence: a non-nuclear, non-aligned, neutral state. That is what we recognised, and that is how things stood.\nNext, Kurt Volker asserts that Vladimir Putin is convinced Ukraine should be part of Russia (I will not even engage with that topic) and that the Russian President considers Vladimir Zelensky a Nazi. But where is the proof to the contrary? Vladimir Zelensky regularly poses on television, awarding honours to fighters of the Azov regiment (The organisation is recognised as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation) and other Nazi battalions, who wear the insignia of Nazi Germany on their sleeves. How else should one regard this man?\nThe eradication of Nazism in Ukraine \u2013 denazification \u2013 is an absolute condition for any settlement if we want it to be long-term. We do want that and will pursue it. But when no one in Europe, in their dealings with Ukraine, raises the issue of the country\u2019s Nazification; when no one, except Hungary, addresses the rights of national minorities; when no one demands that Vladimir Zelensky repeal the law banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church\u2026\nIn Alaska, when President Vladimir Putin explained to US President Donald Trump how we assess the situation in Ukraine, he mentioned that in 2024, they passed a law aimed at banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. President Donald Trump did not believe it. He asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present at the meeting, three times whether this was true. Marco Rubio confirmed that it was. It was clear that the US President was, to put it mildly, taken aback.\nReturning to Ukraine and its legislation. I mentioned Hungary. When the Brussels bureaucrats, led by Ursula von der Leyen (who is now creating an intelligence structure and will personally oversee it), were pushing through the decision to begin negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the European Union, Hungary \u2013 credit must be given to the courage of Hungarian President Viktor Orb\u00e1n and his Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 \u2013 stood alone in insisting that among the conditions Ukraine must meet before negotiations begin, there must be the resumption and restoration of all Ukrainian obligations regarding the respect for the rights of national minorities. There is a rather lengthy text on this topic. It was not difficult to draft, because the Constitution of Ukraine still requires respect for the rights of the Russian (singled out specifically) and other national minorities.\nCurrently, there is the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos. When she claims that Ukraine is ready and has fulfilled all the necessary conditions to begin negotiations, this is simply untrue. Nothing has been done to address or restore the rights of national minorities \u2013 not even for the Hungarian minority, despite Hungary being a member of both the European Union, which Ukraine so desperately seeks to join, and NATO, where Vladimir Zelensky is also constantly pushing for membership. No action has been taken on this front, just as nothing has been done regarding the remains of the victims of the Volhynia massacre in relation to Poland.\nThe European Union remains entirely silent on these blatant violations. Ukraine stands as the only country in the world to have completely banned a language. Even in Finland, where about 7 percent of the population are ethnic Swedes, Swedish is an official language. The figures speak for themselves \u2013 compare that to the situation in Ukraine. From Brussels, we hear nothing about Ukraine\u2019s actions except for the mantra that they must stand with Ukraine to the end, \u201cuntil victory.\u201d\nThis same refrain was recently echoed by Mark Rutte and other representatives of the Western European establishment. They insist that they must always defend Ukraine because it is upholding European values. This is nothing less than a confession \u2013 a self-exposure. It reveals that, in the eyes of today\u2019s Brussels bureaucracy, European values equate to the revival of Nazism. That is precisely why we cannot afford to show weakness here.\nQuestion: Recently, Lithuanian authorities have been increasingly flirting with the idea of closing their borders and halting transit to Kaliningrad for Russians, using increasingly flimsy pretexts. What measures is Russia taking, potentially with Minsk, to prevent this? And how will Russia respond if Lithuania follows through?\nSergey Lavrov: These smaller nations \u2013 the \u201cyoung Europeans,\u201d like Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia \u2013 seem to vastly overestimate their importance in the eyes of the Western European \u201cold guard\u201d of the EU. Those in Europe who still possess a shred of common sense and a genuine concern for the continent\u2019s security (a dwindling group, admittedly) are perfectly aware of the provocative role assigned to these Baltic states by their handlers, primarily British ones.\nLondon\u2019s penchant for provoking situations is, of course, notorious. Take the recent case where the Russian FSB exposed a plot to trick a Russian pilot, flying a fighter jet armed with a Kinzhal missile, into flying to a base in Constanta, Romania with a fake order. The obvious intent was for the plane to be shot down, creating a pretext to accuse Russia of attacking NATO. But I\u2019ll set that aside for now; the FSB has already laid out the details. I don\u2019t know how the British will wash away the stain, but they\u2019ve always had a remarkable talent for this, like a duck that waddles away from a shower without a drop of water on its back.\nThe former empire that once ruled most of the world is gone, and so is the \u201cgood old England\u201d they so love to parade. They have little economic weight left, and their military might is relatively weak, as even their nuclear arsenal isn\u2019t fully under their control. They have to compensate for this weakness somehow, so they fall back on that traditional English aspiration to \u201cdivide and conquer,\u201d to put it politely. There are, of course, less charitable terms for their actions and goals.\nNow, back to your question. Indeed, recently we\u2019ve seen not just the usual threats to block Kaliningrad transit, but certain figures \u2013 not in Lithuania, but within the EU itself \u2013 egging the Baltics on by suggesting Kaliningrad could be \u201crazed to the ground.\u201d Meanwhile, Lithuania has already closed its border with neighbouring Belarus, leaving hundreds of trucks from Lithuanian carriers stranded there.\nOn this matter, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, as always, used particularly vivid language. These actions are outrageous. It brings to mind the phrase the Americans once used about dictators in Latin America, in Central America: \u201cHe may be a son of a bitch, but he\u2019s our son of a bitch.\u201d That\u2019s precisely the attitude the European bosses have towards the antics of their Baltic prot\u00e9g\u00e9s. They\u2019re expected to commit as many heinous anti-Russia acts as possible, while also provoking Russia into a response that can be \u201csold\u201d to Washington primarily as grounds for invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty and starting serious military action.\nWe see this clearly. But the obligations regarding Kaliningrad transit are not Lithuania\u2019s alone; they are the obligations of the entire European Union. The 1994 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Russia and the EU included a provision on ensuring transit between neighbours. This was reinforced by a separate joint statement on transit in 2002, which had direct legal effect. Then, in 2004, when the Baltic states and other Eastern European nations were admitted to the EU, a Joint Statement on EU Enlargement and EU-Russia Relations was signed, which explicitly reaffirmed all these commitments.\nSubsequent technical documents spelled everything out in minute detail, including the layout and procedures for a \u201ctemporary travel document\u201d and the clearance processes for passenger and rail cargo transit. The European Union must now take responsibility for the behaviour of its wayward \u201cjunior members\u201d who are spinning out of control.\nBack when decisions on admitting Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia into the European Union were being drafted in 2004, we asked our European counterparts - back then we had plenty of contacts and fairly open trust-based discussions - whether those three Baltic states were ready to meet the EU membership criteria. We were told they fell short in some areas, but...\nWe wondered whether bringing unqualified candidates into the EU made any sense. They said they knew where we were coming from, but having gained independence those countries were still haunted by phobias of \u201coccupation.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ll bring them into the EU and NATO,\u201d they said, \u201cand they\u2019ll calm down.\u201d Have they? I think the exact opposite happened. Not only did they not calm down, but they decided they would now call the tune in the EU and NATO, at least when it\u2019s about openly Russophobic and anti-Russian \u201crhapsodies.\u201d That\u2019s the position they have adopted today.\nIn response to what I\u2019m saying, someone in the EU may argue that we \u201cinvaded\u201d Ukraine in violation of certain agreements we had arrived at with the EU before that. I have no doubt someone out there will be willing to come up with an argument like that. They are reluctant to recollect how things actually played out in Ukraine. How it all began long before the Minsk Agreements, long before Crimea, back in 2013, when then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich analysed prospects for signing an EU Association Agreement and realised that many of its provisions would imperil trade, trade arrangements, and other economic benefits Ukraine enjoyed in its contacts with the Russian Federation. He became fully cognisant of this and requested to put off the signing scheduled for late November 2013. We supported his approach. We did so not because we wanted to prevent Ukraine from pursuing relations with other countries, but because we wanted Ukraine to keep its access to its commitments under the CIS Free Trade Area and its economic ties with Russia, which had been vastly beneficial for Ukraine. We also strived to avoid inconsistencies between the principles underlying relations between us and the obligations Ukraine was supposed to assume under the EU Association Agreement.\nBack then, President Vladimir Putin reached out to European Commission President Jos\u00e9 Manuel Barroso (former Portuguese Prime Minister), letting him know that Russia had a free trade area agreement with Ukraine, and the EU planned to create one with Ukraine as well. The principles of these two areas are at odds with each other. Putin suggested having the three parties - Ukraine, Russia, and the European Commission - sit down and discuss ways to harmonise them. What could be more reasonable? Barroso came back through some obscure channels saying that since the EU did not interfere in Russia\u2019s trade with Canada, Russia should likewise stay out of EU-Ukraine relations.\nWe often talk about former Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and her confession that $5 billion had been invested in Ukraine over the years preceding the coup. The EU catalysed the Ukraine crisis. It fueled the Maidan protests and planted the catch phrase that Ukraine must be with Europe, not Russia. They said this publicly. So, we should be left out of it, and they shouldn\u2019t justify their own lawlessness by referring to the steps our country was forced to take after exhausting every reserve of goodwill and constructive proposals.\nHere are some examples of the EU showing lack of integrity. In 2008-2009, the EU - France in particular - faced issues in Chad and the Central African Republic, which were home to small French expeditionary forces that lacked air support. They asked Russia to send in a helicopter group to assist in operations against rebels that engaged in genocide and other atrocities. We have sent the group as requested. Later, we reached out to our EU partners with a suggestion to create a joint crisis response mechanism for operations abroad based on this experience.\nWe proposed an approach under which, if Russia were to conduct an operation, we could invite the EU to participate in it on an equal footing, and if the EU were to engage in an operation, it could invite Russia. They were receptive of the idea. Discussions began, and everything appeared to be moving towards the sides coming to terms. Some time later they told us there would be no parity, because there already was an agreement outlining the possibility of Russia\u2019s participation in EU operations, which covers everything. So much for an approach supposedly based on equality.\nThere are quite a few other examples, including the Meseberg Initiative, which we recently mentioned in our comments. Back then, President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in Meseberg on a declaration establishing an EU-Russia Committee on Foreign Policy and Security. Ukraine was not even mentioned, only Transnistria. Merkel insisted on having the creation of that committee come with a condition, namely ensuring progress in the Transnistria settlement. That provision was included. Following those understandings, we ensured the resumption of the \u201c5+2\u201d format for the Transnistria settlement, which had been dormant for several years. The format resumed its work, but when we approached the EU with a proposal to now create the joint Committee on Foreign Policy and Security, they chose not to reply and the idea went off the table. That\u2019s how much the EU\u2019s word and even signature is worth. In this particular case, the EU was represented by Chancellor Angela Merkel.\nA particularly glaring example is the visa-free regime with the European Union. Negotiations had been underway even before 2004, as at the Russia\u2013EU summit in 2004, the then-head of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, stated that within a couple of years we would achieve a relaxation of the visa regime. Several years elapsed. We developed our internal regulations based on the framework agreed with the EU. Once these norms were finalised domestically and all requisite bilateral agreements with individual EU member states were concluded, no outstanding condition remained unfulfilled. In response to our query regarding potential timelines for abolishing the visa regime, the European Union engaged in protracted deliberations. Its eventual response was to table a new draft document, proposing a joint consideration of further steps. The document outlined purely technical nuances. Nevertheless, we engaged in this work as well. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly recalled those times. Back then, not only was faith alive, but there was also a lingering hope that we were dealing with honourable counterparts. Ultimately, these additional technical matters were also resolved. This was in the summer of 2013. When we suggested announcing the agreement, they (the EU officials) withdrew from official contacts on the matter and from providing an official response. Off the record, it was intimated to us that, despite our full preparedness, political considerations precluded the conclusion of a visa-free agreement with Russia prior to finalising such agreements with Moldova and Georgia. Ukraine was not mentioned at the time.\nTherefore, should the European Union level accusations of violations against us, firstly, there is not a single factual basis for such claims, and secondly, we have ample means to \u201cpacify\u201d our European colleagues.\nQuestion: Next year, the Treaty on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship, and Cooperation between Russia and China will expire. Are there negotiations underway to extend it? Or will Moscow and Beijing draft new agreements to reflect the changed realities?\nSergey Lavrov: This treaty remains entirely relevant. It is no coincidence that when its initial term expired in 2021, approximately a month prior, President Vladimir Putin and President of the People\u2019s Republic of China Xi Jinping signed a document extending the treaty for five years. These five years are now coming to an end. The 2021 statement affirmed that the treaty remains fully pertinent, retains its force, and serves the interests of further strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between our countries.\nI believe this assessment still holds. However, events are unfolding rapidly, and our strategic cooperation and multifaceted partnership with the PRC are deepening, acquiring new dimensions. In principle, we have agreed with colleagues from other agencies to explore whether specific areas could be used to \u201cenrich\u201d this treaty. I am unsure of the form this might take. It could involve adopting another document confirming and expanding the treaty\u2019s provisions. No definitive decisions have been made yet, nor are they necessary, as such decisions, when put in writing, merely reflect the realities on the ground. In practice, our relations have never been more advanced, close, or trusting. As our Chinese friends say: we work \u201cshoulder to shoulder, back to back\u201d in all spheres of international life. These are not empty words.\nThus, I assure you that the date of July 16, 2026 will not pass unnoticed. The details of how our cooperation with our Chinese friends will be confirmed, expanded, and deepened will be handled by the executive offices of our leaders. A report will subsequently be submitted at the leadership level.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:48:39",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with Voyennaya Priyomka TV programme on the occasion of Rosoboronexport company\u2019s 25th anniversary, Moscow, November 9, 2025",
    "date": "9 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Over the past 25 years, Rosoboronexport has become a key player in the global arms market. How do Russian arms exports influence the country\u2019s standing in global politics and diplomacy, particularly as regards top-level negotiations?\nSergey Lavrov: The short answer is, they do play a significant role.\nWe are living in a different era now. Although we often mention that Russia has two allies \u2013 its army and its navy, \u2013 we obviously need to bolster our aerospace forces as well.\nLooking at the situation from a geopolitical perspective, Russia\u2019s involvement in the global struggle for influence, particularly in ensuring fairness in global processes and preventing any single nation from dictating the actions of others, is supported by Rosoboronexport as well as by companies that supply products to international markets through this key intermediary \u2013 and act as Russia\u2019s allies in the efforts to democratise international relations. There is no question about that.\nMany nations that are breaking free from the historical grip of colonialism have formally gained independence and declared decolonisation \u2013 and yet, they still find themselves economically dependent on their former colonisers. As these countries work to fully establish their independence, their primary concern is securing the safety of their nations and citizens as well as maintaining an adequate defence capability. In this regard, our military-technical cooperation and the assistance we provide in helping them establish their fully independent nationhood is crucial. Russia\u2019s position in the world largely depends on the success of these defence partnerships.\nQuestion: Including the effectiveness of Rosoboronexport specialists?\nSergey Lavrov: Absolutely. Rosoboronexport is Russia\u2019s primary supplier to global markets, and it has earned the trust of manufacturers of our military products.\nThe company has proven its ability to deliver promptly, on time, and provide reliable servicing for the equipment it supplies. The Foreign Ministry has a long-standing, strong relationship with Rosoboronexport, and we have always supported each other. We have never failed each other, and we certainly haven\u2019t let them down.\nQuestion: Military-technical cooperation is often viewed not only as an economic tool but also as a political one. How would you assess its role in building strategic relationships with Russia\u2019s key partners?\nSergey Lavrov: It is fundamental. Military-technical cooperation and the provision of military products is a cornerstone of long-term alliances and strategic partnerships that provide a framework for lasting partnerships. In this regard, it is among primary areas of focus in our work with our allies.\nMoreover, the military equipment received through Rosoboronexport by our allies and strategic partners that seek to develop such level of partnerships is not only highly competitive, but has also proven its superiority on the battlefield.\nFor instance, when Russia was compelled to send a unit of our Aerospace Forces to the Syrian Arab Republic to help combat the ISIS and prevent the impending catastrophe, our troops\u2019 activities on the battlefield and our military equipment were praised by many experts worldwide. Today, during the ongoing special military operation, the effectiveness of our forces is being closely analysed by numerous countries, including those in the West.\nThis is an important factor in shaping our country\u2019s standing in the global arena, its reputation, and authority.\nQuestion: I would add that arms exports are not just about selling products, like a tonne of potatoes. It is about building long-term relationships, training people, and facilitating a learning process. While cadets study at our military academies, they ultimately become familiar with Russian culture and language. It is a long-term, ongoing story.\nSergey Lavrov: I started with mentioning that this is a long-term, promising aspect of our relations. This is indeed so.\nQuestion: In recent years, Russia has taken efforts to boost its military-technical cooperation with new partners, including countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. What are the prospects for further expanding Russian arms exports, and how does this affect high-level negotiations on the global stage?\nSergey Lavrov: I would not call countries in Asia, the Middle East, or Africa \u201cnew\u201d partners for Russia. These are regions that we have long-established relationships with.\nYet, you absolutely right in noting that certain countries that until recently had depended on Western manufacturers have shifted away from them. Observing global developments and ongoing conflicts with various arms used, these states have come to realise that Russian weapons are superior: they are more durable, have demonstrated their advantages over comparable Western arms and systems, and have proven to be more efficient and cost-effective.\nFor example, now, during Donald Trump\u2019s presidency, there have been many revelations about inefficiencies in the US military-industrial complex and Pentagon military procurement. As I remember, a similar case was observed during his first presidency, such as a $12,000 ladder needed to climb into a fighter jet. These are examples of wasteful spending when so much of the expenditure goes toward administrative or related processes rather than the actual manufacturing of the product.\nIt is not surprising that during the period when NATO was still a properly functioning organisation and we were working cooperatively with the alliance within the Russia-NATO Council, we engaged in numerous joint projects such as counterterrorism initiatives and collaborative work in Afghanistan. One such project was a NATO-Russia helicopter programme for Afghanistan, where NATO countries, particularly the United States, were seeking to use Russian helicopters for operations in the country. I remember it fairly well. However, when NATO adopted its stance, severing ties and rejecting Russian helicopters, it had to encounter operational difficulties.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:48:51",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with RIA Novosti, Moscow, November 9, 2025",
    "date": "9 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian Federation is prepared to continue adhering to the restrictions established by New START for one additional year, starting February 5, 2026. Has there been any response from the United States? Did Moscow propose a meeting with Washington to discuss the post-New START period? If so, at what level?\nSergey Lavrov: The constructive initiative put forward by President Vladimir Putin in the post-New START context speaks for itself. It contains no hidden agenda and is perfectly clear for understanding. Its practical implementation would not require any special additional efforts. Therefore, we do not consider it necessary to hold in-depth discussions on this proposal.\nThe only thing required is reciprocity from the United States: we will voluntarily adhere to the restrictions only if, and precisely for as long as, the other side does the same. Naturally, should the Americans have any questions, they are free to raise them with us.\nSo far, there has been no substantive response from Washington. We have been informed through diplomatic channels that \u201cthe issue is under consideration.\u201d\nWe have no intention of keeping persuading anyone. We believe that our step serves the interests of both parties and the entire international community. We are ready for any development of events, while hoping for a positive outcome.\nQuestion: What is currently the main stumbling block in the negotiations with the United States on a settlement around Ukraine? Where is Russia ready to make concessions and where is it not?\nSergey Lavrov: The understandings on Ukraine reached during the Russia-United States summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15 were based on the conditions for a fair and lasting settlement that President Vladimir Putin outlined back in June 2024 during his meeting with the leadership of our Ministry. We also took into account the proposals transmitted shortly before the Anchorage meeting by US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.\nAt that time, the American side assured us that it would be able to ensure that Vladimir Zelensky would not obstruct the achievement of peace. Apparently, certain difficulties have arisen in this regard. Moreover, as we understand, Brussels and London are attempting to persuade Washington to abandon its intention to resolve the crisis through political and diplomatic means and to fully engage in efforts to exert military pressure on Russia; in other words, to finally join the \u201cparty of war.\u201d\nWe are currently awaiting confirmation from the United States that the Anchorage agreements remain in effect. I would emphasise that, despite their essentially compromise nature, we have not abandoned \u2013 and do not intend to abandon \u2013 the points that are fundamental for us. The American side is well aware of this. No one disputes the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation or the choice made by the residents of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya, who made their historic decision to reunite with their homeland through the referendums in 2014 and 2022. We likewise do not forget the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, which we have repeatedly highlighted.\nQuestion: What will be Russia\u2019s response if the frozen assets of the Russian Federation are directed to support Kiev?\nSergey Lavrov: It is no longer surprising to see the cynicism with which the European Commission interprets the UN Charter and other norms of international law, including provisions concerning sovereign immunity and the inviolability of central bank assets. Such actions amount to outright deception and theft. It seems that the long-dormant instincts of colonialists and pirates have reawakened among Europeans. No matter how the scheme for seizing Russian funds is presented, there is no lawful way to carry it out.\nThe confiscation of our gold and foreign currency reserves will not save the united Europe\u2019s prot\u00e9g\u00e9s in Kiev. It is obvious that this regime will be unable to repay its debts or service its loans. There are few within the European Union who are eager to blindly take such steps, which also entail serious reputational risks for the eurozone as a territory of economic activity.\nRussia will respond to any predatory actions appropriately, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, our national interests, and the need to compensate for the damage caused to us. We hope that Brussels and other Western capitals will still come to their senses and abandon this ill-advised venture.\nQuestion: Has the US administration informed you of its readiness to recognise Crimea de jure as Russian territory as part of the peace plan?\nSergey Lavrov: For obvious reasons, we do not disclose the details of our discussions with the American side on the Ukrainian issue. However, when clearly fabricated stories appear in the media, we naturally provide clarifications. The discussion covers a broad range of issues and is by no means confined to a single topic, although some journalists and analysts attempt to portray it as such, which is fundamentally incorrect.\nLet me repeat: in our view, ending the conflict is impossible without fully taking into account Russia\u2019s legitimate interests and addressing its root causes. As for Crimea and Sevastopol, the residents of the peninsula exercised their right to self-determination in the March 2014 referendum, voting in favour of reunification with Russia. So, the issue of who the peninsula belongs to is resolved for us.\nQuestion: When and where could a meeting between the Russian and American delegations on mutual \u201cirritants\u201d take place? What about your meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio? When and where might it be held?\nSergey Lavrov: There are indeed many irritants in Russia-US relations, most of them inherited from the previous US administration. It will take considerable time to clear up this mess.\nWith the arrival of the new administration, we have noted its certain readiness to resume dialogue. It is underway, although not as rapidly as we would prefer. Two rounds of consultations took place in the spring, with a number of agreements reached to improve the conditions for the operation of our diplomatic missions.\nFrom our perspective, it is important that this dialogue should not be limited solely to embassy-related issues. We consider it essential to address broader questions, including the restoration of direct flights and the return of Russian diplomatic property that was illegally seized by the Obama administration in December 2016, just three weeks before the first inauguration of Donald Trump.\nAt that time, then-National Security Advisor-designate Michael Flynn contacted our ambassador and, on behalf of the incoming US president, urged us not to respond sharply to the outgoing Democratic administration\u2019s provocations, saying they would sort everything out upon moving into the White House. We are still waiting. Our proposals regarding both diplomatic property and air service have been conveyed to the American side. We remain in working contact concerning the possibility of continuing dialogue.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio and I share an understanding that maintaining regular communication is essential, both for discussing the Ukrainian issue and for advancing the broader bilateral agenda. We remain in contact by telephone and are prepared to hold in-person meetings whenever necessary.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:49:05",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for the Tonight. Yuri Nikolayev. 50 Years on Air television programme, Moscow, November 1, 2025",
    "date": "1 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: What do the Foreign Minister and presenter Yuri Nikolayev have in common?\nSergey Lavrov: To put it immodestly, we are both good people. We share a similar outlook on life. We have many mutual friends. Why assume diplomats cannot share interests with those from the world of arts? This has always been the case. One needs only look to the Soviet era for numerous instances of personnel forging friendships with artists, singers, poets, and television hosts.\nIt is invariably a pleasure to converse with Yuri Nikolayev. I recall when we knew him only through his television persona. Subsequently, a chance encounter led to our personal acquaintance, and we have maintained regular contact since.\nQuestion: He hosted the Morning Mail show for 16 years and the Morning Star show for 12 years \u2013 through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. On screen, he led entertainment programmes. In your view, how crucial was it that these programmes retained their positive tone even during the country\u2019s most challenging periods?\nSergey Lavrov: Exceptionally so. I believe this approach \u2013 this very tone \u2013 fundamental to this genre of television programming.\nReflecting societal shifts is another vital function of television and mass media. However, that responsibility falls to political commentators and analysts, for whom dedicated programmes exist. What Yuri Nikolayev hosted were kind, sincere broadcasts, oriented towards family and children. They were instrumental, in my assessment, in preserving a spirit of goodwill within our nation, a spirit that must endure regardless of political circumstances. Moreover, this is of profound importance in safeguarding our country\u2019s traditions.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:49:16",
    "page_index": 5,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview on the occasion of Federal Medical-Biological Agency Head Veronika Skvortsova\u2019s birth anniversary, Moscow, November 1, 2025",
    "date": "1 November 2025",
    "content": "Question: Could you please share your assessment of Veronika Skvortsova\u2019s contributions to international healthcare cooperation and her impact on key areas of scientific significance?\nSergey Lavrov: I consider her, without exaggeration, a legendary figure. Veronika Skvortsova is renowned both in her own country and globally.\nSince 2001, she has actively leveraged her exceptional leadership and professional qualities \u2013 as a medical practitioner, administrator, and healthcare organiser \u2013 to emerge on the international stage. She assumed the helm of the World Stroke Organisation (I must admit, I had long been unaware such an entity existed) and began leading the international expert group on stroke prevention and treatment. In 2012, Veronika Skvortsova was appointed Minister of Healthcare. It was then that we became acquainted and commenced close collaboration. We undertook numerous joint initiatives, particularly given her aptitude \u2013 and, crucially, her capacity \u2013 for international engagement, where she\u00a0 achieved remarkable success.\nIn 2014, she convened in Moscow the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. I was not particularly enthused \u2013 I am aware of certain personal shortcomings \u2013 yet today, we actively adhere to the recommendations formulated during that conference in 2014, which advocate gradually eliminating this habit.\nIn 2017, at Veronika Skvortsova\u2019s initiative, the first WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Tuberculosis was held. The proceedings were vigorous, yielding substantial outcomes and recommendations. Her international recognition and the esteem for her accomplishments were further underscored when, that same year, she was elected Chair of the 70th World Health Assembly \u2013 the WHO\u2019s supreme governing body.\nWhile serving in the Government of the Russian Federation, she additionally chaired two intergovernmental commissions \u2013 the Russian-Hungarian and Russian-Nicaraguan commissions. I am well acquainted with this work, as my Hungarian colleagues still recall with appreciation the productive and rewarding cooperation with Veronika Skvortsova in these spheres.\nI must emphasise her significant role in orchestrating international efforts to combat non-communicable diseases. Special events were held on this subject, which subsequently became a priority for the World Health Organisation and was even incorporated into the agenda of the UN General Assembly.\nThen, in January 2020 \u2013 coinciding with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic \u2013 she assumed leadership of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia. Veronika Skvortsova immersed herself in our nationwide response, with her agency making pivotal contributions to pandemic prevention and mitigation. Diagnostic test systems were developed, along with the specialised drug Mir-19. The FMBA also produced a vaccine that proved effective both domestically and abroad.\nAnother area of her passionate engagement is nuclear medicine. Under the FMBA\u2019s auspices, the Bion-M No. 1 and Bion-M No. 2 satellites were launched, marking an advanced phase of scientific innovation.\nWithin the International Atomic Energy Agency and its committees and commissions on radiation protection, Veronika Skvortsova is highly regarded for her proactive participation and initiatives. The relevance of nuclear medicine and countering the adverse effects of radiation continues to grow.\nI believe Veronika Skvortsova celebrates this anniversary at the zenith of her influence and international renown \u2013 as well as the esteem of Russian citizens, including your humble interlocutor.\nQuestion: You have known Veronika Skvortsova for many years. Which of her personal and professional qualities do you value most? Speaking broadly of her experience and dedication, how deeply does she commit to her work?\nSergey Lavrov: She is a professional of the highest calibre. I have just cited several examples. While I cannot claim expertise in every facet of her highly specialised field, it is evident that she possesses profound mastery of her craft, continually seeking innovation within the FMBA\u2019s remit \u2013 and previously, that of the Ministry of Health. Wherever she serves, she gives her all.\nNotably, she remains a modest person. When her mighty achievements \u2013 I can find no other term \u2013 are acknowledged, Veronika Skvortsova responds with humility. She is deeply compassionate, never hesitating to assist when approached, even by friends, and does so with unmistakable sincerity. An exemplary individual and consummate professional.\nI wish Veronika Skvortsova many more years of fruitful labour for the benefit of our healthcare system and all the fields her talent has enriched. I have no doubt that there lie ahead glorious and wondrous discoveries yet to be made.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:49:57",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to media questions following a high-level plenary session of the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Minsk, October 28, 2025",
    "date": "28 October 2025",
    "content": "Good afternoon,\nI would like to take this opportunity to once again convey, through our media, my gratitude to our Belarusian friends - President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and my counterpart Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov - for inviting me to the Minsk Conference on Eurasian Security that is now an annual event. I took part in all three previous conferences, and I\u2019m genuinely pleased to take part in this forum for the third consecutive year.\nThe conference is steadily moving towards becoming a promising discussion and expert platform to develop concrete recommendations. From my standpoint, the fact that delegates from public authorities, as well as experts, political scientists, and civil society figures have come together for this event is important and makes it possible to leverage ideas coming from civil society that genuinely resonate with the people.\nAn increasing number of people across the Eurasian continent recognise the importance of removing obstacles that are being artificially put up on the way towards sustainable, independent, and effective economic growth, improvements in the social sphere, and logistical infrastructure of this vast and resource-rich continent.\nPresident Lukashenko\u2019s speech was followed by speeches delivered by foreign ministers of Hungary, Myanmar, and the DPRK, as well as the Special Representative of China for Eurasian Affairs. Still to come are speeches by ranking representatives from India, Iran, the UAE, Cambodia, and secretaries general of the SCO, the CSTO, and the CICA. Over time, these integration groups will, through the natural process of restoring connections and developing joint projects, eventually become part of Eurasian architecture relying on an economic foundation and a logistical dimension, which is a solid basis for building security architecture.\nForty-eight delegations are represented here. The participants will use various panels to discuss every angle of the pressing goals of Eurasian development.\nWe are doing our best to promote President Putin\u2019s initiative to create Eurasian security architecture within the context of our efforts to create the Greater Eurasian Partnership. We are using this tentative term to make sure the continent has platforms it can use to freely discuss, examine and bounce ideas off one another.\nYou may have heard our statement. Many in the West recognise the importance of Eurasia, but the problem is that Western countries, primarily, NATO members are not ready to engage on an equal footing or to seek forms of pan-continental cooperation based on equality and indivisible security across our common geopolitical space. On the contrary, they want NATO bodies to spread across the entire continent, including the Pacific, where NATO seeks to create military-political alliance-like closed blocs with a limited number of participants, thus eroding the universal and open architecture that it took the ASEAN countries decades to build. All interested countries were welcome to be part of that architecture and use its various mechanisms.\nEfforts are being deployed to reverse this process and to subordinate ongoing developments in Eurasia to the interests of the North Atlantic Alliance. These interests are, above all, about containing China, Russia, and the DPRK and, in the long run, any other country that may wish to assert its right to pursue an independent policy based on national interests.\nIn closing, I would like to point out that our Belarusian friends have put forward an initiative to draft a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. We strongly support this idea. Several countries said they were willing to participate in drafting this document. This process will take time, but the goal has been set, and a growing number of countries share it. We will keep moving towards this goal.\nQuestion: How is this conference different from the two previous ones? Has the tone changed in light of resuming dialogue with the United States?\nSergey Lavrov: What sets this conference apart is the fact that its participants discuss the initiative put forward by Belarus, with our support, to draft a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. We are now discussing specific proposals.\nPresident of Belarus Lukashenko mentioned in his speech that many good ideas are put forward, and their value can hardly be questioned, but we need to focus on practical results. The Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century is the first step towards that end.\nI haven\u2019t sensed the impact of our relations with the United States on the discussions. We are discussing Eurasian affairs and, as I understand, the participants are seeing the value in focusing specifically on them. Who would object to countries from other continents showing interest in establishing relations with their Eurasian partners? Most importantly, these relations should rely on respect for the interconnections tying this geopolitical space together, rather than seek to replace them. The continent is vast, and there\u2019s enough room for everyone. Foreign countries - I mean countries from other continents, including the United States - are welcome to engage in honest and fair cooperation in developing the continent\u2019s resources for everyone\u2019s benefit.\nQuestion: Could potential deals on Ukraine become part of new Eurasian security architecture?\nSergey Lavrov: Security, by definition, implies pacification and settlement of all conflicts in Eurasia. What really hampers a normal dialogue is not so much what is going on in Ukraine, but what the West, primarily the Europeans and the NATO and EU \u201celites,\u201d are doing after their policy aimed at inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia has failed.\nOur vision of the future Eurasian security bodies does not leave out any single country or any continent. Representatives from Hungary and Slovakia have been taking part in this conference for several years now; Serbia participated in 2024, and Serbian political scientists are present here as well. We are all for keeping the doors open to all countries on our continent. The only condition is that cooperation must be equal and honest, without any hidden agendas designed to secure unilateral advantages.\nFor example, NATO and the EU are building their own dialogues and interaction frameworks with Central Asia and South Caucasus. I don\u2019t think anyone can see hidden agendas in that except when, as we are now witnessing, the West is seeking to use these ties to pull these countries away from the Russian Federation rather than to establish mutually beneficial cooperation. We will use all available diplomatic, political, and economic means to counter such dynamics.\nWe don\u2019t want to see anyone use the goodwill of our allies and like-minded partners in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, or other parts of Eurasia for that matter, for unseemly purposes or push them towards confrontation with Russia, which cuts against our allies and partners\u2019 economic and political interests.\nQuestion: In recent months, contacts between Belarus and the United States have intensified. After the latest round of talks, it was announced that sanctions on Belavia Airline had been lifted. However, the Americans said their planes could not enter Russia\u2019s airspace. What do you think about that step? Is Moscow happy for its closest European ally?\nSergey Lavrov: We are happy every time illegal measures get revised, or even more so lifted to get them out of the way of the natural and mutually beneficial cooperation. However, you should take a harder look at it.\nLifting the sanctions on Belavia is a fairly tricky move. In fact, it is a very limited exemption from the remaining sanctions regime. Issues related to flight range and spare parts remain at the discretion of the US side. So, it is more of a show than anything else. Nevertheless, we welcome this move, because it is a move in the right direction. Still, Belavia and its aircraft fleet will remain dependent on the United States not only in terms of spare parts, but also in terms of the attempts to be in charge of the company\u2019s policy and, by extension, to have leverage over the policy of the Republic of Belarus.\nI hope our US colleagues will realise that returning to honest and fair business practices is the way forward.\nWe, too, are interested in cooperation with the United States in the aviation sector. During our initial contacts in January and February, we proposed resuming direct flights. As far as we can sense from our conversations, this matter does not seem to be on the list of their priorities.\nQuestion: When someone once again asked President of the United States Donald Trump whether the Budapest summit can happen, he replied by saying that it can take place if he gets what he called guarantees that it would pave the way for the so-called Ukraine deal. Considering how quickly the President of the United States changes his position on this matter, is there any understanding what kind of a deal was Donald Trump referring to, and how is it different from what was discussed in Alaska?\n\u00a0\nSergey Lavrov: Russia also needs guarantees that the meeting between the two presidents yields tangible results. We are ready to make it happen. Moreover, during the meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States in Anchorage, we supported the proposals as presented by Special Envoy of the US President, Steve Witkoff, during his trip to Moscow one week prior to that. In Alaska, President Vladimir Putin sought a confirmation from Steve Witkoff, who was also present there, whether we got his proposal right. And Mr Witkoff emphasised while standing right in front of his president that our vision was spot on. This is when we expressed our readiness to move toward reaching a final solution, but so far, we are still waiting for the United States to confirm the proposals we received from them. We used them as a foundation for moving forward with this agenda.\nAs for the fact that President of the United States Donald Trump has been changing his position all the time, of course it was quite surprising to see him once again take the well-known stance reflecting the feverish frenzy by the Europeans and the Vladimir Zelensky regime to put everything on hold so as to be able to supply more weapons to the authorities in Kiev, the Presidential Office, as they call it, i.e., Ukraine\u2019s armed forces and all other elements of the Kiev regime.\nFollowing the Alaska summit, and even before it, by the way, Donald Trump mentioned many times the need to achieve lasting and sustainable peace instead of a temporary ceasefire, which will not have any added value, even if it lasts for a year or two. We do hope that the logic of achieving lasting peace prevails and the United States takes it onboard.\nLet me give you a good example. When President of the United States Donald Trump got serious about the Palestine issue and the occupation of the Gaza Strip by the IDF, Washington did not require an immediate cessation of hostilities. Instead, there was a lengthy negotiating process to devise a framework which would make this ceasefire viable. It included hostages, and freeing prisoners, as well as handing over the bodies of the dead hostages and defining the coordinates to delineate areas in Gaza where Israel would stay, and where it would withdraw its forces. This is to say that there was a serious effort to work on the preliminary conditions for making this ceasefire agreement possible.\nDuring the Ukraine conflict, Russia agreed to a ceasefire without any preconditions back in April 2022. At the time, we went as far as withdraw our troops from the Kiev suburbs as a gesture of our good will, as President Vladimir Putin has been regularly reminding us. But you know what came out of it.\nTherefore, we hope that President Donald Trump is genuinely committed to achieving sustainable peace instead of facilitating efforts to supply the Kiev regime with more weapons and funds to enable Europeans to keep using it in their struggle, i.e., war, against the Russian Federation.\nQuestion: Has there been any uptake on behalf of the United States after President Vladimir Putin offered to discuss matters dealing with ensuring strategic stability, and specifically the prospects of an unscheduled extension of the New START? Or there is an option for making a unilateral commitment not to exceed the caps as per the New START, since these commitments will not be executed as a bilateral agreement, even if both parties undertake to comply with these limits?\nSergey Lavrov: Any extension has been out of the question for quite some time now.\nWhen Russia withdrew from this agreement, President Vladimir Putin decided that Russia would comply with the limits as set forth in the New START regarding strategic weapons until this treaty expires in February 2026. But since this treaty\u2019s end date is approaching and there are no other options on the horizon for maintaining at least some limits in terms of strategic stability, President Vladimir Putin came forward with an initiative to extend the period during which we will voluntarily comply with these caps. However, this will only be possible if the United States makes the same step. This will give us one more year to have a closer look on the situation as far as strategic stability is concerned.\nWe need a totally different atmosphere in Russia-US relations to work on this new treaty. There has been some obvious progress in these relations. The first thing to mention in this regard is that we were able to resume our dialogue. We did not have any dialogue under Joe Biden, the preceding president of the United States. So we must recognise the Donald Trump administration for its efforts. It stands for dialogue and views it as an imperative for Russia and the United States as the leading nuclear powers. It is my hope that we receive a positive response from the Americans to our proposal on assuming a unilateral commitment to respect the caps as per the New START.\nPresident of the United States Donald Trump has praised the initiative by President Vladimir Putin several times. We expect this positive feedback to pave the way for an official announcement.\nQuestion: Apart from the media coverage, has there been any reaction to the test launch of the Burevestnik, the Russian nuclear-powered cruise missiles, via diplomatic channels?\nSergey Lavrov: I am not aware of any reaction via diplomatic channels. In fact, it feels as everyone is trying to stay off the radar.\nQuestion: In your opinion, what is the role of direct region-to-region ties between CIS countries in terms of the economy and culture for promoting integration processes across the post-Soviet space?\nSergey Lavrov: They have a positive role, of course. This applies to any contacts between CIS countries, be it at the level of central governments, presidents, senior government and parliamentary officials. Regions offer quite a promising cooperation framework, and the effort to use this potential has been going on for quite some time now. There are special regional cooperation forums with many CIS countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and many other states. There has been positive momentum in terms of promoting region-to-region cooperation across all sectors and domains, including trade, the economy and investment. There are also humanitarian and educational contacts, cultural performances, etc. I have no doubt that this is a very promising track that can play a fundamental role. There is this sense of a grassroots movement when it comes to promoting region-to-region ties, and we want to encourage these efforts in every possible way.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:50:11",
    "page_index": 6,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at the high-level plenary session of the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Minsk, October 28, 2025",
    "date": "28 October 2025",
    "content": "Co-Chairs,\nFriends.\nI was delighted to be invited once again to speak at this podium. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is holding this conference for a third year now (1, 2). It has established itself as a leading international platform for discussing key security-related topics for the Eurasian space, just as my friend and colleague, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, has just said in his remarks.\nI think that it is now obvious to everyone that Eurasia is at the geopolitical centre of a nascent multipolar world order today. It is here that processes shaping the future of international relations are unfolding. I am primarily referring to the emergence of several independent civilisational centres representing the Global Majority across the Eurasian continent. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has said many times that in today\u2019s world, they are the ones setting the tone in international affairs. By doing so, they bring forward the day when the world will free itself from the shackles of eras past, primarily in terms of security and economic development.\nWe can see that an overwhelming majority of NATO and EU countries are refusing to recognise an objective truth \u2013 the era of Western dominance has come to an end and we entered a new historical era. This is what sets apart Russia, our partners within the CIS, China, India, Iran and the DPRK, as well as all those Eurasian countries which are convinced in the need to ensure unwavering compliance with the principles of sovereign equality and indivisible security for all, not just the chosen ones who believe that they stand above the law and are not bound by any moral imperatives \u2013 this is what offers a foundation for ensuring stability and wellbeing for our continent.\nRussia and our allies cannot be blamed for undermining and then terminating, i.e. burying, international arms control agreements in recent years. NATO has not halted its expansion effort, even for a moment, despite the assurances provided back in the day to the Soviet leaders not to move east even by an inch. They are doing this despite the commitment they have assumed at the highest political level within the OSCE to refrain from reinforcing their own security at the expense of others and not to seek regional, let alone, global dominance.\nThey planned and provoked the conflict in Ukraine, which dealt a final blow to the Euro-Atlantic Security model, which used to rely on NATO, the OSCE and the European Union. Over the past eight years, the EU evolved into a Euro-Atlantic component of this setting. Today, there are voices coming from Europe about building a new European security system, but having floated this idea, they instantly add that there is no place for Russia and Belarus within this framework.\nTake President of France Emmanuel Macron\u2019s initiative to create the so-called European Political Community, while intentionally and publicly refusing to invite Russia and Belarus to join it. This mounts to creating something akin to a European chapter of the OSCE while excluding two countries whose policies the West views as objectionable. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko elaborated on this topic during his remarks today in a convincing manner.\nBy the same token, they do not make any secret of the preparations for a new major European war. This effort is taking place to the west of the Union State. For this purpose, they are creating coalitions.\nIn July 2025, France and Great Britain agreed to coordinate their nuclear forces by creating an Entente Cordiale-like framework for designing missile systems. The Germans signed an agreement with the UK, which basically amounts to establishing military cooperation, and in recent days we have been hearing calls coming from London to add a nuclear dimension to this military cooperation between the UK and Germany. The militarisation of Europe is gaining traction with more funding for defence manufacturers, large-scale exercises, and efforts to perfect logistics for moving troops to the so-called eastern front by using the infrastructure of countries which are not part of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation.\nThe plans to intensify NATO activity in the Arctic, which we (and I am convinced the majority of sensible nations) would like to see as a territory of peace and cooperation, give significant cause for concern. Peace and cooperation in the Arctic is what the Arctic Council initially agreed upon but since those agreements, the West has been trying to isolate Russia from this forum.\nIt is the European members of NATO that are prolonging the armed conflict in Ukraine by funnelling weapons into the Kiev regime and providing it with financial and political support. Most European leaders are at pains to persuade the US administration against the idea of reaching a settlement in Ukraine by eliminating the root causes of the conflict at the negotiating table. We hope that US President Donald Trump remains sincere about his aspiration to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and will persevere in adhering to the principles developed at the summit in Anchorage \u2014 the principles founded on America\u2019s proposals.\u00a0\nEurope has been groundlessly accusing Russia of planning an invasion of NATO and EU countries. European leaders invented this nonsense and repeat it in a conscious deceit of their own nations. By inflating the anti-Russia hysteria on the principle of \u201cwar will justify everything,\u201d as we say in Russia, they are trying to blame Moscow for their own mistakes, including the numerous mistakes and failures with regard to Ukraine.\nMy question is: do Europeans feel safer when their elites are taking off gun covers? I think the answer is obvious. We have stated repeatedly that we have never had and have no intention to attack any member of NATO or the European Union. We are willing to formalise this statement in the future security guarantees for this part of Eurasia, which the EU leaders are avoiding on a truly collective basis, proudly claiming that since the Ukrainian crisis, there must be security guarantees against Russia rather than with Russia. This is their mindset.\nWe are also concerned that NATO is artificially expanding its area of responsibility far beyond the Euro-Atlantic region. To this end, the alliance has advanced the notion of the \u201cindivisibility\u201d of its security and that of the Indo-Pacific Region. When we ask them how these steps correlate with the North Atlantic Treaty, we hear that the organisation remains a purely defensive alliance and operates to repel threats to its members \u2014 but, apparently, threats are coming from all directions now, even from the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The North Atlantic Alliance is seeking to claim its place in the Pacific Ocean while undermining the foundations of the regional security architecture that has been growing around ASEAN\u2019s central role for decades. The obvious purpose is to contain China, isolate Russia and oppose the DPRK.\nNATO does not leave other Eurasian regions without its attention, including the Middle East, the South Caucasus, and Central and South Asia. These sub-regions are dealt with on an individual basis rather than in the context of concerns about pan-continental or pan-Eurasian interests. NATO is trying to secure its position everywhere and exert its influence on these processes, this influence being extremely negative in most cases due to the alliance\u2019s aggressive policy. A reasonable question arises: if this is the general trend, do we want our immense and beautiful continent to become NATO\u2019s patrimony? We cannot agree to this.\nA fundamentally different philosophy of interstate collaboration, rather than the bloc thinking of the Cold War era, is needed in the new environment where all countries, their economies and general stability are interdependent. Life itself is pushing us to engaging in a new effort to arrange our geographical space in the spirit of multipolarity and multilateralism.\nRussia has taken the first steps. Back in 2015, Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Russia-ASEAN Summit, suggested establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership that envisaged the creation of a continent-wide contour of equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation via the expansion of trade and economic ties and alignment of integration processes, including those unfolding within the framework of\u00a0 the CIS, SCO, EAEU, the Union State, ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other organisations. A little over a year ago, President of Russia Vladimir Putin put forward an initiative to create Eurasian security architecture based on the principle of its indivisibility.\nWe view this as a constructive alternative to the \u201cbankrupt\u201d institutions that served the Euro-Atlantic model, where the \u201ccolleagues\u201d from the Atlantic Ocean\u2019s other coast played an excessively significant role.\u00a0 We are not going to instruct anyone as to who should cooperate with whom; we are asking a different question, namely: Why not think about creating a continent-wide architecture open to all countries and associations based in Eurasia?\u00a0 \u00a0\nEurasia has many sub-regional, integration and military-political groups, as do Africa and Latin America, where, apart from sub-regional organisations, there are continental forums like the African Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.\u00a0 In Eurasia, there is no umbrella organisation that would provide a platform for a frank and equitable exchange of views. \u00a0\u00a0I think it is quite important that the initiative advanced by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko follows precisely this path. It seems to be a very promising initiative. I am sure that it will enjoy a great future.\nTrue collective security cannot be reduced to serving the interests of a narrow group of the \u201cselect few.\u201d We have mentioned this. Security will either be universal or there will be no security at all. Every man for himself.\nRussia favours the situation where each state is recognised as having an equal right to choose ways of ensuring its security, from military-political neutrality to participation in alliances. But this right of choice cannot be implemented in isolation from another rule that is of no less importance, a rule that has also been mentioned by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. I am referring to the premise that no one can strengthen their security at the expense of others. Not a single country, a group of countries, or an organisation should aspire to regional domination. Regrettably, NATO is doing precisely that.\nIn promoting the basic postulates of Eurasian security at multilateral venues, Russia seeks to introduce them into practice by signing bilateral agreements. Several latest examples include our agreements on security guarantees with Belarus, on comprehensive strategic partnership with the DPRK and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Encouraging interaction between various associations on our common continent is yet another crucial area. \u00a0\u00a0\nWe attach special importance, as far as security factors are concerned, to the CSTO and SCO, which have amassed much experience of ensuring military-political stability and combating new challenges and threats.\u00a0 The CIS has much potential as well, and it is strengthening its ties with the CSTO and the SCO. \u00a0Quite recently, a decision was approved to create a new unifying format, CIS Plus, taking for its basis a proposal suggested by President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev.\u00a0\nWe support another Kazakhstani initiative to transform the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia into a fully-fledged organisation of Eurasian scope.\nEurasian security is one of the central topics in our dialogue with China. It is very important that Russia\u2019s vision of Eurasia\u2019s security architecture for the future resonates with the Global Security Initiative as put forward by the President of the People\u2019s Republic of China. It provides for addressing the root causes of all conflicts as a perennial principle. It is essential that this principle materialises, including in Ukraine and on Palestinian territories.\nAs for the specific challenges for the Eurasian continent, we have been paying special attention to preventing the use of force on the Korean Peninsula, promoting stability in Afghanistan and along its borders, achieving a fair settlement for the Palestinian issue, as well as bringing relations between Iran and Arab countries back on track as per the Russian initiative to create a collective security system in the Persian Gulf region.\nWe reaffirm our steadfast commitment to preserving ASEAN\u2019s centrality in terms of enabling Southeast Asian countries and their partners from various regions to work together on the basis of the principles of equality and inclusiveness. ASEAN-centric structures have accumulated a wealth of experience in promoting collective efforts to counter common challenges and threats. We believe that reinforcing our partnership within these frameworks will bring about a seamless space of equal and indivisible security. In our opinion, strengthening cooperation between ASEAN, the SCO and CIS is another promising option.\nPut forward by Belarus, the initiative to draft a Eurasian Charter for Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century is designed to play a consolidating role, as has been said. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has elaborated on this topic and reaffirmed his commitment to these initiatives, along with the need to make practical steps towards fulfilling principles which are largely shared by many countries. Russia supports this idea of great potential and is proactively promoting it.\nWe are ready to engage in substantive discussions regarding any constructive initiatives and proposals to further promote a sense of Eurasian belonging by doing as much as possible so as to use the immense comparative advantages of our continent for the benefit of all its countries. This includes the Europeans, too. They are our neighbours and live in Eurasia. We are delighted to greet representatives of European countries taking part in today\u2019s conference, including the European Union, NATO and others.\nMeanwhile, present-day elites in the EU and NATO have been seeking to isolate anyone trying to follow an independent policy by prioritising national interests and common sense. This made the prospect of engaging in meaningful dialogue with most of them a far-fetched proposition. Bureaucrats in Brussels must renounce their high-browed claims to an exceptional status and their hostile policies targeting many other Eurasian countries, including Russia and Belarus. We cannot rule out the need to develop a new security framework for Europe, but this time it will be part of a pan-Eurasian architecture.\nIn conclusion, I would like to emphasise that Russia views the emergence of a system ensuring equal and indivisible security for Eurasia as an objective historical process and a means of facilitating the sovereign development of the participating countries. By agreeing on universally acceptable security guarantees, including regarding external threats from the outside of the Eurasian continent, we can build a shared space free from conflicts and offering a favourable environment for mutually beneficial and effective cooperation.\nI congratulate the Minsk forum on becoming an annual event and wish all of us every success in our efforts.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:50:22",
    "page_index": 6,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea Choe Son-hui, Moscow, October 27, 2025",
    "date": "27 October 2025",
    "content": "Comrade Choe Son-hui,\nFriends,\nWe are genuinely pleased to welcome you again on your way to Minsk where you will participate in the 3rd International Conference on Eurasian Security. Your and our participation in this important conference will, without a doubt, contribute to the advancement of our shared goal of building a just world order in Eurasia and elsewhere.\nI often think back to the event at the magnificent resort of Wonsan Kalma held in July as part of the second round of the Russian-Korean strategic dialogue. In the three and a half months since then, our relations have got a powerful boost building on our respective leaders\u2019 fundamental agreements during the Pyongyang Summit in June 2024.\nMore objectives were set forth during the latest meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un in Beijing on the sidelines of the solemn events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II.\nThe joint celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the DPRK on August 15, which was attended by Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin, was a landmark event.\nDuring the visit, an agreement was reached to establish a high-level bilateral interparliamentary commission which is another important mechanism that will serve to promote our strategic partnership.\nThe 80th anniversary of the Workers\u2019 Party of Korea marked on October 10 was widely covered in Russia as well. A representative delegation led by United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev took part in the celebrations.\nI would like to once again express my gratitude to Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong-un for the attention accorded to Dmitry Medvedev and his delegation.\nDuring these contacts in Pyongyang, our representatives repeatedly reaffirmed the high praise and appreciation expressed by President Vladimir Putin during his communication with Comrade Kim Jong-un for his strong support of the actions that Russia was forced to take in response to our Western \u201ccolleagues\u2019\u201d attempts to turn the Kiev regime into an ever-present threat to the Russian Federation and a launching pad for destroying everything Russian.\nRussia will never forget the heroic feats performed by the soldiers and officers of the Korean People\u2019s Army in the Kursk Region to liberate Russian soil. These heroic deeds will undoubtedly further strengthen the bonds of friendship and historic alliance in our shared quest for justice.\nOn October 23, at the invitation of Comrade Kim Jong-un and alongside the leader of the DPRK and senior officials of the party and government, the staff of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang led by Ambassador Alexander Matsegora participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for building a memorial dedicated to the heroes of the Kursk Liberation Operation.\nIn conjunction with their Korean friends, Russian experts, architects, and sculptors are deeply involved in developing and implementing this major project. I have no doubt that it will be unveiled in February 2026 as planned.\nI look forward to continuing the discussion on key bilateral issues today. We will certainly review the international situation, the situation in your region and the Eurasian region more broadly, our close interaction, and the coordination of our efforts at the UN and other multilateral venues.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:50:34",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Ultrahang Youtube Channel,  Moscow, October 26, 2025",
    "date": "26 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: Thank you, Mr. Foreign Minister, thank you for giving us your time.\nSergey Lavrov: \u00a0My pleasure.\nQuestion: So we are here in Moscow. And I came from Hungary, from Budapest, just a few days ago. And Moscow is beautiful. This is the first time for me in Moscow. And when we planned this interview, there was a plan for you to come to Budapest with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State. You were going to help to set up a negotiation between President Putin and President Trump. But finally, you didn't come. We heard many different stories about why. What really happened? Is everything ok between you and Mr. Rubio and between Russia and the United States?\nSergey Lavrov: Well, it's up to you because you're a journalist. And your job, your profession, is to analyze what is going on.\nIt is not very difficult because these days, for example, the American foreign policy is as open as it could be. The President of the United States explains every day how he feels about one thing, about another thing. And this is, I think, very interesting for the journalists to be in a position to get this information straight from the leaders.\nPresident Putin yesterday commented upon the Russian-American relations at this particular stage. I wouldn't repeat what he said. But as regards the relations between Marco Rubio and myself, after the presidents had their conversation on the 16th of October. This was Thursday. And three days later, on Monday, Rubio called me. We had a conversation, very specific, where I reconfirmed our full adherence to what was discussed in Alaska and to what clear understandings the presidents reached at that time. As you know, President Trump praised the Alaska meeting repeatedly, that this was a very good meeting, that it set the stage, laid the foundation. He said, there are a few issues to be fine-tuned. But this could be done easily. One issue is important, he said in his comments about the outcome of Alaska. But this important issue is absolutely subject to finding a solution, which is absolutely our assessment. After we talked with Marco Rubio regarding following up on the results of Alaska, he did not mention any new meetings or conversations. And I did not raise the issue, because the entire initiative was coming from the United States. And we would be ready to move as the Americans feel comfortable for themselves.\nThen the State Department issued the communique about our phone conversation, if I remember right, which said that we had a productive discussion with Marco Rubio. And at this stage, there is no need in a personal meeting between the Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister of Russia. So I concluded that the meeting was really good if they made such a comment. And I understand what is behind it. Behind it is the clarity with which we discussed the necessary steps together with Marco Rubio, steps which the Russian Federation and the United States can take to implement very clear, very blunt understandings reached in Alaska.\nQuestion: Obvious, if you are talking, we feel the chance the conflict can be ended. But after, when we read the press, there is a different picture. But why will you not call back Marco Rubio in this situation? And you can call back Marco Rubio and say, hello, I read in Reuters the articles and Mr. Trump told this and this. Why don't you want to talk more often with each other?\nSergey Lavrov:\u00a0I called him before Alaska, soon after Alaska. And we met in New York just three weeks ago. And as I said, look, President Putin came to Alaska with the agenda, which had been brought to Moscow by Steven Witkoff a few days before the Alaska summit. And we looked into the proposals which Steven Witkoff brought. And we said that we need to think about it.\nAnd then in Alaska, President Putin said that he is ready to cooperate on the basis of the concept and the framework which the envoy of President Trump brought to Moscow and which they continue to discuss in Alaska. President Putin repeated each and every element of the concept which was brought by Steven Witkoff and was asking Steven Witkoff, who was present at the discussions in Anchorage, is that right? Is that right? Everything was confirmed. And then President Putin said that we are ready to accept your concept. And that's how we believe we can move in specific terms on the basis of what you proposed. Then there was no direct response. They agreed that they should take some time to think about it.\nPresident Trump said he needs to talk to his allies, who, as you remember, came to Washington next day. Zelensky was brought with them. And President Putin, of course, briefed our allies, our neighbors, and strategic partners. So the ball was there on the side of the Americans who proposed something which we eventually were ready to accept. And in New York, I reminded Marco Rubio about this sequence of events. He said, yes, we are still considering. We are trying. We are interested.\nSo from the diplomatic point of view, we don't want to interfere in their internal considerations. We don't want to create some discomfort for the United States, which is under huge, unbelievable pressure from the European \u201chawks\u201d, from Zelensky, and others who don't want to have any American-Russian cooperation on anything.\nSo there are enough people who are not very polite and who impose themselves upon Washington politicians and use every means to undermine the process which could have achieved its goals some time ago.\nAnd one very telling thing is they are trying to push President Trump from the logic which he repeatedly presented in the past. And I will quote a couple of his statements regarding how this crisis should be resolved. He bluntly said, actually, he was the first, if not the only, leader in the West, and maybe not only in the West, but on Earth, who from the very beginning, even before he was inaugurated, early September, he was still president-elect. He said that you could never have NATO involved with Ukraine. If Russia has NATO right on its borders, it cannot tolerate it, and I could understand their feelings about that.\nZelensky and Ukraine must understand (this was already in August, a couple of months ago), must understand no getting back Obama-given Crimea, and no going into NATO by Ukraine, also in August Russia said, we don't want them on our borders, and they were right. And everybody knew, you can't. You just can't do that.\nAnd actually, in Anchorage, I almost quoted, he said, we had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. That was his statement at the press conference in Anchorage. So he went public with this assessment, which fully coincides with our assessment.\nAnd the very significant statement was made on the 16th of August, when he came back to Washington from Alaska. And he said, a great and very successful day in Alaska. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement. This is key. He answered to all those who were, since probably the beginning of spring this year, they radically changed their rhetoric. And before, they were saying, no cessation of hostilities. Russia must be defeated, \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d, and so on and so forth. Then, as of spring, about that time, they started saying immediate ceasefire without any precondition. And they continue to sing this song until now. Rutte, Macron\u2026 By the way, Macron, when they shifted to this logic, ceasefire, stop the killings without preconditions, and then we'll see how it goes. And Macron was asked whether this cessation of hostilities, ceasefire, includes the pause in providing weapons to Ukraine. He said, no, it does not. No preconditions at all.\nSo when President Trump, after Anchorage, bluntly, publicly stated that in his conviction, it is not a ceasefire, but a sustainable, durable peace, which, as he said, must be a long-term peace, a very long term. And another quotation, we are not talking about a two-year peace, and then we end up in this mess again. This is exactly what happened with the Minsk agreements, which were agreed in 2015, endorsed by the UN Security Council. And then the Ukrainian government and armed forces were violating the ceasefire announced by the Minsk agreements. And later, five or six years later, when these Minsk agreements were sabotaged in a very big way, the signatories, like Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, and the former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, they said, we never intended to implement them. We needed to buy time to rearm Ukraine, so that Ukraine is able to continue to fight Russia.\nSo when President Trump, after Alaska, said, we are not talking about a two-year peace, and then we end up in this mess again. It's one of the best characteristics of what happened with the Minsk agreements.\nAnd when people now say, nothing but a ceasefire, immediate ceasefire, and then history will judge, it's a very radical change. But this also means that the Europeans, they don't sleep, they don't eat, they try to twist the hands of this administration.\nQuestion: Some people say Russia is unflexible. And are there any Russian conditions in the negotiations that are flexible, for example, about territory? What about the parts of Donbass that Russia has not taken yet? And what about Kherson and Zaporozhye and others?\nSergey Lavrov:\u00a0Well, this is all reflected in many discussions. President Putin addressed this issue regularly when he was asked by journalists, or when he meets with President Trump, or with Prime Minister Orban, Prime Minister Fico, all those who are interested in talking to Russia, better understanding Russia's position, they always have a chance and opportunity to come and discuss whatever is of interest for them.\nThe new territories which you mentioned, they are not actually new territories. They are historic Russian territories. Yes, after the Soviet Union disappeared, this was left inside the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. And there was no thought that this Slavic Republic could have leadership which would go the way the Nazis went before World War II. And step by step, Ukrainian government being independent from the Soviet Union, having proclaimed sovereignty, and so on, they have been more and more under the pressure and influence of the Brits, Americans, and Europeans, who were having a chance to implement the very old dream which Zbigniew Brzezinski expressed a couple of times, and some other American politicians, when they said, Russia with Ukraine is an empire. Russia without Ukraine is a mid-level player, an original player in international affairs. We never thought about this in those terms. But the philosophy of the US politicians, who were obsessed with not allowing Ukraine and Russia to be together, is very telling. It's the same divide and rule logic, colonial desire to undermine alliances which would not be ruled by you.\nAnd we recognize independence of Ukraine, no doubt about this. But we could never think that the people who live on these territories which you listed, which are now in our constitution, that these people would be considered second sort, especially after the coup 11 years ago in February 2014, when the putschists took power by illegal bloody coup, masterminded by the United States. Some time ago after this event, Victoria Nuland admitted at the hearings in Congress that the United States spent, by that time, about $5 billion to support Ukraine. And she said it was not in vain, because eventually democracy prevailed. This democratic government, which came to power illegally, their first statement showing their political instincts was that they will cancel the status of the Russian language next morning after the coup.\nAnd the coup, of course, happened the day after Germany, France, and Poland guaranteed the deal between the then president, recognized by everybody as legitimate president, and the opposition. And when we called the French, the Germans, and said, guys, you guaranteed the deal, next morning the opposition took all government buildings and so on and so forth. And they said, you know, sometimes democracy takes an unexpected twist.\nInteresting. And then, of course, they sent armed groups to storm Crimean parliament. That's when the people of Crimea rejected this power, these authorities, and held referenda. Then Donetsk and Lugansk, the parts of Donetsk and Lugansk did the same.\nIt is not about territories for us. It is about the people who have been living on those lands for centuries. They were building cities, including the city of Odessa, a very famous place which was founded by Catherine the Great, whose monument recently was removed by Zelensky government, who would like to forget all parts of history which, one way or another, link Ukrainians and the Russians. But this is going to fail. He cannot undermine this.\nSo my point is that and when President Trump said about NATO in Alaska, when also in Alaska he mentioned about territories, for us, it is not territories. It is about the people who live on these territories. But then, next day, when this crowd, European crowd, brought Zelensky to the White House, and after that Zelensky was talking to the media, and some Europeans were talking to the media, and they say, nobody can prohibit Ukraine to join NATO. No territorial changes, no nothing.\nActually, I will quote some of the statements by Zelensky and his team. They, from April 2022, when Boris Johnson came and prohibited Zelensky to accept the deal negotiated in Istanbul, which was actually proposed by Ukrainian side, and which was initialed. But after this was undermined by Boris Johnson, now we know that he got about one million pounds from his friend to continue the war, because his friend was selling guns to Ukraine. So after that, they said, no negotiations with Putin. No negotiations, only he must be brought to International Criminal Court. We want European soldiers. We don't want - no ceasefires, he was saying only one year ago. And then, in September this year, he said, to give to Putin one or another piece of land, this would never happen. It is not a solution, this is just a pause. And isolation of Russia is what must remain forever.\nSo when people now say, ceasefire, we know that they want just to buy some time again. And that this logic, which is deeply rooted in Zelensky, whatever moves his head, brain, is obvious for any objective observer.\nQuestion: Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, I understand. But what about Kherson and Zaporozhye? Could Russia ever talk about giving them back to Ukraine?\nSergey Lavrov: They are also part of our Constitution. And the fact that this was not just imposed from above, like in Kosovo the population was not asked. The representative of the United Nations, who was a Finnish, former Finnish president, he just said, Kosovo is independent, \u2013 full stop.\nUnlike this trick, we based the decision to include them, to admit them back to Russia, because all these lands were founded by the Russian Empire and developed by the Soviet Union. Only after all of them, each of these four regions after Crimea, held referenda and bluntly expressed their desire to rejoin with Russia.\nAnd when we now liberate remaining parts of Zaporozhye, this is the Russian way to pronounce it. And Kherson, the people, in spite of the attempts of Ukrainian army to pull them into mainland Ukraine, most of them are not leaving. They're staying, and they're welcoming the Russian soldiers who liberate them. So this is not our will, our \u201cimperialist desire\u201d, some people say. This is our concern for the future of the people who feel being part of the Russian culture.\nBy the way, when Zelensky and his entourage, like Macron, Starmer, Merz, and others, they still say Russia must get out of Ukraine, out of 1991 borders. And yesterday, I think, they gathered in London for this Coalition of the Willing. And Starmer, addressing the media before the event, he said that Russia, Putin is the only one who doesn't want peace.\nAnd this deserves some explanation. Putin supported the deal between the government and opposition in 2014, immediately after the coup. Obama called him. Obama asked him not to block the deal. He said, if the legitimate president is signing something with the opposition, how can I block him? And then you know what happened. The coup, and explanation by the Europeans that sometimes democracy is very tricky. They did not lift a finger to stop these putschists, though they knew very well that they came to power under the neo-Nazis' banners. Then in 2015, the Minsk agreements. We negotiated the Minsk agreements. We were prepared to implement them. They, as I mentioned, said that we never intended to do this. We just needed to buy some time.\nIn April 2022, a couple of weeks after the special military operation started, Ukrainians asked for negotiations. We agreed. We held several rounds in Belarus and then moved to Istanbul. And in Istanbul, as I said, the Ukrainian delegation put a paper with the principles to be developed into a treaty. We accepted this paper. It was initialed. And then Boris Johnson said, don't do this. Continue to fight Russia until we defeat them.\nSo when Starmer said that Putin is the only one who is against negotiations, he should remember about his former prime minister, Boris Johnson. He should remember about those in Germany and in France who signed the deal and then, a few years later, admitted that they never intended to do this in spite of the fact that it had been endorsed by the UN Security Council. And then Starmer continued to say that Putin must stop atrocities, must stop killing children, and he must withdraw to the borders of 1991.\nOn children, it's a shame. I mean, the amount of lies, the amount of propaganda is astonishing. We have been hearing that tens of thousands of children have been stolen by Russia from their parents. And after the Istanbul process started this year, there were three rounds. At the very first meeting, our delegation asked Ukrainians, guys, you are concerned about the kids. Can we get the list of those kids who are missing? It took some time. Eventually, we received a list of 339 names. No 10,000, not even 1,000. And we checked that list. A huge part of it are not kids, grown-ups. Many have been verified as being in Europe. So when you listen to this.. But Starmer keeps saying that we must stop hijacking children.\nAnd that's for \u201c1991 borders\u201d, and \u201cRussia must withdraw\u201d. Ok hypothetically, in their dreams and delusions, if we leave the territories inside the 1991 Ukrainian borders, what happens to those people whom they publicly called the respective governments of Ukraine after the coup, called them \u201cinhumans\u201d, called them \u201cspecies\u201d. \u201cSpecies\u201d, by the way, is the term used by Zelensky long before the special military operation started. He was asked in November 2021 what he thought about the people in Donbass on the other side of the line of contact, according to the Minsk agreements. And he was asked what he thought about those people. He said, you know, there are people, and there are \u201cspecies\u201d. And then in other interview he said if you live in Ukraine and feel like being part of Russian culture, my advice to you, for the sake and safety of your kids, for the sake and safety of your grandchildren, get out to Russia.\nSo in fact, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson, the population of these four territories, they follow his advice. They go back to Russia.\nQuestion:\u00a0 And what about Odessa? Because President Putin told the Hungarian journalist, G\u00e1bor Stier, at the Valdai discussion that Odessa is an ancient Russian city. What did you mean by that?\nSergey Lavrov: I just mentioned it's just the fact which any educated person know very well, that Odessa is a city. There was a very small village on that spot. And Catherine the Great founded Odessa. She built Odessa. She built the ports. She built roads, factories. And that's what is meant. Odessa was always international city, famous for its good humor. And Odessa, of course, is the heritage. And it is part of the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage.\nBut when the monument to the founder of the city, Catherine the Great, was removed by the nazist regime, UNESCO just stayed shut up. And the French director general, Madame Azoulay, did not comment upon it at all.\nQuestion:\u00a0 If the negotiations don't work, when will Russia say we have reached our goals and end the war?\nSergey Lavrov: Look, the goals have never changed. I gave you some examples. When they started \u2018strategic defeat\u2019 to Russia \u2013 no negotiations. And now they are pleading and threatening. Ceasefire immediately, without any preconditions, because Ukraine is running out of weapons. And we need to replenish the weapons for Ukraine. Or there must be sustainable long-term peace, as President Trump said after Alaska. Now the Europeans are trying to dominate the agenda with the rhetoric about cease fire. They are zigzagging, depending on what is going on on the front line.\nWe are convinced that to save the people from the nazist regime, the people who have always been part of the Russian culture. They spoke Russian language. They were teaching their children in Russian. They watched Russian movies. They got news from the Russian media outlets, culture, theaters, what have you. And when all this has been prohibited by legislation, the Constitution of Ukraine still states that the state of Ukraine guarantees the rights of national minorities. Russian minority is highlighted separately. Russian and other national minorities, as regards education, what have you. And when all this was canceled by law and they started this canceling in 2017, long before the special military operation started. And since then and this was another root cause. The root cause, number one, NATO, because it was intended to pull Ukraine into NATO and to build military bases in Crimea on the Sea of Azov, just on our doorsteps. And I quoted President Trump, who bluntly explained why it's absolutely unacceptable to Russia. And everybody must understand this.\nBut another root cause is extermination of everything Russian - history, language, media, culture, education - toppling and destroying the monuments to the Russian representatives who founded Ukraine in the eastern and southern part, toppling the monuments to those who saved Ukraine and Europe from Hitler and his nazist troops. And we ask from time to time, publicly and individually, we ask our colleagues who show any interest in helping to settle this conflict, we ask, why are you\u2026 Ok, NATO, it is something which not too many people would like to get into publicly. But human rights, it's in the United Nations Charter. It says everybody must ensure human rights, irrespective of race, gender, language, or religion. Language, as I said, is totally banned by law. In practice, people still use Russian language because it is their native language. Ukrainian Canonic Orthodox Church had also been banned by law.\nBut people only ask, when are you going to end the war? When are you going to have a ceasefire? It's not honest, if you wish. An honest discussion would be to tell Ukrainians, before anything else, restore language rights, restore all national minority rights, because your constitution says so. And in violation of the constitution, you pass so many pieces of legislation. Including, by the way, the legislation which discriminates Hungarian national minority in the Western Ukraine, though Ukrainians try to be very specific in discriminating Russian language and trying to make some concessions for the language of the European Union. There is no single international convention which says that there are some languages which are more important than others. It's like Orwell, you know? All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.\nI repeatedly discussed this with Peter Szijjarto, and he assured me that when Hungary fights politically, diplomatically, for the right of national minorities, Hungary means all national minorities, as international conventions, as the United Nations Charter, require. And we appreciated the role Hungary played when this framework for negotiations with Ukraine on accession to the European Union was discussed. And Hungary, I think, single-handedly insisted that these chapters on negotiating accession included quite considerable language on national minorities, on their rights. And it is formulated not just about European Union languages. It's about all languages and all national minorities. And we appreciate that Hungary happened to be basically the country which single-handedly achieved this.\nIt's another matter that nobody in Brussels wants to remember about this deal, this consensus. And when various representatives, including the Commission for Enlargement, Mrs. Kos, as far as I understand, is saying, no, no, no, Ukraine is fully ready to begin accession negotiations. For Ukraine to be ready, they first have to undo what they have done in violation of their constitution and many, many conventions.\nSo it's not, I think, appropriate when people say, when are you going to end the war? Where are you going to stop? Zaporozhye, are you going to give it back? Actually, we now have taken some other territories which do not belong to the regions reflected now in our Constitution. The reason is very simple. We need a buffer zone. Because Ukrainians continue shelling, bombing, droning Russian territory, including the territories which never were challenged by anybody. I mean, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk. So root causes, that's what must be key to understanding how to help end this situation efficiently, thinking not about grabbing back territories, not about saving political losers who are ruling in Kiev, but thinking about the people who should be the utmost concern of those who say that they are champions of democracy. And when we are accused that we violate so many things, we invaded independent state in violation of one thing, like in violation of its independence, then in violation of the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.\nFirst, we recognized Ukraine on the basis of its own Declaration of Independence and its Constitution. In 1990, Declaration of Independence was adopted, which says non-nuclear, neutral, non-bloc country with the rights of all national minorities, and so on and so forth. And this was then endorsed by the Constitution.\nSo we recognized the Ukraine, which was very different from the country run by the openly nazist regime. And when people pull it into NATO and say it has the right to choose alliances, it is not our reading of the situation. When we recognize somebody, it is on the basis of what this country is, according to its own proclamation.\nQuestion:\u00a0The other question, before the Hungarian-Russian relationship, I've been thinking a lot about if Ukraine joining NATO is a red line. Why was Finland's NATO membership not a red line? What is the difference between Ukraine and Finland from Russia's point of view?\nSergey Lavrov: Well, the regime in Finland, I think they made a mistake. I know Alexander Stubb very well. Since the time when he was the foreign minister, remember in 2008, when then-president of Georgia, Saakashvili, launched an attack against the city of Tskhinvali and the peacekeeping group, which was there on the basis of the mandate of OSCE. And Alexander Stubb was in Tbilisi, and then he was passing through Moscow. And he made a very, I think, sober and accurate assessment of what kind of person Mr. Saakashvili was. And he was a reasonable gentleman. We had nice human relations and nice professional relations.\nAnd then, after the special military operation against the nazist regime in Kiev started, somehow the Finnish leadership started to experience, I think, nostalgic feelings about the times when they were helping another nazist regime to defeat Russia during World War II.\nQuestion: If there will be another leader in Ukraine, not Zelensky, then will the regime be a Nazi? If there would be another leader.\nSergey Lavrov: Look, I am not in the guessing business. We have a bluntly nazist regime, which, as I said, shows openly the despise to anything Russian, which prohibited anything Russian. It's the only country on Earth which prohibited a language, not to mention that this is official language of the United Nations. In Palestine, in any Arab country, Hebrew is not prohibited. In Israel, Arabic is not prohibited. But Zelensky prohibited the Russian language. Now they included Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky, some other writers of world fame in a list of materials which promote \u201cimperialist propaganda\u201d. No comment, as it were.\nQuestion: So the Hungarian-Russian relationship. A few days ago, it was October 23, the anniversary of the 1956 revolution in Hungary. And that was one of the saddest days in our history, and when the Soviets occupied our country. Some Hungarians still fear the Russians. We love freedom, and we love independence. Honestly, we don't want to be attacked again. What can you say to them? Should they worry about a Russian attack in Hungary?\nSergey Lavrov: They don't need to be told. They know this. And we, long ago, reached agreement with our Hungarian colleagues that there would be no emotions, that there would be honest reading and rethinking of history. When President Putin was in Budapest long ago, 2006, he laid flowers to the monument to the victims of 1956 events.\nAnd just recently, he was in Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, I think two years ago, in 2023. And he said that this, addressing the issue of 1956, that this part of the Soviet policy was a mistake. And they don't have any difference on assessing those events with Prime Minister Orban. But they as I said, don't need to ignite emotions around this issue, though maybe some people in Hungary and in Russia, especially those who emigrated, maybe they would like to drive a wedge in our relations and to try to steer this history.\nBut the leaders of Russia and Hungary, they know better. This is part of history. We gave our assessment. Hungary gave its assessment. And we now live a new life, remembering about all periods of our history. There were good periods. There were not very good periods. There were bad ones. But they remain in our memory. They remain in history. And they do not prevent us from developing mutually beneficial cooperation, politically, economically, technologically, and other ways.\nQuestion: I am asking because you went to Alaska wearing a Soviet Union hoodie. And some people in Hungary weren't too happy about it. Some people said it was a secret message. Was it, or are you just a big troll?\nSergey Lavrov: There was some concern that I went to Alaska?\nQuestion: You wore a Soviet Union hoodie in Alaska, a sweater.\nSergey Lavrov: Look, we also have t-shirts with the emblem of the Russian Empire. Many people wear it. It's part of history. And apart from the fact that the sweater was very stylish, and it was very popular.\nQuestion:\u00a0Was it a random choice or a secret message in Alaska?\nSergey Lavrov: No.\nQuestion: And you have Columbia sweaters or Novorossiya sweaters too?\nSergey Lavrov: Look, in any country, there are parts of clothing devoted to history, to some bright moments of history, or to some moments when, for me, the Soviet Union is my motherland.\nI was born there. I enjoyed my youth. I enjoyed my employment by the Foreign ministry. And I don't think that we should be ashamed of it. To the contrary, the Soviet Union was the key winner in World War II. Yes, we were fighting with Hungary at that time. We were fighting with Finland at that time. But that was a war which allowed everybody to create the foundation for the new world. The United Nations, everybody is equal.\nAnd apart from Nuremberg and Khabarovsk tribunals, basically, we thought that everybody now decided to be forthcoming. Like the French and the Germans overcame the old grievances, so did we with many countries who thought that the Soviet Union was exploiting them in the COMECON\u00a0(Council for Mutual Economic Assistance), in the Warsaw Treaty. But it's very interesting.\nFor example, Germany. Everybody thought that the German Democratic Republic was the servant of the Soviet Union. And as soon as the freedom explodes, Germany would be reunited. And it happened. It was reunited, but not the way which people discussed. It was not an equal reunification. It was a swallowing of GDR by West Germany. And I know for sure, for example, that no one who used to work in the GDR foreign ministry was left in the united Germany foreign ministry. Many people were left unemployed, and so on and so forth.\nSome other countries, including I think Poland, did the same. I don't remember that Hungary was doing something like this, and I believe it is right. I believe that after many wars which were originated in Europe or by Europe, it has to be a different epoch. And we all must unite to build a different world, like we all agreed in 1975 in Helsinki and developed principles which are now absolutely ignored and grossly violated by those who run OSCE, those who become chairpersons, and those who work as secretary general. The current secretary general, our Turkish colleague, is trying to overcome this deficiency, and we wish him very well.\nBut oh, yes, I forgot to mention about Budapest memorandum. Many people said that invitation to Budapest, the meeting there, would basically mean that it is a humiliation, because Budapest already was once the place where guarantees to Ukraine was signed, and it will be a very bad memory association.\nPeople who say so, they never read the Budapest memorandum. The Budapest memorandum says that Ukraine, as other former Soviet republics who refused to have nuclear weapons, would receive guarantees, guarantees as the nuclear powers give to non-nuclear states. That's it. That's all. And these guarantees say that nuclear weapons would not be used against non-nuclear powers who are members of Non-Proliferation Treaty. But parallel with the Budapest memorandum, a declaration was signed by the same signatories, which contained their commitments, solemn commitments, to observe all principles of OSCE, including national minorities, democracy, freedom of speech, and so on and so forth. All these commitments which have been reflected in OSCE documents and which were reiterated on the occasion of the adoption of Budapest memorandum have been grossly violated by the Ukrainian regime. So we don't think we are in any way violating that document, which played a very important role in that period.\nQuestion: So the last quick question. Can we expect you to visit Budapest soon, you, President Putin, or maybe President Trump? If there are talks, could they happen in Budapest? Because we have many great t-shirts and sweaters, some even show our old borders. But that's a complicated topic. And we have very little time left. So can we expect you to visit Budapest?\nSergey Lavrov: I was not invited. President Trump suggested to President Putin to meet in Budapest. President Putin said, yes, let's go into the preparatory work. We had a good conversation with Marco Rubio. The initiative was on the part of the United States.\nAs I said, I heard that the State Department issued a communique saying that it was a good and productive phone conversation between Rubio and Lavrov. And it was so good that for the time being, we don't need any meetings.\nSo the initiative is there, and we are polite people. And when we are invited, we say, yes, let's agree how and where and when. And when this invitation is canceled, as President Trump said yesterday in the White House. Later they said that \u201ccancel\u201d means \u201cpostpone\u201d. It's up to those who initiated the process.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:50:46",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address to organisers and participants of the International Cooperation Forum, Moscow, October 26, 2025",
    "date": "26 October 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nFriends,\nI warmly welcome the organisers and participants of the International Cooperation Forum, held as part of the celebrations marking the centenary of Russian public diplomacy.\nIn 1925, the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries was established. . Since then, political systems have changed, but direct people-to-people contacts have consistently contributed to strengthening friendship and mutual trust among nations representing different civilisations, religions and cultures.\nToday, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation is largely responsible for carrying out this important work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Agency\u2019s staff for their dedicated efforts. The presence here of numerous international guests vividly demonstrates that Russia has many good and reliable friends who share our values and seek a deeper understanding of our country.\nAt a time when the global situation remains tense, interpersonal exchanges and dialogue between representatives of science, culture and sport take on particular importance in helping to improve the international environment. We welcome such efforts.\nRussia continues to develop as a modern state committed to broad, depoliticised international cooperation. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, including in his address at the Victory Day Parade on May 9, 2023, we harbour no hostility towards the peoples of either the West or the East. We remain open to honest and equitable partnerships with all those who, like us, act in line with their national interests and build interstate cooperation on the basis of the UN Charter \u2013 in its entirety, integrity and interconnection.\nWe firmly believe that the work of foreign ministries should be complemented by the efforts of public diplomacy \u2013 by civil society, which has a genuine interest in steering international life back towards a constructive course.\nYour forum also has an important role to play in this endeavour, especially as its agenda covers a range of shared and pressing issues, such as the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, countering neocolonialism and neo-Nazism in all their forms and manifestations, and promoting traditional spiritual and moral values.\nI am confident that your meeting will contribute to the further development of humanitarian cooperation, help participants establish mutually beneficial contacts and offer an opportunity to discover more about the immensely rich cultural and historical heritage of our great, multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.\nIn conclusion, I wish you fruitful discussions and every success.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:50:58",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address to organisers and participants of the 8th Global Forum of Young Diplomats, Moscow, October 24, 2025",
    "date": "24 October 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nFriends,\nI am glad to welcome organisers and participants of the 8th Global Forum of Young Diplomats held on the sidelines of the International Cooperation Forum dedicated to the 100th anniversary of people\u2019s diplomacy.\nThis year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II and the Great Patriotic War and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Organisation. The importance of these epoch-making events for the entire postwar international order cannot be overstated.\nSymbolically, the main theme of your forum is Diplomacy of Victory. Our country made a decisive contribution to the rout of Nazi Germany which unified practically the entire Europe at that time under its swastika-emblazoned banners. It is important not to forget this today when irresponsible calls are heard from Berlin to \u201conce again\u201d make the German army the strongest on the continent and when almost all EU and NATO members have again united in order to inflict a \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d on Russia by unleashing a war against our country using for this purpose a proxy, the Nazi regime that was illegally brought to power following a coup d\u2019etat in February 2014.\u00a0\nFor its part, the Russian Federation, one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the biggest Eurasian power is fully aware of its special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.\u00a0\nWe continue to work vigorously to create a more just multipolar international order that should rely on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, plenitude and interrelation and take into account the entire cultural and civilisational diversity of the modern world and the right of peoples to independently determine the models and paths of their development. For this purpose, we are aligning efforts with our allies and strategic partners representing the Global Majority. They are primarily Belarus, the DPRK, China, India, and our other like-minded nations, including the CIS, CSTO, EAEU, SCO and BRICS partners.\nYour annual meetings of the Global Forum of Young Diplomats make their own contribution to improving the situation in the world, strengthening trust and mutual understanding between peoples, and preserving the culture of dialogue and consensus.\nYou have a packed programme embracing the most important international issues. The friendly football gala match planned on the sidelines of the forum will, I am sure, be a highlight in its own right.\u00a0\nI wish all participants to gain new knowledge, exchange best practices, and establish useful contacts. My next wish is that you delve into the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Russian capital.\nI wish you luck and success.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:51:10",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video message to participants of a solemn meeting dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Moscow, October 23, 2025",
    "date": "23 October 2025",
    "content": "Friends,\nThis year, the international community marks a significant date, the 80th anniversary of the UN. For a multilateral organisation, an anniversary is an excellent opportunity to not only look back at the past performance, but to outline plans as well. The UN is no exception.\nThe UN was originally created as a centre for coordinating and balancing the interests of states whenever an international response was required. The UN Charter, which remains the key source of international law, enshrines the fundamental rules of relations between the states, including the principles of the sovereign equality of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and the right of nations to self-determination.\nEight decades later, we can safely say that this global organisation created following the most horrific of wars fulfilled its crucial mission and saved the world from another devastating conflict of global proportions. Moreover, the UN has demonstrated a remarkable resilience amid the differences setting the world\u2019s leading powers apart.\nAlthough the Organisation is facing a crisis in its attempts to \u200b\u200bmaintain international peace and security, I choose not to be entirely pessimistic as we mark this anniversary. The ongoing restructuring of the global economy and politics towards multipolarity, the growing influence of the World Majority, and the steady increase in the number of the countries that recognise the value of state sovereignty and the importance of protecting it from neocolonial encroachment inspire hope that things will gradually improve over time.\nIt has long been clear, though, that the UN, which was founded 80 years ago amid the geopolitical circumstances that were drastically different from today\u2019s, no longer reflects the international balance of power in full and is in need of a reform. Russia advocates an approach that implies greater role and weight of the Global South and the Global East in the UN bodies, including the Security Council which is the most important of them.\nWhen considering modernisation of the Organisation, it is important to focus on its Secretariat which is heavily overrepresented by the collective West which often ignores the principle of impartiality and takes advantage of the administrative resources to brazenly advance its national approaches, thereby violating Article 100 of the Charter which requires all UN Secretariat officials to remain neutral. This approach should not go unnoticed or unpunished. We will ensure that the new Secretary-General to be elected in 2026 devotes much more attention to this issue.\nIn the face of the challenges posed by the new historical era, Russia is prepared to work together in an honest manner to unlock the creative potential of the UN based on the conscientious observance by all states of the principles of the Charter laid down by the founding fathers as an indivisible and interdependent whole.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:51:22",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 7
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev, Moscow, October 22, 2025",
    "date": "22 October 2025",
    "content": "Ladies and gentlemen,\n\n\nI have held candid and constructive talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev.\nThis official visit by my counterpart is the first official visit in his new capacity. I believe this re-affirms the special nature of our relationship of alliance and strategic partnership.\nMr Kosherbayev is quite familiar with modern-day Russia: from 2020 to 2023, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Russia. We have always valued his personal contribution to promoting allied ties. There is no doubt that under his leadership, Kazakhstan\u2019s foreign ministry will continue to make a weighty contribution to strengthening and promoting comprehensive Russia-Kazakhstan cooperation.\n\nWe placed special emphasis on preparations for a state visit by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Russian Federation on November 12. A year ago, in November 2024, President Putin paid a state visit to Astana. Over the past twelve months, the leaders have met in person several times, including in Moscow during the celebrations of Victory and on the sidelines of international events in Belarus, China, and Tajikistan. They hold telephone conversations almost monthly, if not more often.\n\nThe leaders\u2019 diplomacy sets the tone for Russia-Kazakhstan cooperation dynamics. Today, Mr Kosherbayev and I discussed the current state and prospects of our partnership. We examined in detail the implementation of the respective presidential instructions to expand cooperation in trade, the economy, science and technology, culture, and the humanitarian sphere. We noted the special role of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the administrative units of the Republic of Kazakhstan. We welcomed, in particular, the upcoming 21st Forum of Interregional Cooperation in Uralsk, Kazakhstan, on November 12.\n\nRussia is among Kazakhstan\u2019s leading trading partners and the largest investor in its economy. Much attention is paid to promoting energy security through joint projects in thermal and hydropower. We welcomed the decision made in June to choose the Russian state corporation Rosatom as the leader of an international consortium for the construction of Kazakhstan\u2019s first nuclear power plant. I reaffirmed our readiness to fulfill all our obligations in this area, fully and on time. Currently, line agencies are working out the technical, financial, and legal parameters of the project.\n\nThis year marks the 70th anniversary of the legendary Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Russian-Kazakhstani Baiterek project which will contribute to the development of Kazakhstan\u2019s national space programme has entered its final phase. Our plans include joint launches of the advanced Soyuz-5 launch vehicle.\nWe highly praised our cultural and humanitarian ties. We discussed the creation of a network of branches of Russian universities in Kazakhstan and a reciprocal process that started this year. For example, in September, a branch of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University opened its doors to students in Omsk. Work is underway to establish joint schools in Kazakhstan and Russia.\nDays of Culture of Kazakhstan, which began in our country on October 10, were warmly welcomed by Russian audiences. The new building of the Tretyakov Gallery is hosting the Masterpieces of Kazakh Art exhibition; Kazakh films are being screened in cinemas, and the Kuanyshbayev Kazakh National Music and Drama Theatre, as well as the ballet company from the Astana Opera, are performing on Russian stages. The celebrations will culminate in a gala concert of Kazakh performing artists on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.\nWe had a detailed exchange of views on pressing regional and international issues. We noted the consonance and alignment of our approaches to addressing key problems of the modern world. We share a positive assessment of cooperation within such multilateral organisation as the EAEU, the CSTO, the CIS, the SCO, and the UN. We particularly emphasised the fact that our alliance, primarily within the CSTO framework, is an important factor in maintaining stability in Central Asia and ensuring security across the Eurasian continent as a whole.\nIn this context, we focused on implementing the initiatives advanced by President Vladimir Putin to form a Greater Eurasian Partnership and architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia. We also discussed how existing integration associations and initiatives, including Kazakhstan\u2019s initiative to strengthen the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), fit into these processes.\nWe noted the continuing - and even growing - importance of joint work in the Caspian region. We agreed that the five Caspian states possess unique expertise in addressing issues concerning the Caspian Sea and bear responsibility for sustainable development, peace, and security in the region as enshrined in the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. We consider positive Iran\u2019s proposal to hold the 7th Caspian Summit in Tehran on August 12, 2026, which is also marked as Caspian Day.\nWe also discussed various international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and other hotspots. We informed our Kazakhstani friends about the latest developments in and around Ukraine. We appreciate our Kazakhstani friends\u2019 understanding of our principled position, primarily the fact that sustainable settlement is impossible without addressing the core causes of this conflict, which were created over many years by Western countries in their attempts to use Ukraine as a launching pad to undermine the legitimate security interests of the Russian Federation.\nOverall, we are satisfied with the outcome of the talks and agreed to continue the constructive and trust-based dialogue.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:51:34",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev, Moscow, October 22, 2025",
    "date": "22 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nFriends,\nWe are delighted to welcome you to Moscow, the city where you previously worked as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan. You have greatly contributed to the further development of our allied relations. I would like to once again congratulate you on your appointment. We know that you have a great deal of experience, energy and knowledge, as well as a desire to promote our relations.\nWe believe that the fact that you are making your first official foreign visit to Russia speaks volumes and highlights the priority importance of privileged Russian-Kazakhstani partnership, alliance and integration ties.\nOur peoples are bound by long-standing traditions of friendship, mutual assistance and support. Today we mark 33 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries (October 22, 1992). Since then, we have covered a long path. Our leaders maintain regular contacts, both formal and informal ones. They have held four summit meetings this year. Preparations are underway for a state visit by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Russian Federation. It is not an exaggeration to say that it will be an event of a truly international scale.\nThere is hardly any sphere of government and human activities where our countries do not maintain practical mutually beneficial cooperation, including between our foreign ministries. We are implementing an action plan for cooperation between our foreign ministries for 2025\u22122026. Today, we will discuss all bilateral issues and also our interaction on the international stage.\nOn October 25, Kazakhstan will mark its national holiday, Republic Day. I hope to have an opportunity to congratulate you on this event today, including in an informal atmosphere.\nI am delighted to see you. I hope that our conversation today will make a tangible contribution to preparations for the upcoming state visit by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:51:49",
    "page_index": 6,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks and answers to media questions following talks with Foreign Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos, Moscow, October 21, 2025",
    "date": "21 October 2025",
    "content": "Ladies and gentlemen,\nMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos and I have held a very substantial and useful meeting. We have known each other for a long time, and value the trust-based relations between us.\nRegular meetings between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed are of special importance for the development of our partnership.\nWe have stated that Russian-Ethiopian relations are developing in a successful and progressive manner and are impervious to fluctuations in international situation or any other context.\u00a0\u00a0 We share the commitment to expanding our cooperation in various areas and implementing agreements reached by our leaders. The latest meeting between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed took place in September of this year, when Mr Abiy Ahmed attended World Atomic Week. They held extensive talks on the sidelines of this forum, which culminated in the coordination of several important long-term documents.\u00a0\u00a0\nWe have agreed that our foreign ministries will be pro-active in facilitating the further development and intensification of our trade and economic ties and in promoting mutually beneficial energy projects, including those in the nuclear power industry. The latter is a new area of our cooperation and was also on the agenda of talks between President Putin and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in September, culminating in the signing of important documents.\nThere is also a positive outlook and traditions in such areas as healthcare, culture and education. We have agreed to actively incentivise the attainment of agreements in the financial sphere so as to safeguard our trade and investment cooperation against the illegal unilateral sanctions that our Western \u201ccolleagues\u201d are so keen on nowadays.\u00a0\nWe have decided to intensify the activity and use more effectively the potential of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Trade. Mr Minister had a meeting with Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov, who is the Russian co-chair of the Commission. A full-scale meeting is being planned for the near future.\nWe also talked about the successful work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Military-Technical Cooperation, which \u00a0met in May of this year. We have good traditions in this sphere and are always ready to take into account the interests of our Ethiopian friends in ensuring their defence capability on a reliable basis.\nWe held comprehensive discussions on the state of the treaty framework underpinning our bilateral relations. This framework continues to evolve successfully. Several agreements are nearing the completion of their ratification procedures, while others remain under negotiation and are, as the saying goes, already in the pipeline.\nThe training of Ethiopian citizens in Russian educational institutions remains a traditionally vital area of our collaboration. We are prepared to augment the thousands of Ethiopians who have already been educated in our country with an annual allocation of scholarships specifically tailored to the needs of our Ethiopian friends.\nWe also explored a more recent avenue of collaboration \u2013 media cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia. The Minister spoke highly of the work conducted by our Sputnik news agency, which continues to grow in popularity. Its audience is expanding, a development we welcome. In today\u2019s world, conveying the truth to audiences across diverse nations remains an essential task.\nOur discussions extended to international and regional affairs. Russia and Ethiopia stand united in upholding the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and advocating for a more equitable, multipolar world order that reflects the cultural and civilisational diversity of our time. As two nations with rich historical legacies, we firmly support the right of all peoples to independently determine their optimal pathways of political and socioeconomic development.\nWe agreed to continue coordinating our approaches within the United Nations, as well as under the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum. The inaugural ministerial conference under this format took place in 2024, with a second scheduled for this year.\nUndoubtedly, when addressing the formation of a multipolar world order and defending the principles of justice, equality, and mutual respect, the role of BRICS is increasingly significant. Ethiopia became a full member of this group last year, and we have already established close contacts in preparation for summits and ministerial conferences.\nToday, we paid particular attention to crisis resolution on the African continent, with a focus on the Horn of Africa. The Minister provided a detailed assessment of Ethiopia\u2019s perspective on developments in this strategically important \u2013 and, regrettably, historically volatile \u2013 region. We emphasised the imperative of resolving any disagreements among African nations exclusively through peaceful means and in full compliance with international law, adhering to the principle Russia has always championed: \u201cAfrican solutions to African problems.\u201d\nThere have been instances in the past \u2013 and residual tendencies persist \u2013 where former colonial powers in the UN Security Council have sought to take charge of resolving African issues. We consider such attempts counterproductive. We will steadfastly uphold the right of the African Union and sub-regional organisations on the continent to facilitate solutions in a manner that aligns with African interests and ensures sustainable outcomes.\nI expressed our gratitude \u2013 and reaffirmed this assessment \u2013 to our Ethiopian friends for their consistently objective, measured, and balanced appraisal of the situation surrounding Ukraine, a crisis precipitated by the West\u2019s longstanding policy of transforming the country into a staging ground for containing the Russian Federation, creating military threats directly on Russia\u2019s borders, and suppressing all things Russian \u2013 history, education, language, and culture. The regime of Vladimir Zelensky actively pursues this agenda, which, alongside the push to draw Ukraine into NATO, became a key reason for President Vladimir Putin to initiate the special military operation. This operation is achieving its objectives, and there is no doubt that it will conclude successfully.\nQuestion: How are preparations progressing for the upcoming Russian-American summit in Budapest?\nForeign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Yesterday, I engaged in a comprehensive discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in line with the agreement reached by the Presidents of Russia and the United States on October 16 during their telephone conversation.\nWe reaffirmed our steadfast commitment to proceed in accordance with the understandings and agreements reached between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump \u2013 primarily in Alaska \u2013 as well as during their subsequent telephone exchanges.\nWith Secretary Rubio, we reviewed the current state of affairs and explored how to finalise the broadly agreed-upon framework for another meeting, which the US President proposed should be held in Budapest. Naturally, the focus is not on the location \u2013 though the venue does matter in this context, given commotion stirred by those who oppose a European Union as an association of sovereign states and prefer all decisions to be made by its Brussels bureaucracy. The key issue, however, remains not the place or the timing, but how we advance on the substantive tasks agreed upon \u2013 those which garnered broad consensus in Anchorage.\nWe agreed to continue these telephone consultations to better assess where we stand and determine the right way forward.\nToday, I was surprised to read a CNN report suggesting that the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may be postponed, as US officials concluded after our yesterday\u2019s call with Secretary Rubio that Russia\u2019s position has barely shifted since the initial talks and remains wedded to its original maximalist demands.\nThe lack of integrity in many Western media outlets is well-known. CNN, too, has earned its reputation in this regard. They tend to favour simplistic slogans \u2013 injected and hammered home to the audience \u2013 over serious analytical work.\nI wish to officially confirm that Russia has not altered its positions from the understandings achieved during the extensive negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska.\nThese understandings are grounded in the agreements reached at the time, which President Trump succinctly summarised when he stated that what is needed is a long-term, sustainable peace \u2013 not an immediate ceasefire that would lead nowhere. We remain fully committed to this formula, as I reiterated yesterday in my conversation with Secretary Rubio.\nNow, voices from Washington suggest that we must halt immediately, cease all further discussion, and let history judge. But stopping now would mean ignoring the root causes of this conflict \u2013 causes clearly understood and articulated by the US administration upon Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration. I am referring to ensuring Ukraine\u2019s non-aligned, neutral, and nuclear-free status, which entails abandoning any attempts to draw it into NATO. I am also referring to ending the de facto genocide of Russian and Russian-speaking populations \u2013 a policy pursued by the Kiev regime even before Vladimir Zelensky came to power. Back then, they legislated against every conceivable right of the \u201cnational minority\u201d \u2013 as Russians are formally labelled in Ukraine. Yet in reality, the majority of Ukraine\u2019s population speaks and thinks in Russian. The prohibition of the Russian language in all spheres of life is the hallmark of an absolutely Nazi regime \u2013 one that Vladimir Zelensky himself long sought to establish.\nAt some point, after French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stopped mentioning the need to inflict a \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d on Russia, they began calling for an immediate ceasefire. Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that this ceasefire should be without any preconditions \u2013 including, as he publicly declared, any restrictions on arms deliveries to the Kiev regime. As the saying goes, the guilty man shouts the loudest \u2013 the motive behind this push for a truce became immediately apparent.\nBut most importantly, a ceasefire would not only allow for the rearmament of the Kiev regime but also encourage its terrorist activities \u2013 strikes on civilian infrastructure, attacks on civilians on Russian soil, sabotage operations like the Nord Stream bombings. The Polish government continues to provoke Vladimir Zelensky and his team into pursuing such actions. They have already justified one act of terrorism \u2013 the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines \u2013 and are themselves prepared to carry out more. I have heard that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski even threatened that the safety of President Vladimir Putin\u2019s aircraft would not be guaranteed in Polish airspace should he fly to Budapest for the proposed summit with Donald Trump.\nSo, an official Polish court has ruled to justify the terrorist attack against the Nord Stream pipelines, and now Poland\u2019s foreign minister claims that if a Polish court demands it, they will obstruct the free passage of the Russian leader\u2019s plane. These are highly revealing developments.\nLet me reiterate: an immediate ceasefire, suddenly back on the agenda, as opposed to addressing the root causes of the conflict, would mean only one thing \u2013 that a vast portion of Ukraine remains under Nazi rule. It would be the only place on Earth where an entire language is banned by law \u2013 a language that, incidentally, is one of the UN\u2019s official tongues and the native language of Ukraine\u2019s majority population. Those now lobbying our American colleagues to abandon their stance on long-term sustainable settlement \u2013 to simply stop and let history judge \u2013 are the same forces behind this push. We know who is handling this: Zelensky\u2019s European patrons and masters. But such an approach runs entirely counter to what Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed upon in Anchorage \u2013 focusing on root causes, rejecting Ukraine\u2019s NATO integration, and fully securing the lawful rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations. We remain ready to continue this work.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:52:17",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos, Moscow, October 21, 2025",
    "date": "21 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nFriends,\nWe are sincerely glad to welcome you to Moscow.\nI know that you visited Moscow quite recently while accompanying your Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the World Atomic Week. But I was away at that time attending the General Assembly High-level Week in New York. Nevertheless, we promptly coordinated your visit.\u00a0\nToday, we will discuss in detail everything related to foreign ministries\u2019 operations in the context of Russian-Ethiopian relations. \u00a0\nI know that you have a packed programme. Yesterday, you held a number of meetings with representatives of the Presidential Executive Office, the Government of the Russian Federation, and senior officials of the Rosatom Corporation. I am confident that all of this will lay the basis for further development of our relations following your visit to Moscow.\nAt today\u2019s meeting, we will concentrate on our foreign policy affairs and coordination of our actions at the UN, including in the context of progressing cooperation between Russia and the African Union.\u00a0 \u00a0\nBRICS is yet another by no means unimportant and increasingly relevant international format which Ethiopia joined as a fully-fledged member last year. So, we will have much topics to discuss today. I hope for productive talks.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:52:29",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for Nikita Mikhalkov\u2019s 80th birthday documentary, Moscow, October 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: You and Nikita Mikhalkov go back a long way. When did you first meet and how long have you been friends?\nSergey Lavrov: I can\u2019t say exactly when we first met. Both of us happened to be at a social gathering with mutual friends. We sang songs. I remember the Kuban Cossack Choir was there. Nikita Mikhalkov sang and demonstrated a Cossack initiation ritual where a shot glass is placed on a saber followed by a rather complex routine.\nWe knew about each other\u2019s existence before, and we hit it off right away when we met in person. We connected instantly. He has a good sense of humour and a good sense of the country and the people. These aren\u2019t empty words. These qualities come through even in a friendly conversation. They can\u2019t be hidden.\nQuestion: You\u2019ve been friends for a long time now. When you spend that much time with someone, you tend to think that you know everything about them. Has Nikita Mikhalkov ever revealed a side of himself that surprised you?\nSergey Lavrov: I don\u2019t think you can say that anyone can know everything about another person, unless, of course, they\u2019re siblings or husband and wife. Unfortunately, we don\u2019t talk to each other very often (I mean face to face), but we regularly talk by phone to discuss our diplomatic work and the public and educational activities that Mikhalkov is involved in.\nWe share concerns about matters of justice in our country and internationally. We approach these issues from the perspective of what diplomacy can do about it, such as ensuring we are treated in the international arena with the respect we deserve, securing the most favourable environment for our country\u2019s development, addressing socioeconomic issues, and improving our people\u2019s living standards. Mikhalkov approaches these same issues as top priorities leveraging art and journalism as his methods and tools. We often exchange opinions about what he saw in our ministry\u2019s public moves, and what I saw in what he does, primarily as the host of the BesogonTV programme and a theatre figure as well.\nQuestion: Do you watch BesogonTV?\nSergey Lavrov: I do, and I enjoy it a lot. I always share my emotions and impressions with him. This programme is on target. The genre created by Mikhalkov is perfectly suited to the current moment. It\u2019s forthright with just the right amount of humour, occasionally sarcasm. These feelings and emotions multiplied by his artistic skills drive the message home. Nikita Mikhalkov does this at a high intellectual level, and these messages reach all our citizens - not just the ones engaged in intellectual work, but also those who live in our country and see what\u2019s going on within and beyond its borders. It takes a great talent to accomplish his.\nQuestion: When Nikita Mikhalkov raises his glass at the end of the programme, it feels like a homely conversation with good friends.\nSergey Lavrov: It\u2019s a true find. However, he doesn\u2019t do it just to be creative. It\u2019s a genuine desire to use this Russian tradition to bring Victory closer. We are somewhat superstitious. We believe in signs. I completely agree with him in this regard.\nQuestion: What are your favourite films by Nikita Mikhalkov?\nSergey Lavrov: I like many of his films. Of course, I like the films in which he played a charismatic personality, like A Friend among Foes and A Foe among Friends. I like The Barber of Siberia. I also like the theatrical play 12, as well as his bit part in A Railway Station for Two. He is always himself, yet a different personality each time. This ability to impersonate different characters is a great gift.\nQuestion: When you discuss culture and cinema rather than politics, are you talking about what\u2019s happening in Russia or about the processes unfolding in the West?\nSergey Lavrov: It\u2019s both. These developments are interconnected and the correlations range from positive to negative.\nExternal factors play a part in ensuring the best interests of our people, their well-being, sustainable socioeconomic development, and proper defence capability. Nikita Mikhalkov and I discussed this and shared our impressions. There were external factors at play after the Soviet Union became history. There was euphoria. We thought we then shared \u201cuniversal values\u201d and had \u201cno enemies.\u201d The Russian President said addressing Congress, \u201cGod bless the people of the United States of America.\u201d There was humanitarian aid. Documents were signed within the OSCE framework stating that everyone is equal, security is one for everyone, and in general, we share a common destiny.\nWhen it became clear that we would uphold our dignity based on our national interests and did not want to be \u201cfriends\u201d with the West at the expense of forgetting about the Russian people in Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya (after many years of honest attempts to do so), all the agreements that the West \u201csponsored\u201d in this regard (including with us), seeking respect for the rights of these people, did not prevent it from driving a hard bargain turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia, a kind of a land-based aircraft carrier for creating constant threats to the Russian Federation. You know what happened next: a coup that flew in the face of the agreements to strengthen national accord, and the Minsk agreements, which no one was going to act upon followed by our attempts to convince our Western \u201cpartners\u201d to sign security guarantees for Ukraine and themselves, as well as for the Russian Federation in order to make things unambiguously clear for everyone.\nWhen we were forced to launch a special military operation, it turned out that the West had taken advantage of our foreign relations to hinder our development. They said, \u201cHere are some basic technologies for you,\u201d and you give us petroleum, gas, titanium, and aluminium, and we\u2019ll provide you with everything else. It turned out we were dependent on them. Nikita Mikhalkov spoke about this more than once in his Besogon programme.\nThe decision made by President Putin to ensure guaranteed technological and economic sovereignty in the defence industry played a significant role in the self-sufficiency that we enjoy today. True, it took some effort on our part. The process may be unfolding not as fast as we want, but it is underway.\nWe see eye to eye on these matters. From now on and forever... We should have never trusted the West. History taught us this starting with the Tsarist times, then during the Soviet era. Especially in the final years of the Soviet Union, the West put out lots of \u201clures\u201d for us. In areas that are critical to survival of the state (security, technology, and food), we must be self-sufficient or seek partners that are not infected with the Western \u201cdisease\u201d of living at the expense of others and coercing everyone into obeying them. We have such partners in the SCO and BRICS. Mikhalkov also promotes the topic of new global alliances in his Besogon programme and covers every topic that resonates with me as an individual, a diplomat, and a foreign minister.\nAn hour-long programme without commercials is rare. He insisted on having it that way which was the right thing to do.\nQuestion: In Vladivostok, he and I discussed cultural cooperation within the BRICS and SCO frameworks, and the new awards around the world, because we understand that just like other awards, the Oscars have been politicised to become a \u201cfriend or foe\u201d marker.\nSergey Lavrov: We have the Diamond Butterfly film award. Concurrently, we\u2019re promoting song associations within the BRICS Plus and the SCO Plus frameworks. There\u2019s also the Intervision contest, which, I\u2019m confident, Nikita Mikhalkov will support. This is important. They tell us we\u2019re fencing ourselves off. That\u2019s not true. If things were fair, sports and art would be above and beyond politics. However, they ban international tours by our great musicians and opera singers simply because they\u2019re from the Russian Federation. As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.\nIn addition to us not abandoning our compatriots in Ukraine to the future determined by the West, we also came to realise the value of everything the West was offering us and what kind of a \u201creliable\u201d partner it is. So, both Besogon and our ministry are defending Russian identity not in the context of autarky, but as self-respect and a sense of dignity.\nWe are ready and willing to cooperate with anyone who will do so on the basis of equality and mutual respect, not through diktat. However, telling us, \u201cOkay, we will invite you here,\u201d or \u201cYou can raise your flag here, but your anthem won\u2019t be played here,\u201d is humiliating. But I still understand the athletes who go there and win. They carry themselves with dignity. It\u2019s not their fault.\nA new world is in the process of being created against all odds. This is an entire era in and of itself. Besogon promotes the understanding that creating a just world overnight is not a realistic approach. This is an era that takes sustained effort, a battle in every sense of the word to ensure that the world exists in a form agreed upon in the UN Charter.\nI was involved with the UN for many years. All the principles enshrined in the UN Charter starting with the principle of the sovereign equality of states, large and small, and respect for all languages \u200b\u200band religions remain absolutely relevant today. This is what the Ukrainian junta has trampled upon by outlawing the Russian language, a language that Nikita Mikhalkov defends in his programmes, finding arguments from the perspective of art and its influence on the people\u2019s minds and hearts.\nThere\u2019s not a single country in the world other than Ukraine that has banned a language. Not just any language, but an official UN language. Laws to that effect have been passed. Media publications and theatrical performances in Russian are not allowed. Books were thrown out of libraries, just like they did in Nazi Germany. The only difference is books were burned in Nazi Germany. However, the Ukrainians are quite thrifty people, so they turned them in for recycling and got paid for that. The canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was banned as well.\nThe ideals that are most relevant to us in relation to the developments Ukraine have always been at the core of Besogon\u2019s philosophy. \u00a0We speak a common language in this regard.\nQuestion: How important is Nikita Mikhalkov for the country and the art, perhaps even the world art?\nSergey Lavrov: Nikita Mikhalkov is an outstanding figure of our theatre and cinema who advances culture in all spheres of our lives.\nBesogon is an innovative genre. I\u2019m not sure how best to describe it, but it is definitely a genre with political content that conveys the author\u2019s assessments. Not everyone agrees with them completely, but he does a good job driving them home. He makes his point clear. His sharp eye highlights the facts and events in our lives that many would overlook, just as they would overlook the troubling processes within these facts and events.\nHe has the unique gift of turning artistic insight into political and social analysis.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:52:40",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address to 17th Russian World Assembly, Moscow, October 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 October 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nFriends,\nI am delighted to welcome the organisers, participants, and guests of the 17th Russian World Assembly to the capital of Russia Moscow, which is a traditional venue for this forum.\nIt is a pleasure to know that your forum has once again brought together the people who contribute to preserving and enhancing the cultural wealth of the Russian civilisation that knows no borders. We highly value the contribution of each of you to strengthening the visible and invisible bonds linking our Motherland with the Russian diaspora, to promoting people-to-people contacts, and to establishing mutual understanding between nations. Once again, welcome to Moscow.\nThe theme of this year\u2019s Assembly, The Fundamental Contribution of the Russian World to International Development: History, Modernity, and Future, is highly relevant. It is hard to overestimate Russia\u2019s role in humanity\u2019s quest for new heights and achievements in research and culture, and medicine and sports. In the year that marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, we once again emphasise the utmost importance of preserving the historical memory of our country\u2019s decisive contribution to defeating Nazism and saving the world from the horrors of the Nazi scourge. The establishment of the UN which paved the way to decolonization, independence and statehood for the peoples of the Global South was one of the outcomes of World War II.\nToday\u2019s world rests on the ideas of sovereign equality and diversity of national development models. In conjunction with its allies and like-minded partners, Russia is making strides in shaping a more just multipolar world order based on the full body of principles enshrined in the UN Charter, understood as an indivisible and interdependent whole. Just like the Chinese, Indian, Arab, African, European, and other great civilisations of our time, the Russian world is an integral part of this emerging multipolarity.\nI am pleased to note that our creative and unifying approach enjoys widespread support in the international community. Even in countries whose governments are taking unfriendly actions, many sympathise with Russia and share our traditional spiritual and moral values. We are aware of this, we see it, and we cherish it. In this regard, I would especially like to note the dedicated work of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religions in Russia as they introduce people to the lofty ideals of religion often amid the most challenging circumstances and even at risk to their lives.\nCourage, fortitude, and selfless service to the Fatherland have always been the hallmarks of outstanding Russian people throughout its thousand-year history. These qualities are in high demand on the frontlines of the special military operation and in civilian life when the issue is about the truth, justice, and the rights of the people who identify with Russia, its past, present, and (without a doubt) bright future.\nOf course, the Russian language is the critical factor of the civilisational unity. Educators, translators, and specialists in Slavic and Russian studies, as well as philologists play a major role in preserving its prominent place in the global cultural landscape. Your efforts to foster interest in the language spoken by Alexander Pushkin and Fyodor Dostoevsky and to provide objective information about Russia and its achievements to the international public deserve deep respect and every support.\nThe assembly provides an excellent opportunity to review past performance and to outline new plans. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, I would like to assure you that the Foreign Ministry is making and will continue to make major efforts to expand the space of the Russian language and culture worldwide and to strengthen cooperation with everyone who is passionate about the past, the present and the future of our common Russian World.\nI wish you continued success and all the best.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:52:56",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address on the 20th anniversary of RT television network, Moscow, October 17, 2025",
    "date": "17 October 2025",
    "content": "Ms Simonyan,\nMembers of the RT team,\nFriends,\nToday, we have a wonderful occasion to come together and celebrate as we mark 20 years since RT\u2019s founding. This project went on to become one of the most distinctive undertakings in the media industry. Let me start by congratulating all of you on this anniversary on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, as well as in my personal capacity.\nOver the past years, your television network has developed its own traditions and has served as a role model of professional excellence in journalism. RT reporters always stay in the heat of action around the world, often putting themselves in harm\u2019s way when working in various hotspots across our planet. It is thanks to their reporting that millions of people watching your channel receive accurate information about what is happening in our country and beyond its borders.\nYour effective efforts have been a constant irritant abroad for those who are about to lose their monopoly on creating and spreading their narrative to a broad audience. Still, they refuse to come to terms with this reality and persevere in their efforts. But RT has shouldered this burden with dignity and pride, even when targeted by the destructive actions of unfriendly governments in their attempt to silence the truth. We cannot but express our deep respect for the patriotism of the network\u2019s senior executives and staff, who continue to perform their duties despite all the threats, attempts to discredit them, sanctions, bans and other discriminatory moves by those who want to harm you.\nRussia views forging stronger bonds with the Global South and East as its foreign policy priority. We welcome RT\u2019s efforts to expand its presence in the countries of the Global Majority, and applaud the fact that your materials are becoming increasingly popular in the CIS, Asia, Africa and Latin America.\nOn a special note, I would like to recognise the dedicated and selfless efforts of your frontline correspondents in the special military operation zone. It is thanks to their courage that people around the world can access honest and accurate information and learn about the root causes of the Ukraine crisis, the tragedy unfolding in Donbass and its heroes, as well as the Nazi essence of the Kiev regime and the Russia-hating nature of the collective West\u2019s policies. Wherever something important is happening that affects the world order, RT correspondents have acted as professionals.\nThe Foreign Ministry has much praise for the constructive cooperation we have built with your network\u2019s friendly and united team. In fact, diplomats and journalists pursue the same mission, even if their methods may differ \u2013 they use their knowledge, skills and talents to try to make the world we live in better, safer and more people-friendly. At the end of the day, foreign policy actions and efforts to accompany them in the media space share the same objective: securing favourable and stable external conditions for promoting Russia\u2019s steady and positive development and improving the wellbeing of its people.\nI would like to wish you good health, new creative achievements and all the best.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:53:08",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at a news conference held jointly with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita, Moscow, October 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 October 2025",
    "content": "Ladies and gentlemen,\nI held useful and substantive talks with my colleague and friend Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco.\nWe reiterated mutual firm commitment to continuing joint work aimed at further strengthening the traditionally friendly and trust-based strategic partnership between our two countries.\nWe reviewed in detail bilateral issues and briefly touched on trade and economic exchanges. Both sides are interested in expanding trade and identifying areas for mutual investment.\nWe agreed that the potential for practical cooperation in these areas is far from being exhausted. We did not go into great detail on this today, as tomorrow will be largely devoted to the 8th Meeting of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation. My colleague co-chairs the Commission on the Moroccan side, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev co-chairs it from the Russian side. The agenda of the Intergovernmental Commission is rich and diverse, and we are looking forward to seeing good results.\nWe were pleased to note the high level of interaction in a number of other areas, particularly in the humanitarian sphere, notably, education. Currently, 4,250 Moroccan students are studying in Russia. There is strong interest in obtaining education in our country, and we will continue to support it as best we can. We will do our best to accommodate everyone wishing to study at Russian universities.\nWe discussed promising contacts between our media outlets as well. There are reciprocal journalist visits and internship exchanges, which we will continue to encourage as well.\nOur foreign ministries maintain steady and trusting contacts, primarily at the United Nations, as well as in other international venues, including the Russia\u2013Africa and Russia-Arab League forums.\nWe share the view that our interaction and coordination will be further enhanced by the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Working Committee to deepen the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco, which was just signed in your presence.\nWe exchanged views on urgent international challenges prioritising the situation in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel-Sahara region. We also discussed the situation surrounding the Western Sahara settlement in light of ongoing discussions at the UN Security Council.\nWe reaffirmed our principled position in favour of resolving all remaining issues and conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world exclusively by political and diplomatic means relying on the fundamental principles and norms of international law enshrined in the UN Charter. We share the view that these principles must not be applied selectively \u00e0 la carte, but be fully respected and implemented in their entirety and interconnection.\nWe discussed in detail the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. Morocco traditionally plays an important part in promoting efforts towards peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue. In this regard, we note the role played by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.\nWe welcomed the emerging positive changes on the ground, meaning the Palestinian territories, primarily the Gaza Strip. We expressed satisfaction with the successful launch of the first phase of the agreements between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of detainees. This agreement was reached with the mediation of the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and T\u00fcrkiye.\nWe expect - and this is our shared position - that the agreements will be strictly observed, taking into account the results of the peace summit held on October 13 in Sharm el-Sheikh, and that their implementation will not mark the end of the process, but will be followed by further steps. These were discussed extensively, including at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.\nThe ceasefire in Gaza must be sustainable in order to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and the subsequent large-scale rebuilding of the enclave\u2019s infrastructure, which has been almost completely destroyed during the hostilities. Otherwise, our efforts to create conditions for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees will not succeed. These are serious matters. It is important to address them in a way that does not undermine the prospects for full implementation of UN resolutions on the establishment of a Palestinian state, and to ensure that the humanitarian processes currently underway contribute to the creation of conditions for a political solution that eliminates the core causes of the Palestinian-Israeli and Arab-Israeli conflicts. It is essential to resume the Middle East peace process as soon as possible based on UN resolutions providing for the creation of an independent Palestinian state living in peace and security side by side with Israel.\nWe expressed our appreciation to our Moroccan colleagues for their balanced and well-considered position on the situation in and around Ukraine. In Rabat, as in most capitals of the Global South and the Global East, there is an understanding that a sustainable settlement is impossible without addressing the underlying causes of the crisis, namely, the security threats to Russia that NATO has created over many years by moving its military infrastructure ever closer to our borders, and using Ukraine as a launching pad to create threats to our country.\nThis also includes gross violations, even legislative bans, of the rights of the Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, not only linguistic rights but also religious rights when, along with outlawing the Russian language, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was banned.\nI would like to close by noting that next year marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption, at the top level, of the Joint Statement on Deepening the Strategic Partnership. We agreed to mark the occasion with a series of events, including exchanges of delegations between sector-specific ministries and the stepping up of parliamentary contacts. Our Moroccan friends have supported the idea of holding Russian Culture Days in Morocco.\nWe will continue to maintain an all-embracing and trust-based dialogue.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:53:19",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita, Moscow, October 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nDear Nasser,\nFriends,\nWe are delighted to welcome your delegation to the Foreign Ministry.\nOur relations are based on the agreements reached between our leaders \u2013 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. They are enshrined in the 2002 Declaration on Strategic Partnership and the subsequent Statement on Deepening the Strategic Partnership.\nYour visit to Moscow reflects the comprehensive nature of our partnership. Alongside today\u2019s discussions on foreign policy matters, tomorrow you will co-chair, together with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev, the 8th meeting of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation.\nWe attach special importance to today\u2019s talks, given the challenging international environment and the complex developments taking place in your region \u2013 in the Middle East and North Africa. The Russian Federation stands ready to contribute to resolving these issues jointly with other interested states.\nThis requires continued coordination on international platforms, above all within the framework of the United Nations. It also implies the further strengthening of cooperation between Russia and the League of Arab States.\nOur bilateral foreign policy consultations play a special role, and we pay close attention to them. I am confident that today\u2019s meeting will allow us to address a wide range of pressing issues to our mutual benefit.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:53:32",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to Arab media questions, Moscow, October 13, 2025",
    "date": "13 October 2025",
    "content": "Good afternoon, colleagues,\nI am pleased to welcome you to the Foreign Ministry.\nI\u2019m aware that the guests who have come to cover the Russia-Arab Summit have been here for quite a while now and have had the opportunity to see the sights of Moscow and several other Russian regions.\nYou are well aware of the circumstances that have led to where we are today. Preparations for the summit have been underway for a long time, but it has become clear that this particular week, including today, when the summit was supposed to open, will be decisive for advancing the agreements on the Gaza Strip, agreements that have been energetically promoted by our Egyptian and Qatari friends. President Trump has put forward his plan, which we have repeatedly assessed as the best available option on the negotiating table, although, of course, it does not address all aspects of the Palestinian issue. Nevertheless, it is crucial to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and to address the grave humanitarian issues faced by the people.\nThousands of Gaza residents are coming back home. I can hardly imagine how they will live there, but it is better to rebuild one\u2019s own home than to live constantly under shelling and in daily fear for the lives of the children, family, and loved ones.\nWe sincerely wish success to today\u2019s event - the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh - which brings together representatives from over 20 Arab countries and a number of Western countries. I hope all agreements will get implemented, although we are hearing both Hamas and Tel Aviv say that the situation has not yet been fully resolved and that there could be more crisis outbreaks. It is important, in my view, that those who initiated this forum, first and foremost President Trump, with the support of the President of Egypt and the leadership of Qatar and T\u00fcrkiye, prevent such scenarios and focus on an immediate ceasefire, adherence to the agreed-upon line for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the organisation of humanitarian aid, and the rebuilding of this beautiful place on Earth, which, perhaps more than any other territory in the world, has suffered in the postwar years.\nWithout a doubt, a lasting settlement is possible only through the implementation of UN resolutions on creating a Palestinian state. We have noted that President Trump\u2019s peace plan mentions only the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but does so in rather general terms. These approaches will need to be clarified and what will happen on the West Bank of the Jordan River will need to be determined as well, since the UN resolutions envisage the creation of a single and territorially integral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.\nThere will be questions about how we see this situation developing further. Notably, just like the overwhelming majority of the international community, we remain committed to implementing these resolutions. Taking into account the plan to hold today, early this week, a special and crucial event devoted to the Palestinian issue, President Vladimir Putin reached an understanding with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to postpone our summit. I am confident it will take place as soon as the most convenient dates are determined. The final documents are practically ready, so we will still have the opportunity to get together when you come back for the summit.\nOur relations with our Arab friends are steadily progressing. The League of Arab States has demonstrated its value and is consolidating its role as a key pillar of the emerging multipolar world, authoritatively and actively participating in global affairs \u2013 in economics, finance, and increasingly contributing to the resolution of regional and, more broadly, political issues. We have observed sustained growth in trade turnover with the League\u2019s member states, which has now exceeded $34 billion. Whilst this figure is modest compared to the trade volumes the United States and the People\u2019s Republic of China maintain with the Arab world, however, it is several times greater than the trade turnover recorded two decades ago. I can assure you that we are on the right path \u2013 the growth dynamics are positive.\nOur cooperation extends far beyond the energy and oil-and-gas sectors. We collaborate within OPEC+ and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, amongst others. A growing number of states in the region are expressing interest in our expertise in nuclear technologies, nuclear energy, and non-energy applications of nuclear power. A flagship project in this regard is the construction of Egypt\u2019s first nuclear power plant, El Dabaa. Our Arab partners are also showing keen interest in agricultural cooperation, including supplies of Russian food products and fertiliser.\nFurthermore, in the sphere of cultural cooperation, we have traditionally maintained strong educational ties with many Arab states, a practice dating back to the Soviet era. Thousands of students from the League\u2019s member countries have been educated in Russia and continue to study under annual quotas provided by the Government of the Russian Federation. Tourism is growing bilaterally. Our citizens greatly enjoy visiting your nations, with their splendid resorts, whilst we warmly welcome an increasing number of Arab visitors to the Russian Federation.\nMajor cultural projects are underway, aimed at promoting the achievements of our respective nations in this field. Initiatives such as Russian Seasons, held across a number of states, particularly in the Gulf countries, have been met with enthusiasm, and this model is now being replicated elsewhere.\nWe were delighted by the participation of Arab representatives in the Intervision International Song Contest. Performers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt took part in this musical celebration, held on September 20 this year, which was very well received. As you know, our Saudi friends have already invited the contest to their country next year. We will do our utmost to support this initiative and ensure strong Russian participation.\nIn conclusion, I would note that over the past twenty-odd years, we have accumulated substantial experience. It has allowed us to preserve the best aspects of our relations from the Soviet era. Let me remind you that the Soviet Union was the first state to recognise the independence of what is now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The legacy of those historic contacts continues to serve us well today, providing a firm foundation for building long-term relations. Not everyone approves of the partnership between Russia and the Arab world. There are those who seek to revive colonial and neo-colonial games \u2013 to divide and rule. We know perfectly well who these actors are. Such habits have not disappeared. Nevertheless, the fundamental trend remains the development of constructive relations grounded in mutual respect, the accommodation of each other\u2019s interests, and the consolidation of a stable balance between them.\nQuestion: The event of greatest interest on today\u2019s international news is the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. You have already expressed general scepticism about the success of this format. How do you assess the success of this ceasefire agreement? Could it develop into a full-fledged peace process between Israel and Palestine? Does Russia intend to attend or join this process?\nA follow-up question: I have looked once again through the list of countries participating in the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit. It includes over 20 states represented at various levels: heads of state, ministers, and even at embassy level. Even the Japanese ambassador was invited. Why is Russia not participating at this summit, despite Russia\u2019s long-standing mediating role in this conflict within the Quartet, and despite its recent constructive contacts with both Israel and Hamas and its positive role in securing the release of some hostages? Why is Russia not in Sharm el-Sheikh today?\nSergey Lavrov: I can only say that the invitations were issued by the summit\u2019s hosts: the Egyptian leadership, which reportedly coordinated its actions with other Arab initiators but primarily with the United States. Incidentally, Iraqi Prime Minister Mahmoud Sudani was not invited to the Sharm el-Sheikh summit either, even though Iraq currently holds the chairmanship of the Arab League.\nAs for the participation of the Japanese ambassador, I believe US Vice President J. D. Vance has already said that Gaza will have to be rebuilt. He emphasised that the United States hopes Arab countries will shoulder much of the burden. Japan periodically participates in reconstruction efforts, so perhaps that was a factor.\nRussia is ready to participate in any format. You have mentioned the Quartet: it was undermined by the policies of the Joe Biden administration, despite having achieved significant agreements, including the 2003 road map adopted by the UN Security Council, which set out detailed steps required to create a Palestinian state.\nThat process was supposed to be completed within a year; the Quartet introduced the resolution, and the Security Council approved it unanimously. We all know what followed.\nSeveral initiatives after that suffered the same fate, not to mention the 1991 Madrid Principles and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which were broadly welcomed yet led to nothing. As for the prospects of today\u2019s summit: while we welcome any efforts to restore peace (as Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed recently at a news conference in Dushanbe), scepticism \u2013 as you said \u2013 is understandable. Too often hopes for peace and prosperity in the region have been compromised. As I have said in the opening remarks, skeptical forecasts are coming from many sides.\nI have just read that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly said the matter is far from over, that Israel still has many enemies and needs to continue operations against them. That is either scepticism or determination to press on militarily against everyone Israel regards as enemies.\nAs for HAMAS, there have also been discussions about how agreements will be implemented and who should take the first steps. Fortunately, some hostages have already been released; now it is Israel\u2019s turn. The IDF appears to have withdrawn to the agreed line.\nWe hope that all the agreements will be honoured. If the immediate participants of this summit and those who will implement President Trump\u2019s proposals after this summit decide that Russia\u2019s involvement would be useful, I assure you we will not refuse. However, it is not our custom to impose our services on others.\nWe wish the summit success, above all for the Palestinian people to be able to breathe freely.\nQuestion (translated from Arabic): How do you assess Russia\u2019s role in putting an end to bloodshed in Gaza? Especially so, given that Russia has opposed and condemned the horrific events that were taking place there and has sought to bring them to an end. How has Russia influenced Hamas?\nSergey Lavrov: We have tried to influence everyone towards achieving the same end, towards renouncing violence, reaching agreements on coexistence, and ending the bloodshed. Compromise is inevitable in any conflict. Each side must be willing to give something up.\nThe Arab countries - this was clearly reflected in the initiatives of Egypt, Qatar, the Islamic states, and T\u00fcrkiye following the Arab-Islamic summit - are prepared to seek compromise. They have proved this. I hope that the other side, our Israeli colleagues, with whom we also remain in constant contact, will likewise understand the importance of seeking a balance of interests, rather than pursuing goals that amount to eliminating any potential threats to their existence, regardless of what their neighbours might think or what arguments they may present.\nIt is a complex situation. As I mentioned earlier, the root of the problem lies in the lack of progress towards the creation of a Palestinian state and even a growing regression in this process.\nI remember when I worked at the UN 25 years ago I had informal conversations with my Israeli counterparts trying to find a way out of this situation. I told them as a friend, on a human basis, that the failure to implement the UN resolutions on creating a Palestinian state - for almost 80 years now - posed the greatest risk for the region, and for the security of Israel as well as other countries in the region. My Israeli counterparts said it was an \u201cexaggerated position,\u201d an overstatement and that thinking along these lines would mean emboldening terrorists. But the unresolved issue of Palestinian statehood remains the most significant factor fuelling the persistence and growth of extremism in the Arab world.\nRemember the outrageous October 7, 2023 terrorist attack which we immediately condemned? After Israel launched its military operation under the banner of destroying everyone, the defence minister and other radical ministers, in response to calls to spare civilians in Gaza, said here were no civilians there and that everyone ages three and up was an extremist. I remember that very well.\nWe submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council five times. The United States under President Biden vetoed these resolutions. Meanwhile, the collective punishment of the Palestinians continued unabated. Speaking of extremism, imagine what it means for several generations in Gaza to live under blockade, occupation, and isolation from the outside world. What do you think parents were telling their children during these decades? What did they tell their children when they asked what was there before, who were their grandparents, or why do they live like that? Who is in charge here? Without a doubt, these children will receive corresponding lessons at school, too. Does anyone really expect these children to grow up filled with gratitude for the fate that has been imposed upon them?\nThere is no escaping the issue of the Palestinian state. It must be resolved. How to go about it is another issue, but it cannot be done without mutual concessions. In President Trump\u2019s plan, the Gaza Strip is mentioned in the context of establishing Palestinian statehood, while the West Bank is not mentioned at all. If you look at a map of the West Bank today, you will see that almost nothing is left beyond the illegal settlements. I even heard someone suggest creating two or three municipalities for the Palestinians there. But that\u2019s not a state. I do not think that creating municipalities or quasi-state entities would be seen by the Arab world and, above all, by the Palestinians themselves as a satisfactory outcome to this nearly 80 year-long drama. Compromise will be necessary. I have no doubt about that.\nThe West has dragged its feet on this issue, unwilling to use its leverage to accelerate the creation of a Palestinian state. Otherwise, the road map proposed by the Quartet 25 years ago would have been implemented, and the problem would have been solved by now.\nI mentioned earlier that in June, during yet another escalation in Gaza which was a genuine humanitarian disaster, President Emmanuel Macron of France, followed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a number of politicians from Belgium, said they would go to the UN and have the General Assembly recognise a Palestinian state. That was in June, and the General Assembly session was to open three months later. Well, if you decided that a state must be recognised, why wait three months? Or, you were hoping that nothing would be left to recognise by then? Everyone must abandon these double standards.\nI saw an article by a political analyst today who wrote that the West does not want an independent Palestine, but wants another mandate over Palestine instead. I would not like to believe that, but judging by the actions of several of our Western colleagues, including the British, there are signs pointing that they are acting towards this end.\nTo conclude my answer to this crucial question, the summit opening today in Sharm el-Sheikh is being convened on the basis of a compromise platform. Its initiators have already proposed a compromise. Now is not the time to tempt fate, but to clearly implement what has been proposed, to stop the bloodshed, to address the humanitarian issues, and to begin to rebuild Gaza. Concurrently and without delay, it is essential to start working on the next plan to create a Palestinian state.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): There have been several recognitions of the State of Palestine, and we hope the Palestinian people will ultimately achieve security and self-determination. There are also questions regarding Western Sahara, particularly concerning Algeria. What is Russia\u2019s stance on this issue, especially in light of Rabat\u2019s attempts to establish Moroccan administrative authority there?\nSergey Lavrov: Our position is very straightforward. It is consistent across all such cases. There are United Nations resolutions \u2013 primarily those of the Security Council \u2013 on how to resolve the Western Sahara issue: through the self-determination of the Western Saharan people. This problem has persisted for, I would say, about fifty years now.\nI recall that former US Secretary of State James Baker was once appointed as the UN Secretary-General\u2019s Special Envoy for Western Sahara. At the time, I was working in New York. He visited, met with Security Council members, and held separate consultations with the permanent members. Back then, everyone reaffirmed the principle enshrined in Security Council resolutions \u2013 that a referendum on self-determination for the Western Saharan people must be held. No one even questioned that it should be done. The focus was primarily on agreeing upon the criteria \u2013 how elders would ensure fair voting rules for different parts of Western Sahara. In other words, the scenario for conducting this vote was already being drafted in meticulous detail.\nLater, the situation changed. We know that Morocco has not abandoned the principle of self-determination but believes it should be implemented in the form of autonomy. For us, any solution acceptable to all parties would be satisfactory. Precisely such an approach was codified in the UN Security Council resolution.\nIncidentally, the United States took a different path. During the first term of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, they recognised Western Sahara as part of Morocco. For them, the matter is closed. But for us, it will only be closed when not just one, but all the parties involved genuinely feel that a solution has been reached based on a fair balance of interests. The UN Security Council resolution is the only framework that exists at present. If a new resolution is drafted, introducing different principles for settlement, we would be prepared to discuss such initiatives, provided they are acceptable to all sides.\nQuestion: Is there any prospect of exempting Bahraini citizens from visa requirements to visit Russia, especially given that this year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Bahrain?\nSergey Lavrov: This is an oversight on our part and on the part of our Bahraini friends. My deputy, Sergey Vershinin, who oversees this area, is seated here. I will ask him to personally look into why we and our friends still require visas for mutual visits.\nOur relations with Bahrain are excellent across all domains without exception. Bahrain is also a SCO partner country. Bahrain\u2019s appeal to tourists is undeniable, just as the Russian Federation\u2019s appeal to Bahraini nationals is evident. I believe we will resolve this matter.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): How are trade and economic relations between Russia and Iraq developing? Certain mechanisms have been adopted by Moscow and Baghdad to sustain these relations. How do you assess the current situation in Iraq, and what role is the International North\u2013South Transport Corridor playing in this regard?\nSergey Lavrov: Our relations have traditionally been amicable. I am of the opinion that we played a constructive role following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein\u2019s regime. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has recently resurfaced in discussions surrounding the newly initiated process in Sharm el-Sheikh \u2013 the so-called \u201cpeace summit.\u201d Allegedly, a technocratic body will be established, as proposed by US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan, to administer the Gaza sector during its reconstruction. Tony Blair has been involved in Middle Eastern affairs for years. It was he who was among those demanding immediate military action against Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein\u2019s government under a pretext now proven to be fabricated \u2013 a fact he himself was forced to acknowledge. At the time, I was also working in New York and recall the extreme tension of that period. Following all the experiments conducted by the provisional authority of Paul Bremer in Iraq, including the dissolution of all Ba\u2019ath Party-affiliated structures (which constituted Iraq\u2019s state-forming institutions), it is no secret that many officers from Saddam Hussein\u2019s army formed the backbone of ISIS. Simply because they were cast aside.\nI consider the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia\u2019 Al-Sudani, as well as his predecessors, to have been effective and prudent in gradually restoring national unity. This is essential not only for Iraq but for any other country in the region, be it Libya or Syria.\nOur companies have long been operational in Iraq. First and foremost, I would mention Lukoil and several other oil-extracting firms, which contribute a significant share of tax revenue, ensuring the stability of the country\u2019s economic development. Given that our companies also operate in Iraqi Kurdistan, they help lay the material foundations for that very national unity.\nThe Russian-Iraqi Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation remains active. We engage in regular dialogue at various levels. I have already noted the recent telephone conversation between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia\u2019 Al-Sudani and Russian President Vladimir Putin. My Iraqi counterpart and I maintain constant contact. We met last month in New York during the UN General Assembly session and held productive talks. Thus, I believe we can be quite satisfied with the trajectory of our relations. We stand ready to pursue new objectives in the interests of our peoples.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Two questions - about Iran and Palestine. Is it true that Russia hindered the implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal? Has Russia supplied S-400 air defence missile systems to Iran?\nNo measures have yet been taken against Israel, whose military operations have caused numerous casualties in Gaza. What is your position on this issue?\nSergey Lavrov: The translation of the first question was a little unclear. What does \u201cRussia hindered the nuclear deal\u201d mean? Could you please repeat that?\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Former Foreign Minister of Iran Javad Zarif said that Russia had previously undermined efforts to renew the nuclear deal during President Hassan Rouhani\u2019s term. Is that true? That is, what Mr Zarif said. Did Russia supply S-400 systems to Iran? And what about the Sukhoi aircraft deal \u2013 have they been delivered to Iran?\nSergey Lavrov: Regarding our military-technical cooperation with Iran, after the UN Security Council sanctions were lifted, we have no restrictions. In full compliance with international law, we supply the equipment that Iran needs. All of this is carried out strictly within the framework of international law.\nAs for Mr Zarif\u2019s statements, we worked closely together for many years on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at resolving the situation around Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. The final decision on JCPOA was made directly by Mr Zarif and then-US Secretary of State John Kerry. The other participants were essentially observers at that point, watching the US and Iran reach an agreement.\nIt is well known that Russia has never deviated from its consistent position in support of that nuclear deal, including UN Security Council Resolution 2231. I do not know what exactly Mr Zarif meant, but several days later, when Western countries staged an illegal and outrageous \u201cperformance\u201d at the UN Security Council, claiming that UN sanctions against Iran had been automatically reinstated, they invoked what is known as the snapback mechanism. This mechanism is unique for the decisions of the Security Council: it allows any participant to unilaterally trigger the reinstatement of sanctions, and no one can stop it. That provision was in fact agreed to in the final stage of the negotiations directly between Zarif and Kerry.\nTo be honest, we were surprised. But if our Iranian partners accepted this formulation \u2013 which, frankly, was a legal \u201ctrap\u201d \u2013 we had no grounds to object. I can understand why Zarif supported such an unconventional formula: Iran had no intention of violating the JCPOA and was confident that no one would accuse it of doing so. What happened instead is that Iran did not breach the deal, yet the United States withdrew from it, and the Europeans failed to meet their commitments. After that, they began again demanding new concessions from Iran. Since you mentioned Zarif, this \u201ccreation\u201d was largely his.\nAs for Palestine, we have just discussed this topic quite extensively. The situation that has developed in the region following the decisions to create Israel and a Palestinian state has become increasingly explosive. After the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel responded, as I have already said, with collective punishment of the Palestinians. Like terrorism, this constitutes a gross violation of international humanitarian law. The level of hatred being sown on both sides is extremely high. So, the notion that \u201cif everyone pressures Israel, everything will be fine\u201d is inapplicable here.\nYour question had this logic: let us all put pressure on Israel, and everything will be fine. That won\u2019t work. Whatever one thinks of Hamas, it remains part of Palestinian society \u2013 just like Israeli politicians, whether moderate or radical, are part of Israeli society. What is needed is an agreement between both sides, a balance of interests. Major powers, of course, should use their influence to encourage precisely this: a search for compromise and mutual understanding. As President Vladimir Putin has recently said, we can see that US President Donald Trump is guided exactly by that.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Syria is currently experiencing violence and even genocide in various regions, particularly along its coast. We have all witnessed this. There are mass killings, abductions of children and women, and other horrific acts. What is Russia doing to put an end to such practices and to persuade interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa to address this issue? How are you currently collaborating with Ahmed al-Sharaa since he assumed power?\nSergey Lavrov: With regard to Syria.\u00a0 Alarming events transpired in March of this year. We provided our Khmeimim airbase to shelter civilians, as well as certain servicemen of the Syrian army, to protect them from the surge of violence that had been provoked at that time.\nHow can this country be stabilised? We have never pursued any special interests in Syria. When we stood with the Syrian people, we consistently advocated for Syria \u2013 as a multinational and multi-confessional state \u2013 to rely on the promotion of national reconciliation. This was the case throughout the years when Bashar al-Assad was President of the Syrian Arab Republic, while the United States, in effect, worked to fragment Syria, actively fuelling Kurdish separatism in the country\u2019s northeast. This created problems not only for Syrian society but also for neighbouring T\u00fcrkiye, as well as other nations with Kurdish minorities. We have never engaged in such actions. We have always called for the immediate reunification of all Syrian territories.\nNow, following the change of power in December 2024, we continue to be guided by these same principles. We are convinced that all countries in the region \u2013 a region critical to global stability \u2013 must contribute to the full restoration of Syria\u2019s territorial integrity, which continues to face challenges in the north, northeast, and, more recently, the south, when Israel has begun demanding the demilitarisation of As-Suwayda and all territories south of Damascus. This directly impacts the issue of Syria\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is no joking matter.\nWe support the new government\u2019s efforts to stabilise the situation. In this vein, as early as January of this year, we arranged for an interagency delegation to visit Damascus in order to take stock of the relations we have developed with the Syrian Arab Republic up to this point. Subsequently, there was a telephone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa.\nIn April of this year, I met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani in Antalya on the sidelines of the Antalya Political Forum. Last July, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani, along with the Minister of Defence and several other government officials, visited the Russian Federation.\nMore recently, in September of this year, I met with Asaad al-Shaibani in New York. We share a common understanding that the foundation of our relations, built over many years, remains relevant, though certain adjustments will need to be made to reflect the new realities in Syria. These primarily concern economic matters, as well as issues related to our military and military-technical cooperation.\nThe Syrian side is interested in maintaining our military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated, we rely on the interests of the host country \u2013 the Syrian Arab Republic. It is clear that under new circumstances, these bases may assume a different role beyond merely serving as military outposts. Given the need to facilitate humanitarian flows into Africa, they could function as maritime and air hubs for the delivery of humanitarian supplies, including to the Sahel-Saharan zone and other countries in need.\nI mentioned our contacts. In the first half of September this year, a new representative delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak visited Damascus and held substantive talks. We are updating and adapting our legal framework and cooperative practices to the new conditions. We see mutual interest in this regard.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Do you foresee any future problems regarding Bashar al-Assad? An attempt has reportedly been made to poison him in Moscow. \u00a0Does the problem exist, and if so, how is it addressed?\nSergey Lavrov: Former President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad is living in Russia for humanitarian reasons. He and his family faced the risk of physical elimination. We remember what happened to Muammar Gaddafi, which \u00a0delighted then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who watched his execution \u00a0in a live television broadcast and applauded it.\nWe have provided humanitarian asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family for purely humanitarian reasons. He has no problems with living in our capital. No attempt to poison him has been made. If there are such rumours, I leave them on the conscience of those who spread them.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): The Russian-Arab Summit will also discuss economic issues related to Russia\u2019s support for Arab countries. Is the issue of Russian-Arabic partnership and investments on the agenda? Which countries may be involved and in which spheres?\nWe know that Russia is paying particular attention to Africa. What is Russia doing to strengthen its positions in North Africa, in particular, Tunisia?\nSergey Lavrov: As I have mentioned in my opening remarks, our economic ties with Arab countries have been growing consistently. This also includes trade and investment cooperation.\nSpeaking about trade, we are working together on the global hydrocarbons market within the framework of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and OPEC+, which has a permanent monitoring committee. It is co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation.\nThe other trade exchange areas include food supplies, including halal products, grain and other food products, fertilisers, which our Arabic friends have a great interest in, tourism, which I have already mentioned, and industrial cooperation. There are promising nuclear generation projects, including the use of nuclear technology in medicine and agriculture. They are being actively coordinated.\nI have mentioned cooperation in the financial sector. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and its colleagues in Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries, in particular, Gulf states, are not just planning but are already implementing a number of joint co-investment projects in the Russian Federation on the conditions that can benefit both the RDIF and our Arab friends. In other words, the outlook is quite positive.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): What do you think about the idea of an international body to monitor ceasefire in Gaza? Is Russia mediating between Iraq and Kuwait in the Khor Abdullah dispute? Are there plans to cancel entry visas for Kuwaiti citizens, as you have done for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries?\nSergey Lavrov: I spoke about visas in my reply to your Bahraini colleague. We are interested in simplifying the visa regime as much as possible. We will check if there were visa waiver proposals from our Kuwaiti friends. I do not foresee any major problems if there is an interest in this.\nRelations between Iraq and Kuwait are gradually normalising. It was not a quick process. There remain some problems, which have recently been discussed at a meeting of the UN Security Council, following which a mutually acceptable solution was reached and adopted.\nI believe that the UN Security Council will continue to work towards a full and final normalisation of Iraq-Kuwait relations, with our active contribution. Both countries are our good friends.\nAs for Gaza, Donald Trump\u2019s plan, as everyone calls it, stipulates not only the release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed upon line, and the solution of humanitarian problems, but also the establishment of a governing body for Gaza\u2019s redevelopment. So, there is a great deal to be done there. We see the footage of ruined streets and squares every day. In fact, the entire living space has been destroyed there.\nHow will this international body be developed? As I see it, the \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d presided by the US President will act as the supervisory board of trustees. The situation on the ground will be monitored by a body of technocrats who will coordinate the financial flow, which is a matter of major importance. The Americans have already stated that Arab countries will have to bear the brunt of Gaza\u2019s redevelopment. Everyone will do their bit, as in the division of labour.\nThe most important thing is to prevent a revision of the fragile formulas in Trump\u2019s peace plan, considering the attempts that have already been made by many sides. Some people in Israel claim that these arrangements do not prohibit Israel from resuming hostilities at any time. Many statements have been made to this effect. Hamas believes that Israel is trying to retroactively adjust or specify some provisions. It has expressed its protest, saying that they have accepted Trump's plan \u00a0in its current version.\nWe expect to see a lot of such manoeuvres around that document. It is important to prevent the revival of grievances and a new aggravation, instead focusing on the literal implementation of the agreements on the withdrawal of forces and the release of hostages, including Palestinians. We will do everything in our power to facilitate this.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Yesterday, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke of the necessity for United Nations patronage over the forthcoming implementation of US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan. How can progress be advanced in this regard, particularly within the UN Security Council, especially given that President Trump has thus far not succeeded in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? How do you assess Russia-Egypt cooperation on regional issues? What role does Egypt play in these matters?\nSergey Lavrov: Egypt\u2019s role is clear. It is one of the most active mediators in a number of conflicts. The country\u2019s leadership has demonstrated initiative across numerous fronts, and this remains evident today. In fact, as we speak, in Sharm El Sheikh, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will co-chair, alongside US President Donald Trump, an event supported by Jordan, Qatar, and T\u00fcrkiye upon which we all place considerable hopes.\nOur relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt are exemplary, including in the economic sphere. We are building Egypt\u2019s first nuclear power plant. In the economic sphere, logistics and infrastructure, a Russian industrial zone is being established near the Suez Canal \u2013 a flagship project aimed at creating a commercial hub with numerous neighbouring and even non-adjacent states.\nOurs is a rich history dating back to Soviet times. Many of Egypt\u2019s key industrial facilities were built with our country\u2019s assistance, not to mention our collaboration in education and culture. I recently mentioned the participation of an Egyptian performer in the Intervision Song Contest, which concluded just recently.\nThe Russian-Egyptian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation remains active, convening regularly to explore new avenues for cooperation. It monitors areas where the implementation of agreements requires additional impetus.\nIn foreign policy, Egypt is one of our key partners in North Africa. We maintain good and amicable relations with all in the region \u2013 Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. I hope Libya, too, will achieve the national consensus it so manifestly requires.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic):\u00a0 Many African nations, particularly in the Sahel region, fear the presence of the Africa Corps, which they believe could influence both their international and domestic affairs. Do you think the Africa Corps might commit crimes against civilian population, as allegedly occurred in Mali?\nSergey Lavrov: You have meticulously recited everything written for you \u2013 dutifully delivering each prepared point. The Africa Corps is a unit of the Russian Federation\u2019s Ministry of Defence. Our military do not engage in actions against civilian population or civilian infrastructure, this is well known. Should your editorial team, or those who prompted this question, possess any evidence to the contrary, let it be presented. The crux lies in today\u2019s unfounded attempts to accuse Russia of anything and everything, up to and including mortal sins.\nYou mentioned the Africa Corps\u2019 presence in certain countries neighbouring Algeria, where concerns are supposedly arising. If you refer to Mali, our Africa Corps operates there at the request and invitation of the country\u2019s lawful authorities. We are aware of the rifts between our friends in Algeria and Mali \u2013 frictions rooted (let us call things by their proper names) in the colonial past, when colonisers carved up Africa with a ruler, slicing through ethnic homelands. This occurred across central Africa \u2013 Rwanda and Burundi, Hutus and Tutsis. In the case of Algeria and Mali, it was the Tuaregs. This legacy periodically resurfaces in the form of conflicts. I would not rule out that those who drew these borders may, at times, seek to provoke tensions deliberately.\nExamine the map of Africa. Its borders are often artificial. Following decolonisation, the African Union once considered revising territorial demarcations to avoid dividing ethnic and confessional groups. Ultimately, they chose not to, recognising that it would open Pandora\u2019s box. The conflicts sporadically flaring up today would then have engulfed the entire continent. That was a wise decision by the African Union.\nRegarding the issue you raised \u2013 tensions between Mali and Algeria \u2013 we remain in contact with both our Algerian and Malian friends. The two sides have expressed interest in our assistance to mitigate disagreements. We stand ready to facilitate.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): To what extent is the US genuinely pursuing a peaceful settlement in the Middle East? We are aware of [the West\u2019s] commitment to a unipolar world, a system Russia is actively challenging. How is Russia preparing for a transition to a multipolar world within the Middle East? Furthermore, how would you respond to Israel\u2019s violations of UN Security Council resolutions in Lebanon, including the deployment of its forces there? This is something we hear about daily in Lebanon. You have characterised the events of October 7, 2023, as a terrorist attack. However, given that Israel has been carrying out killings for two years now, would you not define that as terrorism as well? While I personally do not believe October 7 was a terrorist attack, I would like to discuss Israel\u2019s position.\nSergey Lavrov: You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. However, the murder of more than a thousand unarmed civilians, who were gathered simply to sing songs, is unequivocally terrorism.\nIf you were following closely, you will have heard me state that Israel\u2019s response, which has spiralled into a form of collective punishment against the entire Palestinian people, is also a clear violation of international humanitarian law.\nI didn\u2019t quite follow your question about America\u2019s \u201cplans\u201d for the Middle East. These plans are already being implemented, and we wish them every success in this endeavour. This is, of course, with the understanding that the plan will be fully implemented \u2013 that the goalposts will not be moved midway through, nor the rules of the game changed. We are already noting certain players who wish to do just that. Once the plan is fully and conscientiously implemented, we must immediately turn to the practical work of establishing a Palestinian state. This means seeking concrete compromises based on the frameworks approved by the UN Security Council.\nRegarding a multipolar world, this is not a matter of Russia or any other country \u201cestablishing\u201d it in the Middle East or elsewhere. It is an objective historical process. Over the past 40 years, the Gulf countries have dramatically increased their economic, financial, and political influence, thereby gaining the ability to shape regional and global processes. They represent one of the naturally formed \u201cpoles\u201d in this emerging multipolar world, and their role continues to develop.\nThe same is true for the African Union and sub-regional organisations in Africa, which are now highly active and vigorously expanding their capabilities. Other natural poles are emerging in Latin America and across Eurasia.\nOur concept for a Eurasian security architecture envisions the inclusion of all countries and organisations on the continent \u2013 the largest and richest in the world, home to several of humanity\u2019s greatest civilisations, whose histories span millennia. This includes structures like the GCC, ASEAN, and other frameworks linked to Eurasia. I am confident there will be a place for cooperation with the Arab League, despite most of its member states being geographically located in Africa.\nA multipolar world is an objective reality. The sooner our Western colleagues recognise this, and understand that the era of 500 years of global dominance \u2013 of declaring wars, enslaving, exploiting, and destroying other peoples \u2013 is over, the sooner they can take their place as equals in this new global configuration, not as a dominant power.\nOn Lebanon, it is, of course, imperative to implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We are closely monitoring the situation there. Let me be clear: Resolution 1701 has lost none of its relevance. It explicitly calls for a cessation of all military operations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the simultaneous withdrawal of Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River. The resolution also prohibits violations of Lebanese airspace and other breaches of its territorial integrity, which are unacceptable.\nVery few of these mandated actions mentioned in Resolution 1701 have been implemented. Yet, this is no reason to give up. We must redouble our efforts to support our Lebanese partners. Lebanon, once dubbed the \u201cMiddle Eastern Riviera\u201d or the \u201cGeneva\u201d of the region, has become one of its most long-suffering areas, perpetually gripped by crises. We are committed to helping resolve this situation and restore a sense of normalcy to the country.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:53:42",
    "page_index": 7,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with RT\u2019s Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 9, 2025",
    "date": "9 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: Moscow is hosting the first Russian-Arab Summit. Why has our country come forward with this initiative right now? What are its goals? Can you now announce which countries have accepted the invitations, and if they will be represented at the highest level?\nSergey Lavrov: There\u2019s a saying: there\u2019s always a first time. That certainly applies here.\nTo understand the context for this first summit, it\u2019s important to note that the Russia-Arab world dialogue has a long history and has never ceased. After the respective states gained independence, the USSR, and after 1991 the Russian Federation, built close strategic relations with most of our Arab friends.\nIn 2013, we decided to systematise these processes and place them on a multilateral foundation. Alongside our bilateral ties with each Arab country, we proposed creating the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum \u2013 a Russia-Arab World/Russia-Arab League partnership and dialogue platform at the level of foreign ministers.\nSix such ministerial meetings have already taken place, roughly once every two years. The most recent one was held in December 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco. It was there, following President Vladimir Putin\u2019s instruction, that I put forward the initiative to organise the first summit between the Russian Federation and the League of Arab States.\nThe summit has been scheduled by mutual agreement for October 15. A meeting of foreign ministers will be held on October 13, a couple of days before, to finalise the summit\u2019s draft documents. All Arab League member states have been invited, including the Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. He is an Egyptian citizen with whom we have worked closely for a long time, including at the UN. The level of representation is expected to be quite high.\nPredictably, many of our Arab colleagues are deeply concerned about the Palestinian issue now, with some currently engaged in relevant consultations to promote mediation efforts. However, we have reason to believe that the overwhelming majority of Arab League members will join us at the level of heads of state or government.\nQuestion: The war in Gaza has been on for two full years now with tens of thousands of fatalities on top of a devastating humanitarian disaster. We hear Tel Aviv saying it is going to take full control of the enclave. Some are even talking about moving the Palestinians to third countries. The Trump plan is being widely discussed. How do you envision a potential settlement? Can Russia and China act as guarantors, as some Arab countries want them to?\nSergey Lavrov: It is a disaster, no question about it.\nWe hear officials from many European capitals and international organisations say words like \u201cgenocide\u201d and \u201cfamine.\u201d Children are dying of starvation and exhaustion.\nAccording to official data, 65,000 people died in the past two years, most of them civilians, including women, children, and the elderly; 170,000 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. To put it in perspective, 65,000 civilian deaths in two years is double the number of civilian casualties during the entire Ukraine situation that followed the coup. The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine over 12 years is smaller than the number of victims in Palestine in only two years. The situation is extremely grave.\nYou mentioned exotic ideas, such as Riviera of the Middle East, relocation of Gaza population, and building world-class resorts that were put forward in the early days of Trump administration when they first started looking into these issues. The Arab countries, primarily, Egypt and Jordan, close neighbours of Palestine, which our American colleagues picked as recipient countries for Gaza residents, firmly pushed back against these proposals.\nIt was reported afterwards that with the Arabs strongly opposed to the idea, other options, such as Somaliland and even Indonesia and South Sudan, were considered as alternatives. It appears everyone has realised by now that solutions of that kind would mean a humanitarian disaster for the Palestinians and a serious blow to the UN, which proclaimed the establishment of a Palestinian State alongside the State of Israel in 1947. Indeed, the Arabs may have acted rashly back in the day triggering the events that ultimately led to bloody clashes and the shrinking of the territories intended for the Palestinian State. Nonetheless, the UN Security Council and the General Assembly resolutions have never been rescinded. The state must be created.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently discussed the Palestinian settlement, among other matters, with President Putin, has repeatedly and publicly stated that creating the Palestinian State was out of the question. If you look at President Trump\u2019s plan, which we regard as a positive step given the urgent need to stop the carnage, save human lives, and rebuild Gaza, or what remains of it, you will see that he proposed a 20-point peace plan that mentions the word \u201cstatehood.\u201d However, its language is rather vague and covers only what remains of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank is not mentioned in this regard. However, we are realists. We are fully cognisant of the fact that this is the best solution we have on the table. At least, the best one in terms of being potentially acceptable to the Arab side and not being rejected by Israel, which is how I can describe Netanyahu\u2019s position. Most importantly, though, the plan must be acceptable to the Palestinians.\nHamas is part of the Palestinian people and part of the problem. We strongly condemned the terrorist attack against civilians carried out by Hamas two years ago, on October 7, 2023. Twelve hundred people were killed, and dozens were taken hostage. That was a crime. However, collective punishment of the Palestinian people for such attacks also represents gross violation of international humanitarian law.\nWhen told that such a response was unacceptable and only the culprits, not innocent people, not women, children, or the elderly, must be punished, some Israeli officials retorted there were no civilians in Palestine and everyone there starting from the age of three was a terrorist. True, extremism is being fuelled there. But for many years, during my stint in New York and later as Foreign Minister, I have been telling my Israeli counterparts that they should abandon their intransigence and their attempts to stall the implementation of the UN resolutions.\nWe have repeatedly let them know that the Palestinian issue, which remains unresolved for nearly 80 years now, is the main factor fueling extremism in the Middle East. Children are born and then go to school, where they are taught that they should have had their own country, their own state, and that there is a UN resolution to that effect. Israel was created, whereas Palestine was not. Some of my Israeli colleagues (many of them even friends) have taken offence, accusing me of trying to make excuses. But things are not that simple. When generation after generation grows up in a society where their legitimate UN-approved aspirations are ignored, such sentiments can hardly be contained.\nTo get back to President Trump\u2019s plan, it is quite realistic provided the Palestinians find it acceptable. We wish success to the indirect talks currently underway in Egypt with the participation of T\u00fcrkiye, Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and, of course, Israel. They are using intermediaries to talk with Hamas. It is absolutely essential to cease the hostilities. Hamas\u2019s particular emphasis on guarantees against renewed strikes or resumption of fighting in Gaza, especially in Gaza City, reflects the lessons they have learned from their previous experiences.\nEarlier this year, proposals were made that appeared to about to go live, but upon completion of the first phase, Israel resumed hostilities citing Hamas\u2019s failure to hold up its end of the bargain. It is vital to work through the details to prevent this from ever happening again.\nYou may have seen on television President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu speak with the Prime Minister of Qatar from the Oval Office. Live on air, Trump tried to extract from him a guarantee that no actions like that would occur again. In that case, it was directed against Qatar under the pretext that Hamas leaders were residing in Doha. We wish them success. If we can be of assistance, we will, of course, be there to help. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, President Putin made it clear that we would like to help establish a Palestinian State, but we must start with something. Statehood will come later. This goal should remain part of the agenda. Our Western colleagues must also bear their share of responsibility for having played a key role in stalling the implementation of the decisions on creating an independent Palestine on the West Bank and in Gaza.\nIn June, President Emmanuel Macron, later joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said he would go to the UN General Assembly and recognise everything there. If you decided to recognise it back in June, why not do so? Perhaps, they hoped that within two to three months there would be nothing left to recognise and nothing would remain of Palestine.\nThe situation on the West Bank remains worrisome. From the standpoint of future Palestinian statehood, as required by UN resolutions, almost the entire territory has been taken up by Israeli settlements. The word I\u2019m getting (it has never been officially stated, but political scientists and experts are talking about it) is that plans are in place to allocate two to three municipalities in the West Bank to be headed by Palestinian leaders who would be governing I\u2019m not sure what or whom.\nSuch things are being discussed. To reiterate, stopping the bloodshed is our number one priority. In this regard, President Trump\u2019s plan gives hope.\nQuestion: Another topic concerns Syria. You met with your Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Moscow in July this year, as well as on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. At what stage is cooperation with the current leadership of this country? What are the prospects for collaboration, including the future of Russian military bases?\nSergey Lavrov: In 2024, we marked 80 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Since Soviet times, we have maintained friendly ties and close cooperation. Our country has made a significant contribution to shaping the foundations of Syria\u2019s economy, the social sphere, national personnel training, and strengthening the defence capabilities of the Syrian Arab Republic.\nUndoubtedly, after 2011 \u2013 when, as part of the Arab Spring, the hot phase of the conflict in Syria began, and the Western-backed opposition armed itself, relying on extremist and terrorist elements \u2013 we came to the aid of the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic. President Vladimir Putin made that decision. We played a substantial role in normalising the situation. We had agreements with the Americans and multilateral arrangements \u2013 a resolution was adopted in New York and Geneva. Had that resolution been implemented, we likely would not be witnessing the current situation in Syria, marked by confrontation between the central authorities and a number of regions in the country.\nOur friendship with the Syrian Arab Republic is not opportunistic. Immediately after the events of December 2024, we resumed contact. President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the head of the new authorities, Mr Ahmed al-Sharaa. An interagency delegation visited Damascus at the beginning of this year and conducted an inventory of projects \u2013 alongside Syrian colleagues \u2013 that had been launched under President Bashar al-Assad and which, in our view, could continue under the current conditions with certain adjustments.\nI met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani earlier this spring in Antalya, where we participated in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. He then visited us in July this year, and we met again in New York. In early September this year, another interagency delegation \u2013 led by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak \u2013 visited Damascus. Discussions were held with their counterparts and with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. We are keen to ensure that all initiatives \u2013 some dating back to Soviet times, others launched after 2011\u20132014 \u2013 related to supporting Syria\u2019s national economy, industry, agriculture, and energy continue. Naturally, they must be adapted to the new realities.\nThis also applies to our military bases. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that we will not remain in Syria against the will of its leadership. However, it appears that the Syrian government, along with a number of regional states, has an interest in maintaining our presence there. Of course, this presence is no longer about providing military support to the legitimate authorities against opposition forces. The function must be reconfigured. One clear task that could benefit the Syrians, their neighbours, and many other countries is establishing a humanitarian hub, utilising the port and airport to deliver humanitarian supplies from Russia and the Persian Gulf states to Africa. There is a shared understanding that this will be in demand, and we are prepared to coordinate the details. The matter has, in principle, been discussed, and there is mutual interest.\nAnother issue concerning Syria is the domestic political situation. Syria categorically demands an end to foreign interference in its internal affairs. Vast areas of the Syrian Arab Republic remain under the control of foreign troops\u2014not always at the invitation of Damascus. A particularly volatile situation persists in the south, where Israel insists on creating a buffer zone. We understand Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised that without addressing these, lasting peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable.\nYet, the interests of other actors must also be safeguarded. In the northeast, there are the Kurds, whom the Biden administration began courting, actively encouraging separatist sentiments. Our Turkish counterparts maintain a presence in the north, along their border with Syria. Meanwhile, Alawites and Christians continue to face persecution \u2013 recently exemplified by a barbaric attack on a church.\nSyria\u2019s unity must be a priority for all nations with influence over Damascus and the various ethno-confessional and political factions across the country. A longstanding concern is the potential explosion of the Kurdish issue \u2013 if these \u201cgames\u201d with Syrian Kurds over autonomy and separatism escalate, the Kurdish problem could destabilise the entire region. These are serious risks.\nrom every perspective, we will continue assisting our Syrian partners. We are prepared to collaborate on these matters with other nations pursuing their interests in the Syrian Arab Republic. Of particular significance will be the participation of transitional government head Ahmed al-Sharaa in the First Russian-Arab Summit on October 15. I anticipate substantive discussions there.\nQuestion: The situation in Iran holds a key to regional stability. Following the use of force by Israel and the United States this summer, how do you see the situation unfold next? Do you think full-scale talks on the Iranian nuclear programme have a chance to ever materialise?\nSergey Lavrov: Iran has a stake in it. Since January, when the West began seriously playing with the idea of re-imposing sanctions - without any legal grounds for doing so - Iran consistently advocated for talks showing flexibility and creativity in its approaches, striving not to succumb to provocations. The West kept luring Iranian negotiators into yet another \u201cround\u201d of talks, where some preliminary understandings were reached giving hope that this would finally settle the question of what to do next. However, the West later backed out of its own proposals, preliminary agreements, and compromises, and continued instead to act through blackmail, diktat, and threats.\nThe idea of re-imposing the sanctions which the West is trying to present as a legitimate legal procedure is utterly outrageous. As you may recall, the resolution approving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme was not violated by Iran. The Islamic Republic had been fulfilling it since 2015 when it was first adopted. Then, in 2019, the United States said it did not like the deal and would no longer comply with it. The Europeans, who were also obliged to fulfill the \u201cfruit of their own labour,\u201d instead of taking a principled stand in favour of preserving the deal, chose to play along with Washington, persuading the Iranians not to take offence and to make more concessions.\nThis is plain and simple dishonourable, not to mention that it represents a blatant violation of international law. The UN Charter requires all resolutions to be implemented. But they decided otherwise. They exploited a provision in the deal (I was involved in this process) that raised serious questions back in 2015. Then US Secretary of State John Kerry told then Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was negotiating on behalf of his country, that now that they\u2019ve agreed on everything (it was a massive document with detailed technical, legal, and practical provisions) it would make sense to \u201csell it\u201d to Congress and Washington, where many distrust Tehran. To reassure them, he proposed inserting a clause that if Iran were ever to violate or fail to fulfill its obligations, a resolution on automatic re-imposition of sanctions would be adopted. There\u2019s nothing one can do about it. This mechanism was clearly designed to benefit anyone wishing to re-impose sanctions on Iran.\nI am convinced that the Iranians accepted this arrangement for only one reason: they had no intention of violating anything. That is why they signed this unprecedented instrument with a clear conscience and peace of mind - an instrument the West has now grossly abused, turning everything upside down. They punished a country that had not violated a thing and had been fulfilling its obligations until the West walked away from the deal.\nIran remains ready for dialogue. The West, however, is deliberately going to great lengths to prevent direct talks between Iran and the United States (although Tehran has always been open to them) and to block the resumption of normal cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, as if making a special effort to provoke a major conflict. Perhaps, that is exactly what some parties are looking for.\nWe are discussing Arab affairs here. We are preparing for the upcoming Arab summit. In recent years, including with our assistance, there have been positive shifts in relations between Iran and the Arab states. Iran has had relations with a number of countries for quite some time. A few years ago, it reached an agreement on normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, a critically important player in the Persian Gulf. We welcomed this step, as we have for many years been promoting the concept of collective security in the Gulf region encouraging all littoral states - six GCC countries and Iran - to establish a process of confidence-building and to develop mutually beneficial projects.\nYet, many out there are clearly opposed to this. They do not want to see Iran overcome the problems imposed on it (I mentioned them), or to face fewer unilateral demands to renounce not only its nuclear programme, including the peaceful one, but also to disarm unilaterally. Many actors prefer to keep the Gulf Arab states wary of Iran. This is the West\u2019s game. The British have long been known for their divide-and-conquer approach. In this particular case, though, it is not even about divide and conquer, but about pit against one another and conquer. Sadly, colonial and neocolonial instincts have continued to guide some of our Western colleagues\u2019 actions to this day.\nQuestion: You mentioned the 2015 talks at the Palais Coburg in Vienna. I remember well the number of months it took to arrive at signing the final document and the ensuing jubilation on July 15, 2015.\nLet\u2019s get to other matters. You mentioned Saudi Arabia. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Russia\u2019s diplomatic relations with that country. What\u2019s your take on Russian-Saudi cooperation over time and today?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe our relations are excellent. The Soviet Union was the first to recognise Saudi Arabia (it had a different name then). We did that and established close and trust-based relations. Soviet diplomats that worked in Saudi Arabia during that period left good memories of themselves. Later, in the 1950s, our relations became somewhat strained for reasons that everyone is well aware of. However, the groundwork laid in 1926 helped us quickly restore them.\nToday, we enjoy a trust-based dialogue and productive contacts at the level of President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as at the level of ministers, deputy prime ministers, and the officials in charge of sector-specific cooperation. Many concrete projects, primarily in the investment sphere, and joint ventures in energy, agriculture, and industry are underway.\nWithout a doubt, we enjoy close political interaction. We want to see the initiatives that Saudi Arabia has been promoting in the international arena for quite some time now, including on the Palestinian issue, implemented.\nIn 2002, at the Arab League summit in Beirut, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia put forward the Arab Peace Initiative, which provided for fully normalised relations between Arab countries and Israel, with the understanding that a Palestinian State would first be established. This was yet another reminder of the importance of implementing UN decisions.\nMost notably, the principle \u201ccreate a Palestinian State, and we will recognise Israel and live in peace\u201d was supported not only by Arab nations, but by all Muslim countries. A special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Tehran approved the Saudi initiative. I\u2019m not saying that everything has fallen apart now. Odds that this will end up taking place are still there. However, had everyone followed the voice of reason from the Arab and Muslim world which called for fulfilling international obligations back then, the situation would probably be different today.\nOver the past seven or eight years, the Americans have been trying to turn this formula upside down by promoting the Abraham Accords, suggesting that all Arab countries recognise Israel first, and then we\u2019ll see what we can do with Palestine. The main focus was on Saudi Arabia.\nQuite recently, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman publicly stated that Saudi Arabia\u2019s position remains unchanged: first, the establishment of a Palestinian State and then normalisation of relations with Israel. This stance commands respect.\nThe first visit by then Crown Prince, later King Faisal, to the Soviet Union took place in 1932. That also helped build close and trust-based relations.\nSpeaking of our humanitarian ties, every year, about 25,000 Russian citizens perform the Hajj. We appreciate the attention given by the Saudi authorities to our pilgrims. There are other areas of humanitarian cooperation as well.\nThe talented Saudi performer Zeina Imad gave a remarkable performance at the Intervision Song Contest. The Saudi leaders said they were willing to host the next annual competition. We will use this occasion to mark the 100th anniversary diplomatic relations between our countries.\n\nQuestion: One of the most promising regions in the world in terms of development potential is Africa. It is believed that countries such as Algeria or Egypt could serve as Russia\u2019s door to this continent. How is cooperation progressing in this direction?\nSergey Lavrov: Our doors have long been open \u2013 since the days of the struggle for decolonisation. The legacy left by the Soviet Union from that period, beginning with the initiation of the United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted in 1960, includes practical military, military-technical, economic, financial, and educational assistance that we provided to national liberation movements. Later, after African nations gained independence, we supported them in establishing their statehood.\nIn the 1990s, for reasons that are well understood \u2013 our country was on the brink of collapse after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and centrifugal tendencies were at play even within the RSFSR \u2013 we found ourselves in catastrophic debt. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank\u2026 I remember it all. We had to cut costs.\nAnother question is: how did we come to such a state? At that time, there simply was no money. Several embassies were closed, including a dozen in Africa. Much has changed since then. Under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, as Russia grew stronger, regained its sense of identity, and understood the role it must continue to play in the world, we began returning to Africa. In 2024, we reopened two embassies; this year, we will reopen two more and establish a new one. Another three embassies are next in line. Within a few years, eight embassies will have been restored on the African continent.\nA crucial point, one of global strategic significance, is that Africa is undergoing a second \u201cawakening.\u201d Now, if you look at the map of Africa, you will see borders drawn with a ruler. None of the colonisers cared who was on the left or right side of those straight lines. They sliced through ethnic groups \u2013 Rwanda and Burundi, Hutus and Tutsis. You mentioned Algeria and Mali. There, the straight line means the Tuareg people live on both sides of the border and do not get along particularly well. Their discord is further exacerbated by external forces egging them on against each other. We are attempting to bring some order to these processes.\nIn its wisdom, the African Union once decided that borders should not be redrawn \u2013 given how things had unfolded. Otherwise, it would lead to a free-for-all, with long-lasting and tragic consequences. That is the correct stance. Yet the fact remains that Africa did not achieve full sovereignty after decolonisation.\nI remember attending various G20 events, other forums, and gatherings. In major African countries, it was impossible to refuel the aircraft provided for our delegation. We had to resort to workarounds, negotiating with military bases. All other refuelling stations in most African airports are owned by Western multinational corporations, which refuse to service Russian government aircraft.\nWe now see Africa establishing its own institutions \u2013 not just the African Union, where they convene and discuss abstract topics. The African Export-Import Bank has been created, in which we participate with special status. Investment programmes are being developed.\nAfrica does not want to merely sell its raw materials; it seeks assistance in learning how to process them. This applies to Algeria as well. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited us in 2023. He raised precisely this issue \u2013 not just selling their resources and buying, say, fertiliser, but asking whether we could establish fertiliser production in Algeria. This matter is currently under consideration. The goal is not to remain an appendage of former colonial powers but to build domestic processing industries, where the bulk of value-added is generated.\nTwo Russia-Africa summits have been held \u2013 in Sochi in 2019 and in St Petersburg in 2023. At the 2023 summit, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni cited the global coffee market \u2013 or more precisely, Africa\u2019s coffee market \u2013 as grounds for the continent\u2019s urgent need for a second \u201cawakening.\u201d He estimated its value at 460 billion dollars, of which only 2.4 billion remained in Africa. These are raw beans, harvested and shipped to Germany and other European countries, where they are processed, roasted, ground, packaged, and so on. This exemplifies Africa\u2019s desire to harness its own wealth, first and foremost for the benefit of its people.\nNorth Africa \u2013 Algeria, Morocco, Egypt \u2013 is home to our strategic partners, as enshrined in official documents. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited Russia in 2023. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9 this year and was received by President Vladimir Putin. We have major, promising projects with Egypt, including a nuclear power plant, the establishment of a Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal, and more.\nOur trade turnover with Africa, while not yet as substantial as China\u2019s or the West\u2019s, is growing rapidly and has reached nearly $30 billion \u2013 though 70 percent of this is concentrated in seven or eight countries. Diversification is needed here.\nAs I mentioned, we have held two summits with Africa. At the 2023 St Petersburg summit, it was decided to establish a permanent annual ministerial-level mechanism. We convened in Sochi in autumn 2024. In just over a month, we will hold the second annual Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Egypt. There will be much to discuss regarding the economic dimensions of Africa\u2019s second \u201cawakening\u201d and the political challenges that will persist by then. The key is to prevent them from escalating.\nQuestion: Libya is another country from that region. I can\u2019t help but ask about it as well. This year marks 70 years of Russia\u2019s diplomatic relations with Libya. Since 2011, Moscow has sought to maintain dialogue with all meaningful political forces in that country. What are the prospects for establishing cooperation with Libya? Can we talk about joint oil production or the opening of a Russian military base in Libya?\nSergey Lavrov: September 4 marked the anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. From the very beginning, since the time Libya gained its independence, we maintained friendly relations with it and, for that matter, with the overwhelming majority of other countries in that region. In 2008, President Putin visited the Socialist People\u2019s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to sign documents of major importance, such as the Declaration on Strengthening Friendship and Cooperation, and a Statement of Intent Concerning the Development of Multisectoral Cooperation between our countries. Many Russian companies, including oil companies and others such as Russian Railways, signed agreements - both framework and contractual - on implementing joint projects. The railway sector was in particularly high demand.\nThen the Arab Spring came. I mentioned earlier how the West criminally and deceitfully carried out an act of aggression in violation of a UN Security Council resolution followed by the events the consequences of which are being felt to this day.\nAll these years, Russia has been involved in international efforts to reconcile eastern and western Libya. We maintained relations with both. Our position has remained unchanged. There is the Libyan National Army, with which we never broke off relations. In Tripoli, there is the interim Government of National Unity, which was supposed to operate for one year, but has already exceeded that mandate multiple times over. Nevertheless, we support the continuation of a dialogue between western and eastern Libya and their efforts to reach an agreement on how to live together in a single country.\nOur companies stand ready to fulfill all agreements with their Libyan partners. First, there were hostilities followed by a ceasefire, which is thankfully holding. Of course, there is still not enough stability to resume practical cooperation projects. The dialogue continues, and we maintain contacts. I hope that one day Libya will return to a full-fledged peaceful life.\nQuestion: You talked about the United Nations today. Many Arab countries pin their hopes on Russia and China these days when discussing regional matters within the UN, including when it comes to the way the UN Security Council votes with calls to reform the organisation becoming increasingly frequent. What is Russia\u2019s position in this regard?\nSergey Lavrov: The UN Security Council is an instrumental body. Refraining from abusing one\u2019s mandate is another matter, especially for a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The only reason why the parties agreed to vest the P5 members with veto power consisted of preventing the UN from following the League of Nations in its footsteps when no one bore any responsibility for the way it voted.\nToday, the European Union \u2013 and sorry for bringing up this structure \u2013 wants to switch to voting on its decisions. This way, it will adopt its decisions on major matters by voting. This includes matters of war and peace. They want to deny European Union members their veto power, which primarily targets countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the ones that want peace, not war. By using their veto power, since the consensus rule basically consists of vesting every country with veto power, they have been preventing the European Union from turning into a war machine instead of seeking to deliver on the promise of creating the economic and social heaven on Earth. This is what Ursula von der Leyen and other Fuhrers standing at the helm of the European Union are after.\nVeto power within the UN Security Council is also designed to prevent excesses on behalf of its permanent members.\nAs for Palestine, by the way, we have been talking about \u201cArab Affairs.\u201d When Israel launched its operation following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Russia submitted five draft resolutions, including co-sponsored by our Chinese friends to the UN Security Council setting forth the demand to stop the bloodshed immediately and sit down at the negotiating table, but every time the Americans used their veto power. This happened under the Joe Biden administration. In fact, every time they voted this way, they offered a carte blanche to continue a practice which is designated as collective punishment as per the international law.\nOnly recently, under the administration of the current President of the United States Donald Trump, ten non-permanent members of the UN Security Council submitted a draft resolution on the need to enact a ceasefire, achieving a truce and respecting humanitarian pauses. But the United States was strongly against it. Several other Western countries opposed this decision as well.\nUnfortunately, the West has long since embarked on what has been quite a successful push to privatise, so to say, the UN Secretariat, which is basically a technical body. According to Article 100 of the UN Charter, the UN Secretariat must remain impartial without seeking or receiving instructions from any government. In addition, there is an agreement to abide by the principle of fair geographic representation within the Secretariat so that every country is represented in keeping with specific criteria.\nFor example, you can have a certain person joining the Secretariat. Suppose he or she comes from a developing country, be it in Asia, Africa or Latin America. This person signs a permanent contract with the Secretariat, which is something we opposed even back in the Soviet era in order to prevent the Secretariat from becoming too rigid in its operations. However, the West has managed to institutionalise these permanent contracts by voting.\nSo, once a person signs this permanent contract, we must understand that he or she has a family and children who go to school, and after that they enrol in universities, while this person keeps his money with one of the US banking institutions. As times go by, he or she gets a green card, and then goes on to become a US citizen which changes the designation in the Secretariat\u2019s ledger to \u201cAfrican country/US.\u201d It is quite clear whom this person will take his or her cues from in this situation.\nThis effort to privatise has already gone too far and transcended all reasonable boundaries. There are five or six key positions, including the UN Secretary-General and his under-secretaries in various domains who control the money flows, contributions, etc., and they all come from NATO countries. Russia has always advocated within the Security Council for taking into consideration the opinion of countries representing the region in question.\nThere is one Arab country on the UN Security Council at all times. Right now, this is Algeria. In December 2025, its term as a non-permanent member expires, and Bahrain will take its place. We already know this. The vote has taken place. We will always seek to ensure that their opinion counts. Here is my advice for our Arab friends for ensuring that this is the way others view them too. Ideally, the country representing the Arab world on the UN Security Council could be vested with an informal mandate by the Arab League to decide on matters of principle for the Arabs, since it would be impossible to cover all possible issues. This would be very important. This is what I had to say about the Security Council.\nFrom a broader perspective, in terms of Russia\u2019s relations with the Arab world outside of the United Nations, here is what I wanted to mention. Arab countries have demonstrated a lot of interest towards the SCO. Right now, six countries, i.e., Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, are SCO\u2019s dialogue partners. This is much more than simply coming to its meetings, attending them, listening, making a statement and leaving. They have been proactive in contributing to SCO projects.\nAt this stage, President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership as part of the Eurasian concept. This would lay the foundation for a Eurasian security architecture, which would create a link between the security situation in our part of the continent with security across the Eurasian space. This way, security would no longer operate as an exclusive Euro-Atlantic apanage, as during many decades. There was a time when Russia worked with the Euro-Atlantic community and the OSCE, and within the Russia-NATO Council, and thought that everything was fine. But things took a turn for the worse. We overlooked the pan-continental aspects of security.\nMoreover, NATO is now saying that its objective consists of ensuring security for its member countries, while the threats it is facing are coming from the South China Sea. They were the ones to say this. They have been proactive in expanding their infrastructure in Eurasia\u2019s eastern part. This is why these are important matters. Of course, this goes beyond the United Nations, but this does matter in the context of shaping the Greater Eurasian Partnership as a tangible foundation and building a pan-continental security architecture. Our Arab colleagues have a lot of potential for working on these processes, we believe. This will be one of the topics on the agenda of the first Russia-Arab Summit.\nQuestion: China announced the Global Governance Initiative at the SCO Summit it hosted.\nSergey Lavrov: This was the right thing to do, as we have said. To ensure greater justice within the global governance framework, Russia stands ready to work with its partners in China who put forth this initiative in order to better understand their vision.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:53:57",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 8, 2025",
    "date": "8 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: The situation in Iran holds a key to regional stability. Following the use of force by Israel and the United States this summer, how do you see the situation unfold next? Do you think full-scale talks on the Iranian nuclear programme have a chance to ever materialise?\nSergey Lavrov: Iran has a stake in it. Since January, when the West began seriously playing with the idea of re-imposing sanctions - without any legal grounds for doing so - Iran consistently advocated for talks showing flexibility and creativity in its approaches, striving not to succumb to provocations. The West kept luring Iranian negotiators into yet another \u201cround\u201d of talks, where some preliminary understandings were reached giving hope that this would finally settle the question of what to do next. However, the West later backed out of its own proposals, preliminary agreements, and compromises, and continued instead to act through blackmail, diktat, and threats.\nThe idea of re-imposing the sanctions which the West is trying to present as a legitimate legal procedure is utterly outrageous. As you may recall, the resolution approving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme was not violated by Iran. The Islamic Republic had been fulfilling it since 2015 when it was first adopted. Then, in 2019, the United States said it did not like the deal and would no longer comply with it. The Europeans, who were also obliged to fulfill the \u201cfruit of their own labour,\u201d instead of taking a principled stand in favour of preserving the deal, chose to play along with Washington, persuading the Iranians not to take offence and to make more concessions.\nThis is plain and simple dishonourable, not to mention that it represents a blatant violation of international law. The UN Charter requires all resolutions to be implemented. But they decided otherwise. They exploited a provision in the deal (I was involved in this process) that raised serious questions back in 2015. Then US Secretary of State John Kerry told then Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was negotiating on behalf of his country, that now that they\u2019ve agreed on everything (it was a massive document with detailed technical, legal, and practical provisions) it would make sense to \u201csell it\u201d to Congress and Washington, where many distrust Tehran. To reassure them, he proposed inserting a clause that if Iran were ever to violate or fail to fulfill its obligations, a resolution on automatic re-imposition of sanctions would be adopted. There\u2019s nothing one can do about it. This mechanism was clearly designed to benefit anyone wishing to re-impose sanctions on Iran.\nI am convinced that the Iranians accepted this arrangement for only one reason: they had no intention of violating anything. That is why they signed this unprecedented instrument with a clear conscience and peace of mind - an instrument the West has now grossly abused, turning everything upside down. They punished a country that had not violated a thing and had been fulfilling its obligations until the West walked away from the deal.\nIran remains ready for dialogue. The West, however, is deliberately going to great lengths to prevent direct talks between Iran and the United States (although Tehran has always been open to them) and to block the resumption of normal cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, as if making a special effort to provoke a major conflict. Perhaps, that is exactly what some parties are looking for.\nWe are discussing Arab affairs here. We are preparing for the upcoming Arab summit. In recent years, including with our assistance, there have been positive shifts in relations between Iran and the Arab states. Iran has had relations with a number of countries for quite some time. A few years ago, it reached an agreement on normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, a critically important player in the Persian Gulf. We welcomed this step, as we have for many years been promoting the concept of collective security in the Gulf region encouraging all littoral states - six GCC countries and Iran - to establish a process of confidence-building and to develop mutually beneficial projects.\nYet, many out there are clearly opposed to this. They do not want to see Iran overcome the problems imposed on it (I mentioned them), or to face fewer unilateral demands to renounce not only its nuclear programme, including the peaceful one, but also to disarm unilaterally. Many actors prefer to keep the Gulf Arab states wary of Iran. This is the West\u2019s game. The British have long been known for their divide-and-conquer approach. In this particular case, though, it is not even about divide and conquer, but about pit against one another and conquer. Sadly, colonial and neocolonial instincts have continued to guide some of our Western colleagues\u2019 actions to this day.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 16:54:09",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks and answers to media questions following talks with Foreign Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos, Moscow, October 21, 2025",
    "date": "21 October 2025",
    "content": "Ladies and gentlemen,\nMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos and I have held a very substantial and useful meeting. We have known each other for a long time, and value the trust-based relations between us.\nRegular meetings between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed are of special importance for the development of our partnership.\nWe have stated that Russian-Ethiopian relations are developing in a successful and progressive manner and are impervious to fluctuations in international situation or any other context.\u00a0\u00a0 We share the commitment to expanding our cooperation in various areas and implementing agreements reached by our leaders. The latest meeting between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed took place in September of this year, when Mr Abiy Ahmed attended World Atomic Week. They held extensive talks on the sidelines of this forum, which culminated in the coordination of several important long-term documents.\u00a0\u00a0\nWe have agreed that our foreign ministries will be pro-active in facilitating the further development and intensification of our trade and economic ties and in promoting mutually beneficial energy projects, including those in the nuclear power industry. The latter is a new area of our cooperation and was also on the agenda of talks between President Putin and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in September, culminating in the signing of important documents.\nThere is also a positive outlook and traditions in such areas as healthcare, culture and education. We have agreed to actively incentivise the attainment of agreements in the financial sphere so as to safeguard our trade and investment cooperation against the illegal unilateral sanctions that our Western \u201ccolleagues\u201d are so keen on nowadays.\u00a0\nWe have decided to intensify the activity and use more effectively the potential of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Trade. Mr Minister had a meeting with Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov, who is the Russian co-chair of the Commission. A full-scale meeting is being planned for the near future.\nWe also talked about the successful work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Military-Technical Cooperation, which \u00a0met in May of this year. We have good traditions in this sphere and are always ready to take into account the interests of our Ethiopian friends in ensuring their defence capability on a reliable basis.\nWe held comprehensive discussions on the state of the treaty framework underpinning our bilateral relations. This framework continues to evolve successfully. Several agreements are nearing the completion of their ratification procedures, while others remain under negotiation and are, as the saying goes, already in the pipeline.\nThe training of Ethiopian citizens in Russian educational institutions remains a traditionally vital area of our collaboration. We are prepared to augment the thousands of Ethiopians who have already been educated in our country with an annual allocation of scholarships specifically tailored to the needs of our Ethiopian friends.\nWe also explored a more recent avenue of collaboration \u2013 media cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia. The Minister spoke highly of the work conducted by our Sputnik news agency, which continues to grow in popularity. Its audience is expanding, a development we welcome. In today\u2019s world, conveying the truth to audiences across diverse nations remains an essential task.\nOur discussions extended to international and regional affairs. Russia and Ethiopia stand united in upholding the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and advocating for a more equitable, multipolar world order that reflects the cultural and civilisational diversity of our time. As two nations with rich historical legacies, we firmly support the right of all peoples to independently determine their optimal pathways of political and socioeconomic development.\nWe agreed to continue coordinating our approaches within the United Nations, as well as under the Russia\u2013Africa Partnership Forum. The inaugural ministerial conference under this format took place in 2024, with a second scheduled for this year.\nUndoubtedly, when addressing the formation of a multipolar world order and defending the principles of justice, equality, and mutual respect, the role of BRICS is increasingly significant. Ethiopia became a full member of this group last year, and we have already established close contacts in preparation for summits and ministerial conferences.\nToday, we paid particular attention to crisis resolution on the African continent, with a focus on the Horn of Africa. The Minister provided a detailed assessment of Ethiopia\u2019s perspective on developments in this strategically important \u2013 and, regrettably, historically volatile \u2013 region. We emphasised the imperative of resolving any disagreements among African nations exclusively through peaceful means and in full compliance with international law, adhering to the principle Russia has always championed: \u201cAfrican solutions to African problems.\u201d\nThere have been instances in the past \u2013 and residual tendencies persist \u2013 where former colonial powers in the UN Security Council have sought to take charge of resolving African issues. We consider such attempts counterproductive. We will steadfastly uphold the right of the African Union and sub-regional organisations on the continent to facilitate solutions in a manner that aligns with African interests and ensures sustainable outcomes.\nI expressed our gratitude \u2013 and reaffirmed this assessment \u2013 to our Ethiopian friends for their consistently objective, measured, and balanced appraisal of the situation surrounding Ukraine, a crisis precipitated by the West\u2019s longstanding policy of transforming the country into a staging ground for containing the Russian Federation, creating military threats directly on Russia\u2019s borders, and suppressing all things Russian \u2013 history, education, language, and culture. The regime of Vladimir Zelensky actively pursues this agenda, which, alongside the push to draw Ukraine into NATO, became a key reason for President Vladimir Putin to initiate the special military operation. This operation is achieving its objectives, and there is no doubt that it will conclude successfully.\nQuestion: How are preparations progressing for the upcoming Russian-American summit in Budapest?\nForeign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Yesterday, I engaged in a comprehensive discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in line with the agreement reached by the Presidents of Russia and the United States on October 16 during their telephone conversation.\nWe reaffirmed our steadfast commitment to proceed in accordance with the understandings and agreements reached between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump \u2013 primarily in Alaska \u2013 as well as during their subsequent telephone exchanges.\nWith Secretary Rubio, we reviewed the current state of affairs and explored how to finalise the broadly agreed-upon framework for another meeting, which the US President proposed should be held in Budapest. Naturally, the focus is not on the location \u2013 though the venue does matter in this context, given commotion stirred by those who oppose a European Union as an association of sovereign states and prefer all decisions to be made by its Brussels bureaucracy. The key issue, however, remains not the place or the timing, but how we advance on the substantive tasks agreed upon \u2013 those which garnered broad consensus in Anchorage.\nWe agreed to continue these telephone consultations to better assess where we stand and determine the right way forward.\nToday, I was surprised to read a CNN report suggesting that the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may be postponed, as US officials concluded after our yesterday\u2019s call with Secretary Rubio that Russia\u2019s position has barely shifted since the initial talks and remains wedded to its original maximalist demands.\nThe lack of integrity in many Western media outlets is well-known. CNN, too, has earned its reputation in this regard. They tend to favour simplistic slogans \u2013 injected and hammered home to the audience \u2013 over serious analytical work.\nI wish to officially confirm that Russia has not altered its positions from the understandings achieved during the extensive negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska.\nThese understandings are grounded in the agreements reached at the time, which President Trump succinctly summarised when he stated that what is needed is a long-term, sustainable peace \u2013 not an immediate ceasefire that would lead nowhere. We remain fully committed to this formula, as I reiterated yesterday in my conversation with Secretary Rubio.\nNow, voices from Washington suggest that we must halt immediately, cease all further discussion, and let history judge. But stopping now would mean ignoring the root causes of this conflict \u2013 causes clearly understood and articulated by the US administration upon Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration. I am referring to ensuring Ukraine\u2019s non-aligned, neutral, and nuclear-free status, which entails abandoning any attempts to draw it into NATO. I am also referring to ending the de facto genocide of Russian and Russian-speaking populations \u2013 a policy pursued by the Kiev regime even before Vladimir Zelensky came to power. Back then, they legislated against every conceivable right of the \u201cnational minority\u201d \u2013 as Russians are formally labelled in Ukraine. Yet in reality, the majority of Ukraine\u2019s population speaks and thinks in Russian. The prohibition of the Russian language in all spheres of life is the hallmark of an absolutely Nazi regime \u2013 one that Vladimir Zelensky himself long sought to establish.\nAt some point, after French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stopped mentioning the need to inflict a \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d on Russia, they began calling for an immediate ceasefire. Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that this ceasefire should be without any preconditions \u2013 including, as he publicly declared, any restrictions on arms deliveries to the Kiev regime. As the saying goes, the guilty man shouts the loudest \u2013 the motive behind this push for a truce became immediately apparent.\nBut most importantly, a ceasefire would not only allow for the rearmament of the Kiev regime but also encourage its terrorist activities \u2013 strikes on civilian infrastructure, attacks on civilians on Russian soil, sabotage operations like the Nord Stream bombings. The Polish government continues to provoke Vladimir Zelensky and his team into pursuing such actions. They have already justified one act of terrorism \u2013 the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines \u2013 and are themselves prepared to carry out more. I have heard that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski even threatened that the safety of President Vladimir Putin\u2019s aircraft would not be guaranteed in Polish airspace should he fly to Budapest for the proposed summit with Donald Trump.\nSo, an official Polish court has ruled to justify the terrorist attack against the Nord Stream pipelines, and now Poland\u2019s foreign minister claims that if a Polish court demands it, they will obstruct the free passage of the Russian leader\u2019s plane. These are highly revealing developments.\nLet me reiterate: an immediate ceasefire, suddenly back on the agenda, as opposed to addressing the root causes of the conflict, would mean only one thing \u2013 that a vast portion of Ukraine remains under Nazi rule. It would be the only place on Earth where an entire language is banned by law \u2013 a language that, incidentally, is one of the UN\u2019s official tongues and the native language of Ukraine\u2019s majority population. Those now lobbying our American colleagues to abandon their stance on long-term sustainable settlement \u2013 to simply stop and let history judge \u2013 are the same forces behind this push. We know who is handling this: Zelensky\u2019s European patrons and masters. But such an approach runs entirely counter to what Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed upon in Anchorage \u2013 focusing on root causes, rejecting Ukraine\u2019s NATO integration, and fully securing the lawful rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations. We remain ready to continue this work.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:28:32",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos, Moscow, October 21, 2025",
    "date": "21 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nFriends,\nWe are sincerely glad to welcome you to Moscow.\nI know that you visited Moscow quite recently while accompanying your Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the World Atomic Week. But I was away at that time attending the General Assembly High-level Week in New York. Nevertheless, we promptly coordinated your visit.\u00a0\nToday, we will discuss in detail everything related to foreign ministries\u2019 operations in the context of Russian-Ethiopian relations. \u00a0\nI know that you have a packed programme. Yesterday, you held a number of meetings with representatives of the Presidential Executive Office, the Government of the Russian Federation, and senior officials of the Rosatom Corporation. I am confident that all of this will lay the basis for further development of our relations following your visit to Moscow.\nAt today\u2019s meeting, we will concentrate on our foreign policy affairs and coordination of our actions at the UN, including in the context of progressing cooperation between Russia and the African Union.\u00a0 \u00a0\nBRICS is yet another by no means unimportant and increasingly relevant international format which Ethiopia joined as a fully-fledged member last year. So, we will have much topics to discuss today. I hope for productive talks.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:28:42",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for Nikita Mikhalkov\u2019s 80th birthday documentary, Moscow, October 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: You and Nikita Mikhalkov go back a long way. When did you first meet and how long have you been friends?\nSergey Lavrov: I can\u2019t say exactly when we first met. Both of us happened to be at a social gathering with mutual friends. We sang songs. I remember the Kuban Cossack Choir was there. Nikita Mikhalkov sang and demonstrated a Cossack initiation ritual where a shot glass is placed on a saber followed by a rather complex routine.\nWe knew about each other\u2019s existence before, and we hit it off right away when we met in person. We connected instantly. He has a good sense of humour and a good sense of the country and the people. These aren\u2019t empty words. These qualities come through even in a friendly conversation. They can\u2019t be hidden.\nQuestion: You\u2019ve been friends for a long time now. When you spend that much time with someone, you tend to think that you know everything about them. Has Nikita Mikhalkov ever revealed a side of himself that surprised you?\nSergey Lavrov: I don\u2019t think you can say that anyone can know everything about another person, unless, of course, they\u2019re siblings or husband and wife. Unfortunately, we don\u2019t talk to each other very often (I mean face to face), but we regularly talk by phone to discuss our diplomatic work and the public and educational activities that Mikhalkov is involved in.\nWe share concerns about matters of justice in our country and internationally. We approach these issues from the perspective of what diplomacy can do about it, such as ensuring we are treated in the international arena with the respect we deserve, securing the most favourable environment for our country\u2019s development, addressing socioeconomic issues, and improving our people\u2019s living standards. Mikhalkov approaches these same issues as top priorities leveraging art and journalism as his methods and tools. We often exchange opinions about what he saw in our ministry\u2019s public moves, and what I saw in what he does, primarily as the host of the BesogonTV programme and a theatre figure as well.\nQuestion: Do you watch BesogonTV?\nSergey Lavrov: I do, and I enjoy it a lot. I always share my emotions and impressions with him. This programme is on target. The genre created by Mikhalkov is perfectly suited to the current moment. It\u2019s forthright with just the right amount of humour, occasionally sarcasm. These feelings and emotions multiplied by his artistic skills drive the message home. Nikita Mikhalkov does this at a high intellectual level, and these messages reach all our citizens - not just the ones engaged in intellectual work, but also those who live in our country and see what\u2019s going on within and beyond its borders. It takes a great talent to accomplish his.\nQuestion: When Nikita Mikhalkov raises his glass at the end of the programme, it feels like a homely conversation with good friends.\nSergey Lavrov: It\u2019s a true find. However, he doesn\u2019t do it just to be creative. It\u2019s a genuine desire to use this Russian tradition to bring Victory closer. We are somewhat superstitious. We believe in signs. I completely agree with him in this regard.\nQuestion: What are your favourite films by Nikita Mikhalkov?\nSergey Lavrov: I like many of his films. Of course, I like the films in which he played a charismatic personality, like A Friend among Foes and A Foe among Friends. I like The Barber of Siberia. I also like the theatrical play 12, as well as his bit part in A Railway Station for Two. He is always himself, yet a different personality each time. This ability to impersonate different characters is a great gift.\nQuestion: When you discuss culture and cinema rather than politics, are you talking about what\u2019s happening in Russia or about the processes unfolding in the West?\nSergey Lavrov: It\u2019s both. These developments are interconnected and the correlations range from positive to negative.\nExternal factors play a part in ensuring the best interests of our people, their well-being, sustainable socioeconomic development, and proper defence capability. Nikita Mikhalkov and I discussed this and shared our impressions. There were external factors at play after the Soviet Union became history. There was euphoria. We thought we then shared \u201cuniversal values\u201d and had \u201cno enemies.\u201d The Russian President said addressing Congress, \u201cGod bless the people of the United States of America.\u201d There was humanitarian aid. Documents were signed within the OSCE framework stating that everyone is equal, security is one for everyone, and in general, we share a common destiny.\nWhen it became clear that we would uphold our dignity based on our national interests and did not want to be \u201cfriends\u201d with the West at the expense of forgetting about the Russian people in Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya (after many years of honest attempts to do so), all the agreements that the West \u201csponsored\u201d in this regard (including with us), seeking respect for the rights of these people, did not prevent it from driving a hard bargain turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia, a kind of a land-based aircraft carrier for creating constant threats to the Russian Federation. You know what happened next: a coup that flew in the face of the agreements to strengthen national accord, and the Minsk agreements, which no one was going to act upon followed by our attempts to convince our Western \u201cpartners\u201d to sign security guarantees for Ukraine and themselves, as well as for the Russian Federation in order to make things unambiguously clear for everyone.\nWhen we were forced to launch a special military operation, it turned out that the West had taken advantage of our foreign relations to hinder our development. They said, \u201cHere are some basic technologies for you,\u201d and you give us petroleum, gas, titanium, and aluminium, and we\u2019ll provide you with everything else. It turned out we were dependent on them. Nikita Mikhalkov spoke about this more than once in his Besogon programme.\nThe decision made by President Putin to ensure guaranteed technological and economic sovereignty in the defence industry played a significant role in the self-sufficiency that we enjoy today. True, it took some effort on our part. The process may be unfolding not as fast as we want, but it is underway.\nWe see eye to eye on these matters. From now on and forever... We should have never trusted the West. History taught us this starting with the Tsarist times, then during the Soviet era. Especially in the final years of the Soviet Union, the West put out lots of \u201clures\u201d for us. In areas that are critical to survival of the state (security, technology, and food), we must be self-sufficient or seek partners that are not infected with the Western \u201cdisease\u201d of living at the expense of others and coercing everyone into obeying them. We have such partners in the SCO and BRICS. Mikhalkov also promotes the topic of new global alliances in his Besogon programme and covers every topic that resonates with me as an individual, a diplomat, and a foreign minister.\nAn hour-long programme without commercials is rare. He insisted on having it that way which was the right thing to do.\nQuestion: In Vladivostok, he and I discussed cultural cooperation within the BRICS and SCO frameworks, and the new awards around the world, because we understand that just like other awards, the Oscars have been politicised to become a \u201cfriend or foe\u201d marker.\nSergey Lavrov: We have the Diamond Butterfly film award. Concurrently, we\u2019re promoting song associations within the BRICS Plus and the SCO Plus frameworks. There\u2019s also the Intervision contest, which, I\u2019m confident, Nikita Mikhalkov will support. This is important. They tell us we\u2019re fencing ourselves off. That\u2019s not true. If things were fair, sports and art would be above and beyond politics. However, they ban international tours by our great musicians and opera singers simply because they\u2019re from the Russian Federation. As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.\nIn addition to us not abandoning our compatriots in Ukraine to the future determined by the West, we also came to realise the value of everything the West was offering us and what kind of a \u201creliable\u201d partner it is. So, both Besogon and our ministry are defending Russian identity not in the context of autarky, but as self-respect and a sense of dignity.\nWe are ready and willing to cooperate with anyone who will do so on the basis of equality and mutual respect, not through diktat. However, telling us, \u201cOkay, we will invite you here,\u201d or \u201cYou can raise your flag here, but your anthem won\u2019t be played here,\u201d is humiliating. But I still understand the athletes who go there and win. They carry themselves with dignity. It\u2019s not their fault.\nA new world is in the process of being created against all odds. This is an entire era in and of itself. Besogon promotes the understanding that creating a just world overnight is not a realistic approach. This is an era that takes sustained effort, a battle in every sense of the word to ensure that the world exists in a form agreed upon in the UN Charter.\nI was involved with the UN for many years. All the principles enshrined in the UN Charter starting with the principle of the sovereign equality of states, large and small, and respect for all languages \u200b\u200band religions remain absolutely relevant today. This is what the Ukrainian junta has trampled upon by outlawing the Russian language, a language that Nikita Mikhalkov defends in his programmes, finding arguments from the perspective of art and its influence on the people\u2019s minds and hearts.\nThere\u2019s not a single country in the world other than Ukraine that has banned a language. Not just any language, but an official UN language. Laws to that effect have been passed. Media publications and theatrical performances in Russian are not allowed. Books were thrown out of libraries, just like they did in Nazi Germany. The only difference is books were burned in Nazi Germany. However, the Ukrainians are quite thrifty people, so they turned them in for recycling and got paid for that. The canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was banned as well.\nThe ideals that are most relevant to us in relation to the developments Ukraine have always been at the core of Besogon\u2019s philosophy. \u00a0We speak a common language in this regard.\nQuestion: How important is Nikita Mikhalkov for the country and the art, perhaps even the world art?\nSergey Lavrov: Nikita Mikhalkov is an outstanding figure of our theatre and cinema who advances culture in all spheres of our lives.\nBesogon is an innovative genre. I\u2019m not sure how best to describe it, but it is definitely a genre with political content that conveys the author\u2019s assessments. Not everyone agrees with them completely, but he does a good job driving them home. He makes his point clear. His sharp eye highlights the facts and events in our lives that many would overlook, just as they would overlook the troubling processes within these facts and events.\nHe has the unique gift of turning artistic insight into political and social analysis.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:28:53",
    "page_index": 7,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address to 17th Russian World Assembly, Moscow, October 20, 2025",
    "date": "20 October 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nFriends,\nI am delighted to welcome the organisers, participants, and guests of the 17th Russian World Assembly to the capital of Russia Moscow, which is a traditional venue for this forum.\nIt is a pleasure to know that your forum has once again brought together the people who contribute to preserving and enhancing the cultural wealth of the Russian civilisation that knows no borders. We highly value the contribution of each of you to strengthening the visible and invisible bonds linking our Motherland with the Russian diaspora, to promoting people-to-people contacts, and to establishing mutual understanding between nations. Once again, welcome to Moscow.\nThe theme of this year\u2019s Assembly, The Fundamental Contribution of the Russian World to International Development: History, Modernity, and Future, is highly relevant. It is hard to overestimate Russia\u2019s role in humanity\u2019s quest for new heights and achievements in research and culture, and medicine and sports. In the year that marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, we once again emphasise the utmost importance of preserving the historical memory of our country\u2019s decisive contribution to defeating Nazism and saving the world from the horrors of the Nazi scourge. The establishment of the UN which paved the way to decolonization, independence and statehood for the peoples of the Global South was one of the outcomes of World War II.\nToday\u2019s world rests on the ideas of sovereign equality and diversity of national development models. In conjunction with its allies and like-minded partners, Russia is making strides in shaping a more just multipolar world order based on the full body of principles enshrined in the UN Charter, understood as an indivisible and interdependent whole. Just like the Chinese, Indian, Arab, African, European, and other great civilisations of our time, the Russian world is an integral part of this emerging multipolarity.\nI am pleased to note that our creative and unifying approach enjoys widespread support in the international community. Even in countries whose governments are taking unfriendly actions, many sympathise with Russia and share our traditional spiritual and moral values. We are aware of this, we see it, and we cherish it. In this regard, I would especially like to note the dedicated work of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religions in Russia as they introduce people to the lofty ideals of religion often amid the most challenging circumstances and even at risk to their lives.\nCourage, fortitude, and selfless service to the Fatherland have always been the hallmarks of outstanding Russian people throughout its thousand-year history. These qualities are in high demand on the frontlines of the special military operation and in civilian life when the issue is about the truth, justice, and the rights of the people who identify with Russia, its past, present, and (without a doubt) bright future.\nOf course, the Russian language is the critical factor of the civilisational unity. Educators, translators, and specialists in Slavic and Russian studies, as well as philologists play a major role in preserving its prominent place in the global cultural landscape. Your efforts to foster interest in the language spoken by Alexander Pushkin and Fyodor Dostoevsky and to provide objective information about Russia and its achievements to the international public deserve deep respect and every support.\nThe assembly provides an excellent opportunity to review past performance and to outline new plans. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, I would like to assure you that the Foreign Ministry is making and will continue to make major efforts to expand the space of the Russian language and culture worldwide and to strengthen cooperation with everyone who is passionate about the past, the present and the future of our common Russian World.\nI wish you continued success and all the best.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:05",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s video address on the 20th anniversary of RT television network, Moscow, October 17, 2025",
    "date": "17 October 2025",
    "content": "Ms Simonyan,\nMembers of the RT team,\nFriends,\nToday, we have a wonderful occasion to come together and celebrate as we mark 20 years since RT\u2019s founding. This project went on to become one of the most distinctive undertakings in the media industry. Let me start by congratulating all of you on this anniversary on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, as well as in my personal capacity.\nOver the past years, your television network has developed its own traditions and has served as a role model of professional excellence in journalism. RT reporters always stay in the heat of action around the world, often putting themselves in harm\u2019s way when working in various hotspots across our planet. It is thanks to their reporting that millions of people watching your channel receive accurate information about what is happening in our country and beyond its borders.\nYour effective efforts have been a constant irritant abroad for those who are about to lose their monopoly on creating and spreading their narrative to a broad audience. Still, they refuse to come to terms with this reality and persevere in their efforts. But RT has shouldered this burden with dignity and pride, even when targeted by the destructive actions of unfriendly governments in their attempt to silence the truth. We cannot but express our deep respect for the patriotism of the network\u2019s senior executives and staff, who continue to perform their duties despite all the threats, attempts to discredit them, sanctions, bans and other discriminatory moves by those who want to harm you.\nRussia views forging stronger bonds with the Global South and East as its foreign policy priority. We welcome RT\u2019s efforts to expand its presence in the countries of the Global Majority, and applaud the fact that your materials are becoming increasingly popular in the CIS, Asia, Africa and Latin America.\nOn a special note, I would like to recognise the dedicated and selfless efforts of your frontline correspondents in the special military operation zone. It is thanks to their courage that people around the world can access honest and accurate information and learn about the root causes of the Ukraine crisis, the tragedy unfolding in Donbass and its heroes, as well as the Nazi essence of the Kiev regime and the Russia-hating nature of the collective West\u2019s policies. Wherever something important is happening that affects the world order, RT correspondents have acted as professionals.\nThe Foreign Ministry has much praise for the constructive cooperation we have built with your network\u2019s friendly and united team. In fact, diplomats and journalists pursue the same mission, even if their methods may differ \u2013 they use their knowledge, skills and talents to try to make the world we live in better, safer and more people-friendly. At the end of the day, foreign policy actions and efforts to accompany them in the media space share the same objective: securing favourable and stable external conditions for promoting Russia\u2019s steady and positive development and improving the wellbeing of its people.\nI would like to wish you good health, new creative achievements and all the best.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:15",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks at a news conference held jointly with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita, Moscow, October 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 October 2025",
    "content": "Ladies and gentlemen,\nI held useful and substantive talks with my colleague and friend Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco.\nWe reiterated mutual firm commitment to continuing joint work aimed at further strengthening the traditionally friendly and trust-based strategic partnership between our two countries.\nWe reviewed in detail bilateral issues and briefly touched on trade and economic exchanges. Both sides are interested in expanding trade and identifying areas for mutual investment.\nWe agreed that the potential for practical cooperation in these areas is far from being exhausted. We did not go into great detail on this today, as tomorrow will be largely devoted to the 8th Meeting of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation. My colleague co-chairs the Commission on the Moroccan side, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev co-chairs it from the Russian side. The agenda of the Intergovernmental Commission is rich and diverse, and we are looking forward to seeing good results.\nWe were pleased to note the high level of interaction in a number of other areas, particularly in the humanitarian sphere, notably, education. Currently, 4,250 Moroccan students are studying in Russia. There is strong interest in obtaining education in our country, and we will continue to support it as best we can. We will do our best to accommodate everyone wishing to study at Russian universities.\nWe discussed promising contacts between our media outlets as well. There are reciprocal journalist visits and internship exchanges, which we will continue to encourage as well.\nOur foreign ministries maintain steady and trusting contacts, primarily at the United Nations, as well as in other international venues, including the Russia\u2013Africa and Russia-Arab League forums.\nWe share the view that our interaction and coordination will be further enhanced by the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Working Committee to deepen the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco, which was just signed in your presence.\nWe exchanged views on urgent international challenges prioritising the situation in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel-Sahara region. We also discussed the situation surrounding the Western Sahara settlement in light of ongoing discussions at the UN Security Council.\nWe reaffirmed our principled position in favour of resolving all remaining issues and conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world exclusively by political and diplomatic means relying on the fundamental principles and norms of international law enshrined in the UN Charter. We share the view that these principles must not be applied selectively \u00e0 la carte, but be fully respected and implemented in their entirety and interconnection.\nWe discussed in detail the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. Morocco traditionally plays an important part in promoting efforts towards peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue. In this regard, we note the role played by His Majesty King Mohammed VI as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.\nWe welcomed the emerging positive changes on the ground, meaning the Palestinian territories, primarily the Gaza Strip. We expressed satisfaction with the successful launch of the first phase of the agreements between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of detainees. This agreement was reached with the mediation of the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and T\u00fcrkiye.\nWe expect - and this is our shared position - that the agreements will be strictly observed, taking into account the results of the peace summit held on October 13 in Sharm el-Sheikh, and that their implementation will not mark the end of the process, but will be followed by further steps. These were discussed extensively, including at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.\nThe ceasefire in Gaza must be sustainable in order to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and the subsequent large-scale rebuilding of the enclave\u2019s infrastructure, which has been almost completely destroyed during the hostilities. Otherwise, our efforts to create conditions for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees will not succeed. These are serious matters. It is important to address them in a way that does not undermine the prospects for full implementation of UN resolutions on the establishment of a Palestinian state, and to ensure that the humanitarian processes currently underway contribute to the creation of conditions for a political solution that eliminates the core causes of the Palestinian-Israeli and Arab-Israeli conflicts. It is essential to resume the Middle East peace process as soon as possible based on UN resolutions providing for the creation of an independent Palestinian state living in peace and security side by side with Israel.\nWe expressed our appreciation to our Moroccan colleagues for their balanced and well-considered position on the situation in and around Ukraine. In Rabat, as in most capitals of the Global South and the Global East, there is an understanding that a sustainable settlement is impossible without addressing the underlying causes of the crisis, namely, the security threats to Russia that NATO has created over many years by moving its military infrastructure ever closer to our borders, and using Ukraine as a launching pad to create threats to our country.\nThis also includes gross violations, even legislative bans, of the rights of the Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, not only linguistic rights but also religious rights when, along with outlawing the Russian language, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was banned.\nI would like to close by noting that next year marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption, at the top level, of the Joint Statement on Deepening the Strategic Partnership. We agreed to mark the occasion with a series of events, including exchanges of delegations between sector-specific ministries and the stepping up of parliamentary contacts. Our Moroccan friends have supported the idea of holding Russian Culture Days in Morocco.\nWe will continue to maintain an all-embracing and trust-based dialogue.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:26",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita, Moscow, October 16, 2025",
    "date": "16 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nDear Nasser,\nFriends,\nWe are delighted to welcome your delegation to the Foreign Ministry.\nOur relations are based on the agreements reached between our leaders \u2013 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. They are enshrined in the 2002 Declaration on Strategic Partnership and the subsequent Statement on Deepening the Strategic Partnership.\nYour visit to Moscow reflects the comprehensive nature of our partnership. Alongside today\u2019s discussions on foreign policy matters, tomorrow you will co-chair, together with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev, the 8th meeting of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation.\nWe attach special importance to today\u2019s talks, given the challenging international environment and the complex developments taking place in your region \u2013 in the Middle East and North Africa. The Russian Federation stands ready to contribute to resolving these issues jointly with other interested states.\nThis requires continued coordination on international platforms, above all within the framework of the United Nations. It also implies the further strengthening of cooperation between Russia and the League of Arab States.\nOur bilateral foreign policy consultations play a special role, and we pay close attention to them. I am confident that today\u2019s meeting will allow us to address a wide range of pressing issues to our mutual benefit.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:37",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s statement and answers to Arab media questions, Moscow, October 13, 2025",
    "date": "13 October 2025",
    "content": "Good afternoon, colleagues,\nI am pleased to welcome you to the Foreign Ministry.\nI\u2019m aware that the guests who have come to cover the Russia-Arab Summit have been here for quite a while now and have had the opportunity to see the sights of Moscow and several other Russian regions.\nYou are well aware of the circumstances that have led to where we are today. Preparations for the summit have been underway for a long time, but it has become clear that this particular week, including today, when the summit was supposed to open, will be decisive for advancing the agreements on the Gaza Strip, agreements that have been energetically promoted by our Egyptian and Qatari friends. President Trump has put forward his plan, which we have repeatedly assessed as the best available option on the negotiating table, although, of course, it does not address all aspects of the Palestinian issue. Nevertheless, it is crucial to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and to address the grave humanitarian issues faced by the people.\nThousands of Gaza residents are coming back home. I can hardly imagine how they will live there, but it is better to rebuild one\u2019s own home than to live constantly under shelling and in daily fear for the lives of the children, family, and loved ones.\nWe sincerely wish success to today\u2019s event - the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh - which brings together representatives from over 20 Arab countries and a number of Western countries. I hope all agreements will get implemented, although we are hearing both Hamas and Tel Aviv say that the situation has not yet been fully resolved and that there could be more crisis outbreaks. It is important, in my view, that those who initiated this forum, first and foremost President Trump, with the support of the President of Egypt and the leadership of Qatar and T\u00fcrkiye, prevent such scenarios and focus on an immediate ceasefire, adherence to the agreed-upon line for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the organisation of humanitarian aid, and the rebuilding of this beautiful place on Earth, which, perhaps more than any other territory in the world, has suffered in the postwar years.\nWithout a doubt, a lasting settlement is possible only through the implementation of UN resolutions on creating a Palestinian state. We have noted that President Trump\u2019s peace plan mentions only the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but does so in rather general terms. These approaches will need to be clarified and what will happen on the West Bank of the Jordan River will need to be determined as well, since the UN resolutions envisage the creation of a single and territorially integral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.\nThere will be questions about how we see this situation developing further. Notably, just like the overwhelming majority of the international community, we remain committed to implementing these resolutions. Taking into account the plan to hold today, early this week, a special and crucial event devoted to the Palestinian issue, President Vladimir Putin reached an understanding with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to postpone our summit. I am confident it will take place as soon as the most convenient dates are determined. The final documents are practically ready, so we will still have the opportunity to get together when you come back for the summit.\nOur relations with our Arab friends are steadily progressing. The League of Arab States has demonstrated its value and is consolidating its role as a key pillar of the emerging multipolar world, authoritatively and actively participating in global affairs \u2013 in economics, finance, and increasingly contributing to the resolution of regional and, more broadly, political issues. We have observed sustained growth in trade turnover with the League\u2019s member states, which has now exceeded $34 billion. Whilst this figure is modest compared to the trade volumes the United States and the People\u2019s Republic of China maintain with the Arab world, however, it is several times greater than the trade turnover recorded two decades ago. I can assure you that we are on the right path \u2013 the growth dynamics are positive.\nOur cooperation extends far beyond the energy and oil-and-gas sectors. We collaborate within OPEC+ and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, amongst others. A growing number of states in the region are expressing interest in our expertise in nuclear technologies, nuclear energy, and non-energy applications of nuclear power. A flagship project in this regard is the construction of Egypt\u2019s first nuclear power plant, El Dabaa. Our Arab partners are also showing keen interest in agricultural cooperation, including supplies of Russian food products and fertiliser.\nFurthermore, in the sphere of cultural cooperation, we have traditionally maintained strong educational ties with many Arab states, a practice dating back to the Soviet era. Thousands of students from the League\u2019s member countries have been educated in Russia and continue to study under annual quotas provided by the Government of the Russian Federation. Tourism is growing bilaterally. Our citizens greatly enjoy visiting your nations, with their splendid resorts, whilst we warmly welcome an increasing number of Arab visitors to the Russian Federation.\nMajor cultural projects are underway, aimed at promoting the achievements of our respective nations in this field. Initiatives such as Russian Seasons, held across a number of states, particularly in the Gulf countries, have been met with enthusiasm, and this model is now being replicated elsewhere.\nWe were delighted by the participation of Arab representatives in the Intervision International Song Contest. Performers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt took part in this musical celebration, held on September 20 this year, which was very well received. As you know, our Saudi friends have already invited the contest to their country next year. We will do our utmost to support this initiative and ensure strong Russian participation.\nIn conclusion, I would note that over the past twenty-odd years, we have accumulated substantial experience. It has allowed us to preserve the best aspects of our relations from the Soviet era. Let me remind you that the Soviet Union was the first state to recognise the independence of what is now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The legacy of those historic contacts continues to serve us well today, providing a firm foundation for building long-term relations. Not everyone approves of the partnership between Russia and the Arab world. There are those who seek to revive colonial and neo-colonial games \u2013 to divide and rule. We know perfectly well who these actors are. Such habits have not disappeared. Nevertheless, the fundamental trend remains the development of constructive relations grounded in mutual respect, the accommodation of each other\u2019s interests, and the consolidation of a stable balance between them.\nQuestion: The event of greatest interest on today\u2019s international news is the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. You have already expressed general scepticism about the success of this format. How do you assess the success of this ceasefire agreement? Could it develop into a full-fledged peace process between Israel and Palestine? Does Russia intend to attend or join this process?\nA follow-up question: I have looked once again through the list of countries participating in the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit. It includes over 20 states represented at various levels: heads of state, ministers, and even at embassy level. Even the Japanese ambassador was invited. Why is Russia not participating at this summit, despite Russia\u2019s long-standing mediating role in this conflict within the Quartet, and despite its recent constructive contacts with both Israel and Hamas and its positive role in securing the release of some hostages? Why is Russia not in Sharm el-Sheikh today?\nSergey Lavrov: I can only say that the invitations were issued by the summit\u2019s hosts: the Egyptian leadership, which reportedly coordinated its actions with other Arab initiators but primarily with the United States. Incidentally, Iraqi Prime Minister Mahmoud Sudani was not invited to the Sharm el-Sheikh summit either, even though Iraq currently holds the chairmanship of the Arab League.\nAs for the participation of the Japanese ambassador, I believe US Vice President J. D. Vance has already said that Gaza will have to be rebuilt. He emphasised that the United States hopes Arab countries will shoulder much of the burden. Japan periodically participates in reconstruction efforts, so perhaps that was a factor.\nRussia is ready to participate in any format. You have mentioned the Quartet: it was undermined by the policies of the Joe Biden administration, despite having achieved significant agreements, including the 2003 road map adopted by the UN Security Council, which set out detailed steps required to create a Palestinian state.\nThat process was supposed to be completed within a year; the Quartet introduced the resolution, and the Security Council approved it unanimously. We all know what followed.\nSeveral initiatives after that suffered the same fate, not to mention the 1991 Madrid Principles and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which were broadly welcomed yet led to nothing. As for the prospects of today\u2019s summit: while we welcome any efforts to restore peace (as Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed recently at a news conference in Dushanbe), scepticism \u2013 as you said \u2013 is understandable. Too often hopes for peace and prosperity in the region have been compromised. As I have said in the opening remarks, skeptical forecasts are coming from many sides.\nI have just read that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly said the matter is far from over, that Israel still has many enemies and needs to continue operations against them. That is either scepticism or determination to press on militarily against everyone Israel regards as enemies.\nAs for HAMAS, there have also been discussions about how agreements will be implemented and who should take the first steps. Fortunately, some hostages have already been released; now it is Israel\u2019s turn. The IDF appears to have withdrawn to the agreed line.\nWe hope that all the agreements will be honoured. If the immediate participants of this summit and those who will implement President Trump\u2019s proposals after this summit decide that Russia\u2019s involvement would be useful, I assure you we will not refuse. However, it is not our custom to impose our services on others.\nWe wish the summit success, above all for the Palestinian people to be able to breathe freely.\nQuestion (translated from Arabic): How do you assess Russia\u2019s role in putting an end to bloodshed in Gaza? Especially so, given that Russia has opposed and condemned the horrific events that were taking place there and has sought to bring them to an end. How has Russia influenced Hamas?\nSergey Lavrov: We have tried to influence everyone towards achieving the same end, towards renouncing violence, reaching agreements on coexistence, and ending the bloodshed. Compromise is inevitable in any conflict. Each side must be willing to give something up.\nThe Arab countries - this was clearly reflected in the initiatives of Egypt, Qatar, the Islamic states, and T\u00fcrkiye following the Arab-Islamic summit - are prepared to seek compromise. They have proved this. I hope that the other side, our Israeli colleagues, with whom we also remain in constant contact, will likewise understand the importance of seeking a balance of interests, rather than pursuing goals that amount to eliminating any potential threats to their existence, regardless of what their neighbours might think or what arguments they may present.\nIt is a complex situation. As I mentioned earlier, the root of the problem lies in the lack of progress towards the creation of a Palestinian state and even a growing regression in this process.\nI remember when I worked at the UN 25 years ago I had informal conversations with my Israeli counterparts trying to find a way out of this situation. I told them as a friend, on a human basis, that the failure to implement the UN resolutions on creating a Palestinian state - for almost 80 years now - posed the greatest risk for the region, and for the security of Israel as well as other countries in the region. My Israeli counterparts said it was an \u201cexaggerated position,\u201d an overstatement and that thinking along these lines would mean emboldening terrorists. But the unresolved issue of Palestinian statehood remains the most significant factor fuelling the persistence and growth of extremism in the Arab world.\nRemember the outrageous October 7, 2023 terrorist attack which we immediately condemned? After Israel launched its military operation under the banner of destroying everyone, the defence minister and other radical ministers, in response to calls to spare civilians in Gaza, said here were no civilians there and that everyone ages three and up was an extremist. I remember that very well.\nWe submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council five times. The United States under President Biden vetoed these resolutions. Meanwhile, the collective punishment of the Palestinians continued unabated. Speaking of extremism, imagine what it means for several generations in Gaza to live under blockade, occupation, and isolation from the outside world. What do you think parents were telling their children during these decades? What did they tell their children when they asked what was there before, who were their grandparents, or why do they live like that? Who is in charge here? Without a doubt, these children will receive corresponding lessons at school, too. Does anyone really expect these children to grow up filled with gratitude for the fate that has been imposed upon them?\nThere is no escaping the issue of the Palestinian state. It must be resolved. How to go about it is another issue, but it cannot be done without mutual concessions. In President Trump\u2019s plan, the Gaza Strip is mentioned in the context of establishing Palestinian statehood, while the West Bank is not mentioned at all. If you look at a map of the West Bank today, you will see that almost nothing is left beyond the illegal settlements. I even heard someone suggest creating two or three municipalities for the Palestinians there. But that\u2019s not a state. I do not think that creating municipalities or quasi-state entities would be seen by the Arab world and, above all, by the Palestinians themselves as a satisfactory outcome to this nearly 80 year-long drama. Compromise will be necessary. I have no doubt about that.\nThe West has dragged its feet on this issue, unwilling to use its leverage to accelerate the creation of a Palestinian state. Otherwise, the road map proposed by the Quartet 25 years ago would have been implemented, and the problem would have been solved by now.\nI mentioned earlier that in June, during yet another escalation in Gaza which was a genuine humanitarian disaster, President Emmanuel Macron of France, followed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a number of politicians from Belgium, said they would go to the UN and have the General Assembly recognise a Palestinian state. That was in June, and the General Assembly session was to open three months later. Well, if you decided that a state must be recognised, why wait three months? Or, you were hoping that nothing would be left to recognise by then? Everyone must abandon these double standards.\nI saw an article by a political analyst today who wrote that the West does not want an independent Palestine, but wants another mandate over Palestine instead. I would not like to believe that, but judging by the actions of several of our Western colleagues, including the British, there are signs pointing that they are acting towards this end.\nTo conclude my answer to this crucial question, the summit opening today in Sharm el-Sheikh is being convened on the basis of a compromise platform. Its initiators have already proposed a compromise. Now is not the time to tempt fate, but to clearly implement what has been proposed, to stop the bloodshed, to address the humanitarian issues, and to begin to rebuild Gaza. Concurrently and without delay, it is essential to start working on the next plan to create a Palestinian state.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): There have been several recognitions of the State of Palestine, and we hope the Palestinian people will ultimately achieve security and self-determination. There are also questions regarding Western Sahara, particularly concerning Algeria. What is Russia\u2019s stance on this issue, especially in light of Rabat\u2019s attempts to establish Moroccan administrative authority there?\nSergey Lavrov: Our position is very straightforward. It is consistent across all such cases. There are United Nations resolutions \u2013 primarily those of the Security Council \u2013 on how to resolve the Western Sahara issue: through the self-determination of the Western Saharan people. This problem has persisted for, I would say, about fifty years now.\nI recall that former US Secretary of State James Baker was once appointed as the UN Secretary-General\u2019s Special Envoy for Western Sahara. At the time, I was working in New York. He visited, met with Security Council members, and held separate consultations with the permanent members. Back then, everyone reaffirmed the principle enshrined in Security Council resolutions \u2013 that a referendum on self-determination for the Western Saharan people must be held. No one even questioned that it should be done. The focus was primarily on agreeing upon the criteria \u2013 how elders would ensure fair voting rules for different parts of Western Sahara. In other words, the scenario for conducting this vote was already being drafted in meticulous detail.\nLater, the situation changed. We know that Morocco has not abandoned the principle of self-determination but believes it should be implemented in the form of autonomy. For us, any solution acceptable to all parties would be satisfactory. Precisely such an approach was codified in the UN Security Council resolution.\nIncidentally, the United States took a different path. During the first term of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, they recognised Western Sahara as part of Morocco. For them, the matter is closed. But for us, it will only be closed when not just one, but all the parties involved genuinely feel that a solution has been reached based on a fair balance of interests. The UN Security Council resolution is the only framework that exists at present. If a new resolution is drafted, introducing different principles for settlement, we would be prepared to discuss such initiatives, provided they are acceptable to all sides.\nQuestion: Is there any prospect of exempting Bahraini citizens from visa requirements to visit Russia, especially given that this year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Bahrain?\nSergey Lavrov: This is an oversight on our part and on the part of our Bahraini friends. My deputy, Sergey Vershinin, who oversees this area, is seated here. I will ask him to personally look into why we and our friends still require visas for mutual visits.\nOur relations with Bahrain are excellent across all domains without exception. Bahrain is also a SCO partner country. Bahrain\u2019s appeal to tourists is undeniable, just as the Russian Federation\u2019s appeal to Bahraini nationals is evident. I believe we will resolve this matter.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): How are trade and economic relations between Russia and Iraq developing? Certain mechanisms have been adopted by Moscow and Baghdad to sustain these relations. How do you assess the current situation in Iraq, and what role is the International North\u2013South Transport Corridor playing in this regard?\nSergey Lavrov: Our relations have traditionally been amicable. I am of the opinion that we played a constructive role following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein\u2019s regime. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has recently resurfaced in discussions surrounding the newly initiated process in Sharm el-Sheikh \u2013 the so-called \u201cpeace summit.\u201d Allegedly, a technocratic body will be established, as proposed by US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan, to administer the Gaza sector during its reconstruction. Tony Blair has been involved in Middle Eastern affairs for years. It was he who was among those demanding immediate military action against Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein\u2019s government under a pretext now proven to be fabricated \u2013 a fact he himself was forced to acknowledge. At the time, I was also working in New York and recall the extreme tension of that period. Following all the experiments conducted by the provisional authority of Paul Bremer in Iraq, including the dissolution of all Ba\u2019ath Party-affiliated structures (which constituted Iraq\u2019s state-forming institutions), it is no secret that many officers from Saddam Hussein\u2019s army formed the backbone of ISIS. Simply because they were cast aside.\nI consider the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia\u2019 Al-Sudani, as well as his predecessors, to have been effective and prudent in gradually restoring national unity. This is essential not only for Iraq but for any other country in the region, be it Libya or Syria.\nOur companies have long been operational in Iraq. First and foremost, I would mention Lukoil and several other oil-extracting firms, which contribute a significant share of tax revenue, ensuring the stability of the country\u2019s economic development. Given that our companies also operate in Iraqi Kurdistan, they help lay the material foundations for that very national unity.\nThe Russian-Iraqi Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation remains active. We engage in regular dialogue at various levels. I have already noted the recent telephone conversation between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia\u2019 Al-Sudani and Russian President Vladimir Putin. My Iraqi counterpart and I maintain constant contact. We met last month in New York during the UN General Assembly session and held productive talks. Thus, I believe we can be quite satisfied with the trajectory of our relations. We stand ready to pursue new objectives in the interests of our peoples.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Two questions - about Iran and Palestine. Is it true that Russia hindered the implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal? Has Russia supplied S-400 air defence missile systems to Iran?\nNo measures have yet been taken against Israel, whose military operations have caused numerous casualties in Gaza. What is your position on this issue?\nSergey Lavrov: The translation of the first question was a little unclear. What does \u201cRussia hindered the nuclear deal\u201d mean? Could you please repeat that?\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Former Foreign Minister of Iran Javad Zarif said that Russia had previously undermined efforts to renew the nuclear deal during President Hassan Rouhani\u2019s term. Is that true? That is, what Mr Zarif said. Did Russia supply S-400 systems to Iran? And what about the Sukhoi aircraft deal \u2013 have they been delivered to Iran?\nSergey Lavrov: Regarding our military-technical cooperation with Iran, after the UN Security Council sanctions were lifted, we have no restrictions. In full compliance with international law, we supply the equipment that Iran needs. All of this is carried out strictly within the framework of international law.\nAs for Mr Zarif\u2019s statements, we worked closely together for many years on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at resolving the situation around Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. The final decision on JCPOA was made directly by Mr Zarif and then-US Secretary of State John Kerry. The other participants were essentially observers at that point, watching the US and Iran reach an agreement.\nIt is well known that Russia has never deviated from its consistent position in support of that nuclear deal, including UN Security Council Resolution 2231. I do not know what exactly Mr Zarif meant, but several days later, when Western countries staged an illegal and outrageous \u201cperformance\u201d at the UN Security Council, claiming that UN sanctions against Iran had been automatically reinstated, they invoked what is known as the snapback mechanism. This mechanism is unique for the decisions of the Security Council: it allows any participant to unilaterally trigger the reinstatement of sanctions, and no one can stop it. That provision was in fact agreed to in the final stage of the negotiations directly between Zarif and Kerry.\nTo be honest, we were surprised. But if our Iranian partners accepted this formulation \u2013 which, frankly, was a legal \u201ctrap\u201d \u2013 we had no grounds to object. I can understand why Zarif supported such an unconventional formula: Iran had no intention of violating the JCPOA and was confident that no one would accuse it of doing so. What happened instead is that Iran did not breach the deal, yet the United States withdrew from it, and the Europeans failed to meet their commitments. After that, they began again demanding new concessions from Iran. Since you mentioned Zarif, this \u201ccreation\u201d was largely his.\nAs for Palestine, we have just discussed this topic quite extensively. The situation that has developed in the region following the decisions to create Israel and a Palestinian state has become increasingly explosive. After the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel responded, as I have already said, with collective punishment of the Palestinians. Like terrorism, this constitutes a gross violation of international humanitarian law. The level of hatred being sown on both sides is extremely high. So, the notion that \u201cif everyone pressures Israel, everything will be fine\u201d is inapplicable here.\nYour question had this logic: let us all put pressure on Israel, and everything will be fine. That won\u2019t work. Whatever one thinks of Hamas, it remains part of Palestinian society \u2013 just like Israeli politicians, whether moderate or radical, are part of Israeli society. What is needed is an agreement between both sides, a balance of interests. Major powers, of course, should use their influence to encourage precisely this: a search for compromise and mutual understanding. As President Vladimir Putin has recently said, we can see that US President Donald Trump is guided exactly by that.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Syria is currently experiencing violence and even genocide in various regions, particularly along its coast. We have all witnessed this. There are mass killings, abductions of children and women, and other horrific acts. What is Russia doing to put an end to such practices and to persuade interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa to address this issue? How are you currently collaborating with Ahmed al-Sharaa since he assumed power?\nSergey Lavrov: With regard to Syria.\u00a0 Alarming events transpired in March of this year. We provided our Khmeimim airbase to shelter civilians, as well as certain servicemen of the Syrian army, to protect them from the surge of violence that had been provoked at that time.\nHow can this country be stabilised? We have never pursued any special interests in Syria. When we stood with the Syrian people, we consistently advocated for Syria \u2013 as a multinational and multi-confessional state \u2013 to rely on the promotion of national reconciliation. This was the case throughout the years when Bashar al-Assad was President of the Syrian Arab Republic, while the United States, in effect, worked to fragment Syria, actively fuelling Kurdish separatism in the country\u2019s northeast. This created problems not only for Syrian society but also for neighbouring T\u00fcrkiye, as well as other nations with Kurdish minorities. We have never engaged in such actions. We have always called for the immediate reunification of all Syrian territories.\nNow, following the change of power in December 2024, we continue to be guided by these same principles. We are convinced that all countries in the region \u2013 a region critical to global stability \u2013 must contribute to the full restoration of Syria\u2019s territorial integrity, which continues to face challenges in the north, northeast, and, more recently, the south, when Israel has begun demanding the demilitarisation of As-Suwayda and all territories south of Damascus. This directly impacts the issue of Syria\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is no joking matter.\nWe support the new government\u2019s efforts to stabilise the situation. In this vein, as early as January of this year, we arranged for an interagency delegation to visit Damascus in order to take stock of the relations we have developed with the Syrian Arab Republic up to this point. Subsequently, there was a telephone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa.\nIn April of this year, I met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani in Antalya on the sidelines of the Antalya Political Forum. Last July, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani, along with the Minister of Defence and several other government officials, visited the Russian Federation.\nMore recently, in September of this year, I met with Asaad al-Shaibani in New York. We share a common understanding that the foundation of our relations, built over many years, remains relevant, though certain adjustments will need to be made to reflect the new realities in Syria. These primarily concern economic matters, as well as issues related to our military and military-technical cooperation.\nThe Syrian side is interested in maintaining our military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated, we rely on the interests of the host country \u2013 the Syrian Arab Republic. It is clear that under new circumstances, these bases may assume a different role beyond merely serving as military outposts. Given the need to facilitate humanitarian flows into Africa, they could function as maritime and air hubs for the delivery of humanitarian supplies, including to the Sahel-Saharan zone and other countries in need.\nI mentioned our contacts. In the first half of September this year, a new representative delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak visited Damascus and held substantive talks. We are updating and adapting our legal framework and cooperative practices to the new conditions. We see mutual interest in this regard.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Do you foresee any future problems regarding Bashar al-Assad? An attempt has reportedly been made to poison him in Moscow. \u00a0Does the problem exist, and if so, how is it addressed?\nSergey Lavrov: Former President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad is living in Russia for humanitarian reasons. He and his family faced the risk of physical elimination. We remember what happened to Muammar Gaddafi, which \u00a0delighted then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who watched his execution \u00a0in a live television broadcast and applauded it.\nWe have provided humanitarian asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family for purely humanitarian reasons. He has no problems with living in our capital. No attempt to poison him has been made. If there are such rumours, I leave them on the conscience of those who spread them.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): The Russian-Arab Summit will also discuss economic issues related to Russia\u2019s support for Arab countries. Is the issue of Russian-Arabic partnership and investments on the agenda? Which countries may be involved and in which spheres?\nWe know that Russia is paying particular attention to Africa. What is Russia doing to strengthen its positions in North Africa, in particular, Tunisia?\nSergey Lavrov: As I have mentioned in my opening remarks, our economic ties with Arab countries have been growing consistently. This also includes trade and investment cooperation.\nSpeaking about trade, we are working together on the global hydrocarbons market within the framework of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and OPEC+, which has a permanent monitoring committee. It is co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation.\nThe other trade exchange areas include food supplies, including halal products, grain and other food products, fertilisers, which our Arabic friends have a great interest in, tourism, which I have already mentioned, and industrial cooperation. There are promising nuclear generation projects, including the use of nuclear technology in medicine and agriculture. They are being actively coordinated.\nI have mentioned cooperation in the financial sector. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and its colleagues in Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries, in particular, Gulf states, are not just planning but are already implementing a number of joint co-investment projects in the Russian Federation on the conditions that can benefit both the RDIF and our Arab friends. In other words, the outlook is quite positive.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): What do you think about the idea of an international body to monitor ceasefire in Gaza? Is Russia mediating between Iraq and Kuwait in the Khor Abdullah dispute? Are there plans to cancel entry visas for Kuwaiti citizens, as you have done for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries?\nSergey Lavrov: I spoke about visas in my reply to your Bahraini colleague. We are interested in simplifying the visa regime as much as possible. We will check if there were visa waiver proposals from our Kuwaiti friends. I do not foresee any major problems if there is an interest in this.\nRelations between Iraq and Kuwait are gradually normalising. It was not a quick process. There remain some problems, which have recently been discussed at a meeting of the UN Security Council, following which a mutually acceptable solution was reached and adopted.\nI believe that the UN Security Council will continue to work towards a full and final normalisation of Iraq-Kuwait relations, with our active contribution. Both countries are our good friends.\nAs for Gaza, Donald Trump\u2019s plan, as everyone calls it, stipulates not only the release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed upon line, and the solution of humanitarian problems, but also the establishment of a governing body for Gaza\u2019s redevelopment. So, there is a great deal to be done there. We see the footage of ruined streets and squares every day. In fact, the entire living space has been destroyed there.\nHow will this international body be developed? As I see it, the \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d presided by the US President will act as the supervisory board of trustees. The situation on the ground will be monitored by a body of technocrats who will coordinate the financial flow, which is a matter of major importance. The Americans have already stated that Arab countries will have to bear the brunt of Gaza\u2019s redevelopment. Everyone will do their bit, as in the division of labour.\nThe most important thing is to prevent a revision of the fragile formulas in Trump\u2019s peace plan, considering the attempts that have already been made by many sides. Some people in Israel claim that these arrangements do not prohibit Israel from resuming hostilities at any time. Many statements have been made to this effect. Hamas believes that Israel is trying to retroactively adjust or specify some provisions. It has expressed its protest, saying that they have accepted Trump's plan \u00a0in its current version.\nWe expect to see a lot of such manoeuvres around that document. It is important to prevent the revival of grievances and a new aggravation, instead focusing on the literal implementation of the agreements on the withdrawal of forces and the release of hostages, including Palestinians. We will do everything in our power to facilitate this.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): Yesterday, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke of the necessity for United Nations patronage over the forthcoming implementation of US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan. How can progress be advanced in this regard, particularly within the UN Security Council, especially given that President Trump has thus far not succeeded in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? How do you assess Russia-Egypt cooperation on regional issues? What role does Egypt play in these matters?\nSergey Lavrov: Egypt\u2019s role is clear. It is one of the most active mediators in a number of conflicts. The country\u2019s leadership has demonstrated initiative across numerous fronts, and this remains evident today. In fact, as we speak, in Sharm El Sheikh, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will co-chair, alongside US President Donald Trump, an event supported by Jordan, Qatar, and T\u00fcrkiye upon which we all place considerable hopes.\nOur relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt are exemplary, including in the economic sphere. We are building Egypt\u2019s first nuclear power plant. In the economic sphere, logistics and infrastructure, a Russian industrial zone is being established near the Suez Canal \u2013 a flagship project aimed at creating a commercial hub with numerous neighbouring and even non-adjacent states.\nOurs is a rich history dating back to Soviet times. Many of Egypt\u2019s key industrial facilities were built with our country\u2019s assistance, not to mention our collaboration in education and culture. I recently mentioned the participation of an Egyptian performer in the Intervision Song Contest, which concluded just recently.\nThe Russian-Egyptian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation remains active, convening regularly to explore new avenues for cooperation. It monitors areas where the implementation of agreements requires additional impetus.\nIn foreign policy, Egypt is one of our key partners in North Africa. We maintain good and amicable relations with all in the region \u2013 Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. I hope Libya, too, will achieve the national consensus it so manifestly requires.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic):\u00a0 Many African nations, particularly in the Sahel region, fear the presence of the Africa Corps, which they believe could influence both their international and domestic affairs. Do you think the Africa Corps might commit crimes against civilian population, as allegedly occurred in Mali?\nSergey Lavrov: You have meticulously recited everything written for you \u2013 dutifully delivering each prepared point. The Africa Corps is a unit of the Russian Federation\u2019s Ministry of Defence. Our military do not engage in actions against civilian population or civilian infrastructure, this is well known. Should your editorial team, or those who prompted this question, possess any evidence to the contrary, let it be presented. The crux lies in today\u2019s unfounded attempts to accuse Russia of anything and everything, up to and including mortal sins.\nYou mentioned the Africa Corps\u2019 presence in certain countries neighbouring Algeria, where concerns are supposedly arising. If you refer to Mali, our Africa Corps operates there at the request and invitation of the country\u2019s lawful authorities. We are aware of the rifts between our friends in Algeria and Mali \u2013 frictions rooted (let us call things by their proper names) in the colonial past, when colonisers carved up Africa with a ruler, slicing through ethnic homelands. This occurred across central Africa \u2013 Rwanda and Burundi, Hutus and Tutsis. In the case of Algeria and Mali, it was the Tuaregs. This legacy periodically resurfaces in the form of conflicts. I would not rule out that those who drew these borders may, at times, seek to provoke tensions deliberately.\nExamine the map of Africa. Its borders are often artificial. Following decolonisation, the African Union once considered revising territorial demarcations to avoid dividing ethnic and confessional groups. Ultimately, they chose not to, recognising that it would open Pandora\u2019s box. The conflicts sporadically flaring up today would then have engulfed the entire continent. That was a wise decision by the African Union.\nRegarding the issue you raised \u2013 tensions between Mali and Algeria \u2013 we remain in contact with both our Algerian and Malian friends. The two sides have expressed interest in our assistance to mitigate disagreements. We stand ready to facilitate.\nQuestion (retranslated from Arabic): To what extent is the US genuinely pursuing a peaceful settlement in the Middle East? We are aware of [the West\u2019s] commitment to a unipolar world, a system Russia is actively challenging. How is Russia preparing for a transition to a multipolar world within the Middle East? Furthermore, how would you respond to Israel\u2019s violations of UN Security Council resolutions in Lebanon, including the deployment of its forces there? This is something we hear about daily in Lebanon. You have characterised the events of October 7, 2023, as a terrorist attack. However, given that Israel has been carrying out killings for two years now, would you not define that as terrorism as well? While I personally do not believe October 7 was a terrorist attack, I would like to discuss Israel\u2019s position.\nSergey Lavrov: You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. However, the murder of more than a thousand unarmed civilians, who were gathered simply to sing songs, is unequivocally terrorism.\nIf you were following closely, you will have heard me state that Israel\u2019s response, which has spiralled into a form of collective punishment against the entire Palestinian people, is also a clear violation of international humanitarian law.\nI didn\u2019t quite follow your question about America\u2019s \u201cplans\u201d for the Middle East. These plans are already being implemented, and we wish them every success in this endeavour. This is, of course, with the understanding that the plan will be fully implemented \u2013 that the goalposts will not be moved midway through, nor the rules of the game changed. We are already noting certain players who wish to do just that. Once the plan is fully and conscientiously implemented, we must immediately turn to the practical work of establishing a Palestinian state. This means seeking concrete compromises based on the frameworks approved by the UN Security Council.\nRegarding a multipolar world, this is not a matter of Russia or any other country \u201cestablishing\u201d it in the Middle East or elsewhere. It is an objective historical process. Over the past 40 years, the Gulf countries have dramatically increased their economic, financial, and political influence, thereby gaining the ability to shape regional and global processes. They represent one of the naturally formed \u201cpoles\u201d in this emerging multipolar world, and their role continues to develop.\nThe same is true for the African Union and sub-regional organisations in Africa, which are now highly active and vigorously expanding their capabilities. Other natural poles are emerging in Latin America and across Eurasia.\nOur concept for a Eurasian security architecture envisions the inclusion of all countries and organisations on the continent \u2013 the largest and richest in the world, home to several of humanity\u2019s greatest civilisations, whose histories span millennia. This includes structures like the GCC, ASEAN, and other frameworks linked to Eurasia. I am confident there will be a place for cooperation with the Arab League, despite most of its member states being geographically located in Africa.\nA multipolar world is an objective reality. The sooner our Western colleagues recognise this, and understand that the era of 500 years of global dominance \u2013 of declaring wars, enslaving, exploiting, and destroying other peoples \u2013 is over, the sooner they can take their place as equals in this new global configuration, not as a dominant power.\nOn Lebanon, it is, of course, imperative to implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We are closely monitoring the situation there. Let me be clear: Resolution 1701 has lost none of its relevance. It explicitly calls for a cessation of all military operations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the simultaneous withdrawal of Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River. The resolution also prohibits violations of Lebanese airspace and other breaches of its territorial integrity, which are unacceptable.\nVery few of these mandated actions mentioned in Resolution 1701 have been implemented. Yet, this is no reason to give up. We must redouble our efforts to support our Lebanese partners. Lebanon, once dubbed the \u201cMiddle Eastern Riviera\u201d or the \u201cGeneva\u201d of the region, has become one of its most long-suffering areas, perpetually gripped by crises. We are committed to helping resolve this situation and restore a sense of normalcy to the country.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:48",
    "page_index": 7,
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  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview with RT\u2019s Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 9, 2025",
    "date": "9 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: Moscow is hosting the first Russian-Arab Summit. Why has our country come forward with this initiative right now? What are its goals? Can you now announce which countries have accepted the invitations, and if they will be represented at the highest level?\nSergey Lavrov: There\u2019s a saying: there\u2019s always a first time. That certainly applies here.\nTo understand the context for this first summit, it\u2019s important to note that the Russia-Arab world dialogue has a long history and has never ceased. After the respective states gained independence, the USSR, and after 1991 the Russian Federation, built close strategic relations with most of our Arab friends.\nIn 2013, we decided to systematise these processes and place them on a multilateral foundation. Alongside our bilateral ties with each Arab country, we proposed creating the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum \u2013 a Russia-Arab World/Russia-Arab League partnership and dialogue platform at the level of foreign ministers.\nSix such ministerial meetings have already taken place, roughly once every two years. The most recent one was held in December 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco. It was there, following President Vladimir Putin\u2019s instruction, that I put forward the initiative to organise the first summit between the Russian Federation and the League of Arab States.\nThe summit has been scheduled by mutual agreement for October 15. A meeting of foreign ministers will be held on October 13, a couple of days before, to finalise the summit\u2019s draft documents. All Arab League member states have been invited, including the Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. He is an Egyptian citizen with whom we have worked closely for a long time, including at the UN. The level of representation is expected to be quite high.\nPredictably, many of our Arab colleagues are deeply concerned about the Palestinian issue now, with some currently engaged in relevant consultations to promote mediation efforts. However, we have reason to believe that the overwhelming majority of Arab League members will join us at the level of heads of state or government.\nQuestion: The war in Gaza has been on for two full years now with tens of thousands of fatalities on top of a devastating humanitarian disaster. We hear Tel Aviv saying it is going to take full control of the enclave. Some are even talking about moving the Palestinians to third countries. The Trump plan is being widely discussed. How do you envision a potential settlement? Can Russia and China act as guarantors, as some Arab countries want them to?\nSergey Lavrov: It is a disaster, no question about it.\nWe hear officials from many European capitals and international organisations say words like \u201cgenocide\u201d and \u201cfamine.\u201d Children are dying of starvation and exhaustion.\nAccording to official data, 65,000 people died in the past two years, most of them civilians, including women, children, and the elderly; 170,000 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. To put it in perspective, 65,000 civilian deaths in two years is double the number of civilian casualties during the entire Ukraine situation that followed the coup. The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine over 12 years is smaller than the number of victims in Palestine in only two years. The situation is extremely grave.\nYou mentioned exotic ideas, such as Riviera of the Middle East, relocation of Gaza population, and building world-class resorts that were put forward in the early days of Trump administration when they first started looking into these issues. The Arab countries, primarily, Egypt and Jordan, close neighbours of Palestine, which our American colleagues picked as recipient countries for Gaza residents, firmly pushed back against these proposals.\nIt was reported afterwards that with the Arabs strongly opposed to the idea, other options, such as Somaliland and even Indonesia and South Sudan, were considered as alternatives. It appears everyone has realised by now that solutions of that kind would mean a humanitarian disaster for the Palestinians and a serious blow to the UN, which proclaimed the establishment of a Palestinian State alongside the State of Israel in 1947. Indeed, the Arabs may have acted rashly back in the day triggering the events that ultimately led to bloody clashes and the shrinking of the territories intended for the Palestinian State. Nonetheless, the UN Security Council and the General Assembly resolutions have never been rescinded. The state must be created.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently discussed the Palestinian settlement, among other matters, with President Putin, has repeatedly and publicly stated that creating the Palestinian State was out of the question. If you look at President Trump\u2019s plan, which we regard as a positive step given the urgent need to stop the carnage, save human lives, and rebuild Gaza, or what remains of it, you will see that he proposed a 20-point peace plan that mentions the word \u201cstatehood.\u201d However, its language is rather vague and covers only what remains of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank is not mentioned in this regard. However, we are realists. We are fully cognisant of the fact that this is the best solution we have on the table. At least, the best one in terms of being potentially acceptable to the Arab side and not being rejected by Israel, which is how I can describe Netanyahu\u2019s position. Most importantly, though, the plan must be acceptable to the Palestinians.\nHamas is part of the Palestinian people and part of the problem. We strongly condemned the terrorist attack against civilians carried out by Hamas two years ago, on October 7, 2023. Twelve hundred people were killed, and dozens were taken hostage. That was a crime. However, collective punishment of the Palestinian people for such attacks also represents gross violation of international humanitarian law.\nWhen told that such a response was unacceptable and only the culprits, not innocent people, not women, children, or the elderly, must be punished, some Israeli officials retorted there were no civilians in Palestine and everyone there starting from the age of three was a terrorist. True, extremism is being fuelled there. But for many years, during my stint in New York and later as Foreign Minister, I have been telling my Israeli counterparts that they should abandon their intransigence and their attempts to stall the implementation of the UN resolutions.\nWe have repeatedly let them know that the Palestinian issue, which remains unresolved for nearly 80 years now, is the main factor fueling extremism in the Middle East. Children are born and then go to school, where they are taught that they should have had their own country, their own state, and that there is a UN resolution to that effect. Israel was created, whereas Palestine was not. Some of my Israeli colleagues (many of them even friends) have taken offence, accusing me of trying to make excuses. But things are not that simple. When generation after generation grows up in a society where their legitimate UN-approved aspirations are ignored, such sentiments can hardly be contained.\nTo get back to President Trump\u2019s plan, it is quite realistic provided the Palestinians find it acceptable. We wish success to the indirect talks currently underway in Egypt with the participation of T\u00fcrkiye, Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and, of course, Israel. They are using intermediaries to talk with Hamas. It is absolutely essential to cease the hostilities. Hamas\u2019s particular emphasis on guarantees against renewed strikes or resumption of fighting in Gaza, especially in Gaza City, reflects the lessons they have learned from their previous experiences.\nEarlier this year, proposals were made that appeared to about to go live, but upon completion of the first phase, Israel resumed hostilities citing Hamas\u2019s failure to hold up its end of the bargain. It is vital to work through the details to prevent this from ever happening again.\nYou may have seen on television President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu speak with the Prime Minister of Qatar from the Oval Office. Live on air, Trump tried to extract from him a guarantee that no actions like that would occur again. In that case, it was directed against Qatar under the pretext that Hamas leaders were residing in Doha. We wish them success. If we can be of assistance, we will, of course, be there to help. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, President Putin made it clear that we would like to help establish a Palestinian State, but we must start with something. Statehood will come later. This goal should remain part of the agenda. Our Western colleagues must also bear their share of responsibility for having played a key role in stalling the implementation of the decisions on creating an independent Palestine on the West Bank and in Gaza.\nIn June, President Emmanuel Macron, later joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said he would go to the UN General Assembly and recognise everything there. If you decided to recognise it back in June, why not do so? Perhaps, they hoped that within two to three months there would be nothing left to recognise and nothing would remain of Palestine.\nThe situation on the West Bank remains worrisome. From the standpoint of future Palestinian statehood, as required by UN resolutions, almost the entire territory has been taken up by Israeli settlements. The word I\u2019m getting (it has never been officially stated, but political scientists and experts are talking about it) is that plans are in place to allocate two to three municipalities in the West Bank to be headed by Palestinian leaders who would be governing I\u2019m not sure what or whom.\nSuch things are being discussed. To reiterate, stopping the bloodshed is our number one priority. In this regard, President Trump\u2019s plan gives hope.\nQuestion: Another topic concerns Syria. You met with your Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Moscow in July this year, as well as on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. At what stage is cooperation with the current leadership of this country? What are the prospects for collaboration, including the future of Russian military bases?\nSergey Lavrov: In 2024, we marked 80 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Since Soviet times, we have maintained friendly ties and close cooperation. Our country has made a significant contribution to shaping the foundations of Syria\u2019s economy, the social sphere, national personnel training, and strengthening the defence capabilities of the Syrian Arab Republic.\nUndoubtedly, after 2011 \u2013 when, as part of the Arab Spring, the hot phase of the conflict in Syria began, and the Western-backed opposition armed itself, relying on extremist and terrorist elements \u2013 we came to the aid of the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic. President Vladimir Putin made that decision. We played a substantial role in normalising the situation. We had agreements with the Americans and multilateral arrangements \u2013 a resolution was adopted in New York and Geneva. Had that resolution been implemented, we likely would not be witnessing the current situation in Syria, marked by confrontation between the central authorities and a number of regions in the country.\nOur friendship with the Syrian Arab Republic is not opportunistic. Immediately after the events of December 2024, we resumed contact. President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the head of the new authorities, Mr Ahmed al-Sharaa. An interagency delegation visited Damascus at the beginning of this year and conducted an inventory of projects \u2013 alongside Syrian colleagues \u2013 that had been launched under President Bashar al-Assad and which, in our view, could continue under the current conditions with certain adjustments.\nI met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani earlier this spring in Antalya, where we participated in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. He then visited us in July this year, and we met again in New York. In early September this year, another interagency delegation \u2013 led by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak \u2013 visited Damascus. Discussions were held with their counterparts and with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. We are keen to ensure that all initiatives \u2013 some dating back to Soviet times, others launched after 2011\u20132014 \u2013 related to supporting Syria\u2019s national economy, industry, agriculture, and energy continue. Naturally, they must be adapted to the new realities.\nThis also applies to our military bases. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that we will not remain in Syria against the will of its leadership. However, it appears that the Syrian government, along with a number of regional states, has an interest in maintaining our presence there. Of course, this presence is no longer about providing military support to the legitimate authorities against opposition forces. The function must be reconfigured. One clear task that could benefit the Syrians, their neighbours, and many other countries is establishing a humanitarian hub, utilising the port and airport to deliver humanitarian supplies from Russia and the Persian Gulf states to Africa. There is a shared understanding that this will be in demand, and we are prepared to coordinate the details. The matter has, in principle, been discussed, and there is mutual interest.\nAnother issue concerning Syria is the domestic political situation. Syria categorically demands an end to foreign interference in its internal affairs. Vast areas of the Syrian Arab Republic remain under the control of foreign troops\u2014not always at the invitation of Damascus. A particularly volatile situation persists in the south, where Israel insists on creating a buffer zone. We understand Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised that without addressing these, lasting peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable.\nYet, the interests of other actors must also be safeguarded. In the northeast, there are the Kurds, whom the Biden administration began courting, actively encouraging separatist sentiments. Our Turkish counterparts maintain a presence in the north, along their border with Syria. Meanwhile, Alawites and Christians continue to face persecution \u2013 recently exemplified by a barbaric attack on a church.\nSyria\u2019s unity must be a priority for all nations with influence over Damascus and the various ethno-confessional and political factions across the country. A longstanding concern is the potential explosion of the Kurdish issue \u2013 if these \u201cgames\u201d with Syrian Kurds over autonomy and separatism escalate, the Kurdish problem could destabilise the entire region. These are serious risks.\nrom every perspective, we will continue assisting our Syrian partners. We are prepared to collaborate on these matters with other nations pursuing their interests in the Syrian Arab Republic. Of particular significance will be the participation of transitional government head Ahmed al-Sharaa in the First Russian-Arab Summit on October 15. I anticipate substantive discussions there.\nQuestion: The situation in Iran holds a key to regional stability. Following the use of force by Israel and the United States this summer, how do you see the situation unfold next? Do you think full-scale talks on the Iranian nuclear programme have a chance to ever materialise?\nSergey Lavrov: Iran has a stake in it. Since January, when the West began seriously playing with the idea of re-imposing sanctions - without any legal grounds for doing so - Iran consistently advocated for talks showing flexibility and creativity in its approaches, striving not to succumb to provocations. The West kept luring Iranian negotiators into yet another \u201cround\u201d of talks, where some preliminary understandings were reached giving hope that this would finally settle the question of what to do next. However, the West later backed out of its own proposals, preliminary agreements, and compromises, and continued instead to act through blackmail, diktat, and threats.\nThe idea of re-imposing the sanctions which the West is trying to present as a legitimate legal procedure is utterly outrageous. As you may recall, the resolution approving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme was not violated by Iran. The Islamic Republic had been fulfilling it since 2015 when it was first adopted. Then, in 2019, the United States said it did not like the deal and would no longer comply with it. The Europeans, who were also obliged to fulfill the \u201cfruit of their own labour,\u201d instead of taking a principled stand in favour of preserving the deal, chose to play along with Washington, persuading the Iranians not to take offence and to make more concessions.\nThis is plain and simple dishonourable, not to mention that it represents a blatant violation of international law. The UN Charter requires all resolutions to be implemented. But they decided otherwise. They exploited a provision in the deal (I was involved in this process) that raised serious questions back in 2015. Then US Secretary of State John Kerry told then Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was negotiating on behalf of his country, that now that they\u2019ve agreed on everything (it was a massive document with detailed technical, legal, and practical provisions) it would make sense to \u201csell it\u201d to Congress and Washington, where many distrust Tehran. To reassure them, he proposed inserting a clause that if Iran were ever to violate or fail to fulfill its obligations, a resolution on automatic re-imposition of sanctions would be adopted. There\u2019s nothing one can do about it. This mechanism was clearly designed to benefit anyone wishing to re-impose sanctions on Iran.\nI am convinced that the Iranians accepted this arrangement for only one reason: they had no intention of violating anything. That is why they signed this unprecedented instrument with a clear conscience and peace of mind - an instrument the West has now grossly abused, turning everything upside down. They punished a country that had not violated a thing and had been fulfilling its obligations until the West walked away from the deal.\nIran remains ready for dialogue. The West, however, is deliberately going to great lengths to prevent direct talks between Iran and the United States (although Tehran has always been open to them) and to block the resumption of normal cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, as if making a special effort to provoke a major conflict. Perhaps, that is exactly what some parties are looking for.\nWe are discussing Arab affairs here. We are preparing for the upcoming Arab summit. In recent years, including with our assistance, there have been positive shifts in relations between Iran and the Arab states. Iran has had relations with a number of countries for quite some time. A few years ago, it reached an agreement on normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, a critically important player in the Persian Gulf. We welcomed this step, as we have for many years been promoting the concept of collective security in the Gulf region encouraging all littoral states - six GCC countries and Iran - to establish a process of confidence-building and to develop mutually beneficial projects.\nYet, many out there are clearly opposed to this. They do not want to see Iran overcome the problems imposed on it (I mentioned them), or to face fewer unilateral demands to renounce not only its nuclear programme, including the peaceful one, but also to disarm unilaterally. Many actors prefer to keep the Gulf Arab states wary of Iran. This is the West\u2019s game. The British have long been known for their divide-and-conquer approach. In this particular case, though, it is not even about divide and conquer, but about pit against one another and conquer. Sadly, colonial and neocolonial instincts have continued to guide some of our Western colleagues\u2019 actions to this day.\nQuestion: You mentioned the 2015 talks at the Palais Coburg in Vienna. I remember well the number of months it took to arrive at signing the final document and the ensuing jubilation on July 15, 2015.\nLet\u2019s get to other matters. You mentioned Saudi Arabia. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Russia\u2019s diplomatic relations with that country. What\u2019s your take on Russian-Saudi cooperation over time and today?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe our relations are excellent. The Soviet Union was the first to recognise Saudi Arabia (it had a different name then). We did that and established close and trust-based relations. Soviet diplomats that worked in Saudi Arabia during that period left good memories of themselves. Later, in the 1950s, our relations became somewhat strained for reasons that everyone is well aware of. However, the groundwork laid in 1926 helped us quickly restore them.\nToday, we enjoy a trust-based dialogue and productive contacts at the level of President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as at the level of ministers, deputy prime ministers, and the officials in charge of sector-specific cooperation. Many concrete projects, primarily in the investment sphere, and joint ventures in energy, agriculture, and industry are underway.\nWithout a doubt, we enjoy close political interaction. We want to see the initiatives that Saudi Arabia has been promoting in the international arena for quite some time now, including on the Palestinian issue, implemented.\nIn 2002, at the Arab League summit in Beirut, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia put forward the Arab Peace Initiative, which provided for fully normalised relations between Arab countries and Israel, with the understanding that a Palestinian State would first be established. This was yet another reminder of the importance of implementing UN decisions.\nMost notably, the principle \u201ccreate a Palestinian State, and we will recognise Israel and live in peace\u201d was supported not only by Arab nations, but by all Muslim countries. A special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Tehran approved the Saudi initiative. I\u2019m not saying that everything has fallen apart now. Odds that this will end up taking place are still there. However, had everyone followed the voice of reason from the Arab and Muslim world which called for fulfilling international obligations back then, the situation would probably be different today.\nOver the past seven or eight years, the Americans have been trying to turn this formula upside down by promoting the Abraham Accords, suggesting that all Arab countries recognise Israel first, and then we\u2019ll see what we can do with Palestine. The main focus was on Saudi Arabia.\nQuite recently, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman publicly stated that Saudi Arabia\u2019s position remains unchanged: first, the establishment of a Palestinian State and then normalisation of relations with Israel. This stance commands respect.\nThe first visit by then Crown Prince, later King Faisal, to the Soviet Union took place in 1932. That also helped build close and trust-based relations.\nSpeaking of our humanitarian ties, every year, about 25,000 Russian citizens perform the Hajj. We appreciate the attention given by the Saudi authorities to our pilgrims. There are other areas of humanitarian cooperation as well.\nThe talented Saudi performer Zeina Imad gave a remarkable performance at the Intervision Song Contest. The Saudi leaders said they were willing to host the next annual competition. We will use this occasion to mark the 100th anniversary diplomatic relations between our countries.\n\nQuestion: One of the most promising regions in the world in terms of development potential is Africa. It is believed that countries such as Algeria or Egypt could serve as Russia\u2019s door to this continent. How is cooperation progressing in this direction?\nSergey Lavrov: Our doors have long been open \u2013 since the days of the struggle for decolonisation. The legacy left by the Soviet Union from that period, beginning with the initiation of the United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted in 1960, includes practical military, military-technical, economic, financial, and educational assistance that we provided to national liberation movements. Later, after African nations gained independence, we supported them in establishing their statehood.\nIn the 1990s, for reasons that are well understood \u2013 our country was on the brink of collapse after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and centrifugal tendencies were at play even within the RSFSR \u2013 we found ourselves in catastrophic debt. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank\u2026 I remember it all. We had to cut costs.\nAnother question is: how did we come to such a state? At that time, there simply was no money. Several embassies were closed, including a dozen in Africa. Much has changed since then. Under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, as Russia grew stronger, regained its sense of identity, and understood the role it must continue to play in the world, we began returning to Africa. In 2024, we reopened two embassies; this year, we will reopen two more and establish a new one. Another three embassies are next in line. Within a few years, eight embassies will have been restored on the African continent.\nA crucial point, one of global strategic significance, is that Africa is undergoing a second \u201cawakening.\u201d Now, if you look at the map of Africa, you will see borders drawn with a ruler. None of the colonisers cared who was on the left or right side of those straight lines. They sliced through ethnic groups \u2013 Rwanda and Burundi, Hutus and Tutsis. You mentioned Algeria and Mali. There, the straight line means the Tuareg people live on both sides of the border and do not get along particularly well. Their discord is further exacerbated by external forces egging them on against each other. We are attempting to bring some order to these processes.\nIn its wisdom, the African Union once decided that borders should not be redrawn \u2013 given how things had unfolded. Otherwise, it would lead to a free-for-all, with long-lasting and tragic consequences. That is the correct stance. Yet the fact remains that Africa did not achieve full sovereignty after decolonisation.\nI remember attending various G20 events, other forums, and gatherings. In major African countries, it was impossible to refuel the aircraft provided for our delegation. We had to resort to workarounds, negotiating with military bases. All other refuelling stations in most African airports are owned by Western multinational corporations, which refuse to service Russian government aircraft.\nWe now see Africa establishing its own institutions \u2013 not just the African Union, where they convene and discuss abstract topics. The African Export-Import Bank has been created, in which we participate with special status. Investment programmes are being developed.\nAfrica does not want to merely sell its raw materials; it seeks assistance in learning how to process them. This applies to Algeria as well. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited us in 2023. He raised precisely this issue \u2013 not just selling their resources and buying, say, fertiliser, but asking whether we could establish fertiliser production in Algeria. This matter is currently under consideration. The goal is not to remain an appendage of former colonial powers but to build domestic processing industries, where the bulk of value-added is generated.\nTwo Russia-Africa summits have been held \u2013 in Sochi in 2019 and in St Petersburg in 2023. At the 2023 summit, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni cited the global coffee market \u2013 or more precisely, Africa\u2019s coffee market \u2013 as grounds for the continent\u2019s urgent need for a second \u201cawakening.\u201d He estimated its value at 460 billion dollars, of which only 2.4 billion remained in Africa. These are raw beans, harvested and shipped to Germany and other European countries, where they are processed, roasted, ground, packaged, and so on. This exemplifies Africa\u2019s desire to harness its own wealth, first and foremost for the benefit of its people.\nNorth Africa \u2013 Algeria, Morocco, Egypt \u2013 is home to our strategic partners, as enshrined in official documents. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited Russia in 2023. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9 this year and was received by President Vladimir Putin. We have major, promising projects with Egypt, including a nuclear power plant, the establishment of a Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal, and more.\nOur trade turnover with Africa, while not yet as substantial as China\u2019s or the West\u2019s, is growing rapidly and has reached nearly $30 billion \u2013 though 70 percent of this is concentrated in seven or eight countries. Diversification is needed here.\nAs I mentioned, we have held two summits with Africa. At the 2023 St Petersburg summit, it was decided to establish a permanent annual ministerial-level mechanism. We convened in Sochi in autumn 2024. In just over a month, we will hold the second annual Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Egypt. There will be much to discuss regarding the economic dimensions of Africa\u2019s second \u201cawakening\u201d and the political challenges that will persist by then. The key is to prevent them from escalating.\nQuestion: Libya is another country from that region. I can\u2019t help but ask about it as well. This year marks 70 years of Russia\u2019s diplomatic relations with Libya. Since 2011, Moscow has sought to maintain dialogue with all meaningful political forces in that country. What are the prospects for establishing cooperation with Libya? Can we talk about joint oil production or the opening of a Russian military base in Libya?\nSergey Lavrov: September 4 marked the anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. From the very beginning, since the time Libya gained its independence, we maintained friendly relations with it and, for that matter, with the overwhelming majority of other countries in that region. In 2008, President Putin visited the Socialist People\u2019s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to sign documents of major importance, such as the Declaration on Strengthening Friendship and Cooperation, and a Statement of Intent Concerning the Development of Multisectoral Cooperation between our countries. Many Russian companies, including oil companies and others such as Russian Railways, signed agreements - both framework and contractual - on implementing joint projects. The railway sector was in particularly high demand.\nThen the Arab Spring came. I mentioned earlier how the West criminally and deceitfully carried out an act of aggression in violation of a UN Security Council resolution followed by the events the consequences of which are being felt to this day.\nAll these years, Russia has been involved in international efforts to reconcile eastern and western Libya. We maintained relations with both. Our position has remained unchanged. There is the Libyan National Army, with which we never broke off relations. In Tripoli, there is the interim Government of National Unity, which was supposed to operate for one year, but has already exceeded that mandate multiple times over. Nevertheless, we support the continuation of a dialogue between western and eastern Libya and their efforts to reach an agreement on how to live together in a single country.\nOur companies stand ready to fulfill all agreements with their Libyan partners. First, there were hostilities followed by a ceasefire, which is thankfully holding. Of course, there is still not enough stability to resume practical cooperation projects. The dialogue continues, and we maintain contacts. I hope that one day Libya will return to a full-fledged peaceful life.\nQuestion: You talked about the United Nations today. Many Arab countries pin their hopes on Russia and China these days when discussing regional matters within the UN, including when it comes to the way the UN Security Council votes with calls to reform the organisation becoming increasingly frequent. What is Russia\u2019s position in this regard?\nSergey Lavrov: The UN Security Council is an instrumental body. Refraining from abusing one\u2019s mandate is another matter, especially for a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The only reason why the parties agreed to vest the P5 members with veto power consisted of preventing the UN from following the League of Nations in its footsteps when no one bore any responsibility for the way it voted.\nToday, the European Union \u2013 and sorry for bringing up this structure \u2013 wants to switch to voting on its decisions. This way, it will adopt its decisions on major matters by voting. This includes matters of war and peace. They want to deny European Union members their veto power, which primarily targets countries like Hungary and Slovakia, the ones that want peace, not war. By using their veto power, since the consensus rule basically consists of vesting every country with veto power, they have been preventing the European Union from turning into a war machine instead of seeking to deliver on the promise of creating the economic and social heaven on Earth. This is what Ursula von der Leyen and other Fuhrers standing at the helm of the European Union are after.\nVeto power within the UN Security Council is also designed to prevent excesses on behalf of its permanent members.\nAs for Palestine, by the way, we have been talking about \u201cArab Affairs.\u201d When Israel launched its operation following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Russia submitted five draft resolutions, including co-sponsored by our Chinese friends to the UN Security Council setting forth the demand to stop the bloodshed immediately and sit down at the negotiating table, but every time the Americans used their veto power. This happened under the Joe Biden administration. In fact, every time they voted this way, they offered a carte blanche to continue a practice which is designated as collective punishment as per the international law.\nOnly recently, under the administration of the current President of the United States Donald Trump, ten non-permanent members of the UN Security Council submitted a draft resolution on the need to enact a ceasefire, achieving a truce and respecting humanitarian pauses. But the United States was strongly against it. Several other Western countries opposed this decision as well.\nUnfortunately, the West has long since embarked on what has been quite a successful push to privatise, so to say, the UN Secretariat, which is basically a technical body. According to Article 100 of the UN Charter, the UN Secretariat must remain impartial without seeking or receiving instructions from any government. In addition, there is an agreement to abide by the principle of fair geographic representation within the Secretariat so that every country is represented in keeping with specific criteria.\nFor example, you can have a certain person joining the Secretariat. Suppose he or she comes from a developing country, be it in Asia, Africa or Latin America. This person signs a permanent contract with the Secretariat, which is something we opposed even back in the Soviet era in order to prevent the Secretariat from becoming too rigid in its operations. However, the West has managed to institutionalise these permanent contracts by voting.\nSo, once a person signs this permanent contract, we must understand that he or she has a family and children who go to school, and after that they enrol in universities, while this person keeps his money with one of the US banking institutions. As times go by, he or she gets a green card, and then goes on to become a US citizen which changes the designation in the Secretariat\u2019s ledger to \u201cAfrican country/US.\u201d It is quite clear whom this person will take his or her cues from in this situation.\nThis effort to privatise has already gone too far and transcended all reasonable boundaries. There are five or six key positions, including the UN Secretary-General and his under-secretaries in various domains who control the money flows, contributions, etc., and they all come from NATO countries. Russia has always advocated within the Security Council for taking into consideration the opinion of countries representing the region in question.\nThere is one Arab country on the UN Security Council at all times. Right now, this is Algeria. In December 2025, its term as a non-permanent member expires, and Bahrain will take its place. We already know this. The vote has taken place. We will always seek to ensure that their opinion counts. Here is my advice for our Arab friends for ensuring that this is the way others view them too. Ideally, the country representing the Arab world on the UN Security Council could be vested with an informal mandate by the Arab League to decide on matters of principle for the Arabs, since it would be impossible to cover all possible issues. This would be very important. This is what I had to say about the Security Council.\nFrom a broader perspective, in terms of Russia\u2019s relations with the Arab world outside of the United Nations, here is what I wanted to mention. Arab countries have demonstrated a lot of interest towards the SCO. Right now, six countries, i.e., Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, are SCO\u2019s dialogue partners. This is much more than simply coming to its meetings, attending them, listening, making a statement and leaving. They have been proactive in contributing to SCO projects.\nAt this stage, President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership as part of the Eurasian concept. This would lay the foundation for a Eurasian security architecture, which would create a link between the security situation in our part of the continent with security across the Eurasian space. This way, security would no longer operate as an exclusive Euro-Atlantic apanage, as during many decades. There was a time when Russia worked with the Euro-Atlantic community and the OSCE, and within the Russia-NATO Council, and thought that everything was fine. But things took a turn for the worse. We overlooked the pan-continental aspects of security.\nMoreover, NATO is now saying that its objective consists of ensuring security for its member countries, while the threats it is facing are coming from the South China Sea. They were the ones to say this. They have been proactive in expanding their infrastructure in Eurasia\u2019s eastern part. This is why these are important matters. Of course, this goes beyond the United Nations, but this does matter in the context of shaping the Greater Eurasian Partnership as a tangible foundation and building a pan-continental security architecture. Our Arab colleagues have a lot of potential for working on these processes, we believe. This will be one of the topics on the agenda of the first Russia-Arab Summit.\nQuestion: China announced the Global Governance Initiative at the SCO Summit it hosted.\nSergey Lavrov: This was the right thing to do, as we have said. To ensure greater justice within the global governance framework, Russia stands ready to work with its partners in China who put forth this initiative in order to better understand their vision.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:29:58",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 8
  },
  {
    "title": "Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 8, 2025",
    "date": "8 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: The situation in Iran holds a key to regional stability. Following the use of force by Israel and the United States this summer, how do you see the situation unfold next? Do you think full-scale talks on the Iranian nuclear programme have a chance to ever materialise?\nSergey Lavrov: Iran has a stake in it. Since January, when the West began seriously playing with the idea of re-imposing sanctions - without any legal grounds for doing so - Iran consistently advocated for talks showing flexibility and creativity in its approaches, striving not to succumb to provocations. The West kept luring Iranian negotiators into yet another \u201cround\u201d of talks, where some preliminary understandings were reached giving hope that this would finally settle the question of what to do next. However, the West later backed out of its own proposals, preliminary agreements, and compromises, and continued instead to act through blackmail, diktat, and threats.\nThe idea of re-imposing the sanctions which the West is trying to present as a legitimate legal procedure is utterly outrageous. As you may recall, the resolution approving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme was not violated by Iran. The Islamic Republic had been fulfilling it since 2015 when it was first adopted. Then, in 2019, the United States said it did not like the deal and would no longer comply with it. The Europeans, who were also obliged to fulfill the \u201cfruit of their own labour,\u201d instead of taking a principled stand in favour of preserving the deal, chose to play along with Washington, persuading the Iranians not to take offence and to make more concessions.\nThis is plain and simple dishonourable, not to mention that it represents a blatant violation of international law. The UN Charter requires all resolutions to be implemented. But they decided otherwise. They exploited a provision in the deal (I was involved in this process) that raised serious questions back in 2015. Then US Secretary of State John Kerry told then Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was negotiating on behalf of his country, that now that they\u2019ve agreed on everything (it was a massive document with detailed technical, legal, and practical provisions) it would make sense to \u201csell it\u201d to Congress and Washington, where many distrust Tehran. To reassure them, he proposed inserting a clause that if Iran were ever to violate or fail to fulfill its obligations, a resolution on automatic re-imposition of sanctions would be adopted. There\u2019s nothing one can do about it. This mechanism was clearly designed to benefit anyone wishing to re-impose sanctions on Iran.\nI am convinced that the Iranians accepted this arrangement for only one reason: they had no intention of violating anything. That is why they signed this unprecedented instrument with a clear conscience and peace of mind - an instrument the West has now grossly abused, turning everything upside down. They punished a country that had not violated a thing and had been fulfilling its obligations until the West walked away from the deal.\nIran remains ready for dialogue. The West, however, is deliberately going to great lengths to prevent direct talks between Iran and the United States (although Tehran has always been open to them) and to block the resumption of normal cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, as if making a special effort to provoke a major conflict. Perhaps, that is exactly what some parties are looking for.\nWe are discussing Arab affairs here. We are preparing for the upcoming Arab summit. In recent years, including with our assistance, there have been positive shifts in relations between Iran and the Arab states. Iran has had relations with a number of countries for quite some time. A few years ago, it reached an agreement on normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, a critically important player in the Persian Gulf. We welcomed this step, as we have for many years been promoting the concept of collective security in the Gulf region encouraging all littoral states - six GCC countries and Iran - to establish a process of confidence-building and to develop mutually beneficial projects.\nYet, many out there are clearly opposed to this. They do not want to see Iran overcome the problems imposed on it (I mentioned them), or to face fewer unilateral demands to renounce not only its nuclear programme, including the peaceful one, but also to disarm unilaterally. Many actors prefer to keep the Gulf Arab states wary of Iran. This is the West\u2019s game. The British have long been known for their divide-and-conquer approach. In this particular case, though, it is not even about divide and conquer, but about pit against one another and conquer. Sadly, colonial and neocolonial instincts have continued to guide some of our Western colleagues\u2019 actions to this day.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:30:10",
    "page_index": 7,
    "article_index": 9
  },
  {
    "title": "Excerpt from an interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 8, 2025",
    "date": "8 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: Another topic concerns Syria. You met with your Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Moscow in July this year, as well as on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. At what stage is cooperation with the current leadership of this country? What are the prospects for collaboration, including the future of Russian military bases?\nSergey Lavrov: In 2024, we marked 80 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Since Soviet times, we have maintained friendly ties and close cooperation. Our country has made a significant contribution to shaping the foundations of Syria\u2019s economy, the social sphere, national personnel training, and strengthening the defence capabilities of the Syrian Arab Republic.\nUndoubtedly, after 2011 \u2013 when, as part of the Arab Spring, the hot phase of the conflict in Syria began, and the Western-backed opposition armed itself, relying on extremist and terrorist elements \u2013 we came to the aid of the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic. President Vladimir Putin made that decision. We played a substantial role in normalising the situation. We had agreements with the Americans and multilateral arrangements \u2013 a resolution was adopted in New York and Geneva. Had that resolution been implemented, we likely would not be witnessing the current situation in Syria, marked by confrontation between the central authorities and a number of regions in the country.\nOur friendship with the Syrian Arab Republic is not opportunistic. Immediately after the events of December 2024, we resumed contact. President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the head of the new authorities, Mr Ahmed al-Sharaa. An interagency delegation visited Damascus at the beginning of this year and conducted an inventory of projects \u2013 alongside Syrian colleagues \u2013 that had been launched under President Bashar al-Assad and which, in our view, could continue under the current conditions with certain adjustments.\nI met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Asaad al-Shaibani earlier this spring in Antalya, where we participated in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. He then visited us in July this year, and we met again in New York. In early September this year, another interagency delegation \u2013 led by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak \u2013 visited Damascus. Discussions were held with their counterparts and with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. We are keen to ensure that all initiatives \u2013 some dating back to Soviet times, others launched after 2011\u20132014 \u2013 related to supporting Syria\u2019s national economy, industry, agriculture, and energy continue. Naturally, they must be adapted to the new realities.\nThis also applies to our military bases. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that we will not remain in Syria against the will of its leadership. However, it appears that the Syrian government, along with a number of regional states, has an interest in maintaining our presence there. Of course, this presence is no longer about providing military support to the legitimate authorities against opposition forces. The function must be reconfigured. One clear task that could benefit the Syrians, their neighbours, and many other countries is establishing a humanitarian hub, utilising the port and airport to deliver humanitarian supplies from Russia and the Persian Gulf states to Africa. There is a shared understanding that this will be in demand, and we are prepared to coordinate the details. The matter has, in principle, been discussed, and there is mutual interest.\nAnother issue concerning Syria is the domestic political situation. Syria categorically demands an end to foreign interference in its internal affairs. Vast areas of the Syrian Arab Republic remain under the control of foreign troops\u2014not always at the invitation of Damascus. A particularly volatile situation persists in the south, where Israel insists on creating a buffer zone. We understand Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised that without addressing these, lasting peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable.\nYet, the interests of other actors must also be safeguarded. In the northeast, there are the Kurds, whom the Biden administration began courting, actively encouraging separatist sentiments. Our Turkish counterparts maintain a presence in the north, along their border with Syria. Meanwhile, Alawites and Christians continue to face persecution \u2013 recently exemplified by a barbaric attack on a church.\nSyria\u2019s unity must be a priority for all nations with influence over Damascus and the various ethno-confessional and political factions across the country. A longstanding concern is the potential explosion of the Kurdish issue \u2013 if these \u201cgames\u201d with Syrian Kurds over autonomy and separatism escalate, the Kurdish problem could destabilise the entire region. These are serious risks.\nFrom every perspective, we will continue assisting our Syrian partners. We are prepared to collaborate on these matters with other nations pursuing their interests in the Syrian Arab Republic. Of particular significance will be the participation of transitional government head Ahmed al-Sharaa in the First Russia-Arab Summit on October 15. I anticipate substantive discussions there.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:30:35",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 0
  },
  {
    "title": "Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s interview for Bridges to the East project, Moscow, October 8, 2025",
    "date": "8 October 2025",
    "content": "Question: The war in Gaza has been on for two full years now with tens of thousands of fatalities on top of a devastating humanitarian disaster. We hear Tel Aviv saying it is going to take full control of the enclave. Some are even talking about moving the Palestinians to third countries. The Trump plan is being widely discussed. How do you envision a potential settlement? Can Russia and China act as guarantors, as some Arab countries want them to?\nSergey Lavrov: It is a disaster, no question about it. We hear officials from many European capitals and international organisations say words like \u201cgenocide\u201d and \u201cfamine.\u201d Children are dying of starvation and exhaustion.\nAccording to official data, 65,000 people died in the past two years, most of them civilians, including women, children, and the elderly; 170,000 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. To put it in perspective, 65,000 civilian deaths in two years is double the number of civilian casualties during the entire Ukraine situation that followed the coup. The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine over 12 years is smaller than the number of victims in Palestine in only two years. The situation is extremely grave.\nYou mentioned exotic ideas, such as Riviera of the Middle East, relocation of Gaza population, and building world-class resorts that were put forward in the early days of Trump administration when they first started looking into these issues. The Arab countries, primarily, Egypt and Jordan, close neighbours of Palestine, which our American colleagues picked as recipient countries for Gaza residents, firmly pushed back against these proposals.\nIt was reported afterwards that with the Arabs strongly opposed to the idea, other options, such as Somaliland and even Indonesia and South Sudan, were considered as alternatives. It appears everyone has realised by now that solutions of that kind would mean a humanitarian disaster for the Palestinians and a serious blow to the UN, which proclaimed the establishment of a Palestinian State alongside the State of Israel in 1947. Indeed, the Arabs may have acted rashly back in the day triggering the events that ultimately led to bloody clashes and the shrinking of the territories intended for the Palestinian State. Nonetheless, the UN Security Council and the General Assembly resolutions have never been rescinded. The state must be created.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently discussed the Palestinian settlement, among other matters, with President Putin, has repeatedly and publicly stated that creating the Palestinian State was out of the question. If you look at President Trump\u2019s plan, which we regard as a positive step given the urgent need to stop the carnage, save human lives, and rebuild Gaza, or what remains of it, you will see that he proposed a 20-point peace plan that mentions the word \u201cstatehood.\u201d However, its language is rather vague and covers only what remains of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank is not mentioned in this regard. However, we are realists. We are fully cognisant of the fact that this is the best solution we have on the table. At least, the best one in terms of being potentially acceptable to the Arab side and not being rejected by Israel, which is how I can describe Netanyahu\u2019s position. Most importantly, though, the plan must be acceptable to the Palestinians.\nHamas is part of the Palestinian people and part of the problem. We strongly condemned the terrorist attack against civilians carried out by Hamas two years ago, on October 7, 2023. Twelve hundred people were killed, and dozens were taken hostage. That was a crime. However, collective punishment of the Palestinian people for such attacks also represents gross violation of international humanitarian law.\nWhen told that such a response was unacceptable and only the culprits, not innocent people, not women, children, or the elderly, must be punished, some Israeli officials retorted there were no civilians in Palestine and everyone there starting from the age of three was a terrorist. True, extremism is being fuelled there. But for many years, during my stint in New York and later as Foreign Minister, I have been telling my Israeli counterparts that they should abandon their intransigence and their attempts to stall the implementation of the UN resolutions.\nWe have repeatedly let them know that the Palestinian issue, which remains unresolved for nearly 80 years now, is the main factor fueling extremism in the Middle East. Children are born and then go to school, where they are taught that they should have had their own country, their own state, and that there is a UN resolution to that effect. Israel was created, whereas Palestine was not. Some of my Israeli colleagues (many of them even friends) have taken offence, accusing me of trying to make excuses. But things are not that simple. When generation after generation grows up in a society where their legitimate UN-approved aspirations are ignored, such sentiments can hardly be contained.\nTo get back to President Trump\u2019s plan, it is quite realistic provided the Palestinians find it acceptable. We wish success to the indirect talks currently underway in Egypt with the participation of T\u00fcrkiye, Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and, of course, Israel. They are using intermediaries to talk with Hamas. It is absolutely essential to cease the hostilities. Hamas\u2019s particular emphasis on guarantees against renewed strikes or resumption of fighting in Gaza, especially in Gaza City, reflects the lessons they have learned from their previous experiences.\nEarlier this year, proposals were made that appeared to about to go live, but upon completion of the first phase, Israel resumed hostilities citing Hamas\u2019s failure to hold up its end of the bargain. It is vital to work through the details to prevent this from ever happening again.\nYou may have seen on television President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu speak with the Prime Minister of Qatar from the Oval Office. Live on air, Trump tried to extract from him a guarantee that no actions like that would occur again. In that case, it was directed against Qatar under the pretext that Hamas leaders were residing in Doha. We wish them success. If we can be of assistance, we will, of course, be there to help. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, President Putin made it clear that we would like to help establish a Palestinian State, but we must start with something. Statehood will come later. This goal should remain part of the agenda. Our Western colleagues must also bear their share of responsibility for having played a key role in stalling the implementation of the decisions on creating an independent Palestine on the West Bank and in Gaza.\nIn June, President Emmanuel Macron, later joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said he would go to the UN General Assembly and recognise everything there. If you decided to recognise it back in June, why not do so? Perhaps, they hoped that within two to three months there would be nothing left to recognise and nothing would remain of Palestine.\nThe situation on the West Bank remains worrisome. From the standpoint of future Palestinian statehood, as required by UN resolutions, almost the entire territory has been taken up by Israeli settlements. The word I\u2019m getting (it has never been officially stated, but political scientists and experts are talking about it) is that plans are in place to allocate two to three municipalities in the West Bank to be headed by Palestinian leaders who would be governing I\u2019m not sure what or whom.\nSuch things are being discussed. To reiterate, stopping the bloodshed is our number one priority. In this regard, President Trump\u2019s plan gives hope.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:30:57",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 1
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan Moscow, October 7, 2025",
    "date": "7 October 2025",
    "content": "Colleagues,\nI\u2019m genuinely pleased to welcome you to the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan. It is encouraging to see this platform evolve into an influential international forum that brings together the key countries of the region. We all share a genuine and practical commitment to supporting Afghanistan\u2019s development as an independent and unified state that lives in peace with its neighbours and enjoys the respect of the international community.\nI am confident that the practical value of the Moscow Format will grow significantly this year thanks to the participation of the official Afghan delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. We appreciate the attention the Afghan side has shown to our joint work. Clearly, addressing issues involving Afghanistan cannot take place without the Afghans themselves. Earlier today, I met with Mr Muttaqi to discuss prospects for Russia-Afghanistan relations, as well as the tasks facing regional countries, including within the Moscow Format, to promote the environment for shared stability and prosperity.\nWe believe that the security and well-being of our region depend on Afghanistan\u2019s active involvement in political processes, multilateral mechanisms, and joint economic initiatives. Russia fully supports this approach. By officially recognising the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in July, we removed previous restrictions on cooperation at the state level. We are committed to deepening cooperation in counterterrorism, combatting drug trafficking, and diversifying economic ties.\nUnfortunately, major challenges on the Afghan front still stem from the Western countries\u2019 openly hostile policies. They continue to hold Afghanistan\u2019s sovereign financial assets and maintain sanctions and restrictions on its banking sector.\nWe once again urge the West to abandon its confrontational policies, return the funds it has seized, and take responsibility for Afghanistan\u2019s post-conflict reconstruction, including compensation for the enormous damage inflicted on the country\u2019s economy and infrastructure over the decades.\nWe firmly oppose the deployment, under any pretext, of any third-country military infrastructure on Afghan territory or in neighbouring countries. The military presence of extra-regional actors risks triggering instability and new conflicts. Afghanistan\u2019s history is full of foreign military presence, and the necessary lessons should have been learned by now.\nOver the past four years, the government of the Islamic Emirate has consolidated its authority and is governing the country with confidence. We acknowledge Kabul\u2019s efforts to effectively counter terrorist groups, notably the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State, despite external pressure and limited financial resources. Hundreds of militants responsible for violence and destruction on the Afghan soil have been eliminated. There has also been remarkable progress in countering narcotics. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan\u2019s poppy cultivation and opium production have declined by 90 percent since 2022, which is an impressive achievement.\nWe recognise, however, that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains challenging and is worsened by natural disasters and climate instability. Over half of its population - 22 million people out of 39 million - is in need of humanitarian aid. Twenty-one million Afghans lack access to safe drinking water and essential medical care. We again call on international donors not to neglect the Afghan people, to continue providing aid, and to refrain from attaching political strings to humanitarian support. Russia will continue, and expand, its assistance to the Islamic Emirate.\nColleagues,\nIn closing, I wish all participants productive discussions and new meaningful agreements that will benefit the people of Afghanistan and all nations represented here today.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:31:08",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 2
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at a meeting with Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi on the sidelines of the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan, Moscow, October 7, 2025",
    "date": "7 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister, welcome.\nThank you for accepting our invitation to the regular, 7th meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan.\nThe situation in the region and the world as a whole is complicated \u2013 we are now referring to our common region \u2013 and it is not becoming simpler. We can see that your government is working towards stability in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is generally agreed that there have been major positive changes in the struggle against the terrorist threat. The relevant UN bodies have noted a substantial decrease in the areas sown with narcotic plants.\nWe are interested in providing all-round assistance to our Afghan colleagues\u2019 struggle against drug trafficking, terrorism and organised crime, and their efforts to strengthen normal peaceful life in the interests of the Afghan people. A number of relevant agreements and complementary documents have been signed. I hope to be able to discuss all this with you today.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:31:19",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 3
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia Oleg Bartsits, Sochi, October 1, 2025",
    "date": "1 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Bartsits,\nFriends,\nWe are delighted to convene with you once again.\nOn this occasion, we would like to extend our congratulations to you and the entire people of Abkhazia on the recent state holiday celebrated on September 30 \u2212 Victory and Independence Day.\nIn recent weeks, we have also commemorated a series of other significant milestones: the 17th anniversary of the international recognition of independence on August 26, the establishment of diplomatic relations between our nations on September 9, and the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance on September 17.\nThese commemorative events have laid the groundwork for modern Russian-Abkhaz relations, which are anchored in the principles of mutual respect, strategic partnership, and alliance.\nOur last meeting took place on June 6 this year in Moscow. We note that over the past months, many beneficial developments have occurred for both bilateral relations and the diplomatic endeavours of the Republic of Abkhazia. On July 21 this year, the city of Sukhum hosted another session of the Russian-Abkhaz Intergovernmental Commission on Socioeconomic Cooperation. Crucial decisions were adopted concerning the national economy and the cultural sector of Abkhazia.\nFirst Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergey Kiriyenko visited the Republic on several occasions. I have conversed with him, and he highly commended the progress in implementing the joint projects agreed upon by Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Abkhazia Badra Gunba. These projects encompass the reconstruction of urban transport and social infrastructure, the renovation of memorials and monuments, and other significant initiatives.\nWe are immensely gratified that this work is already producing positive outcomes, contributing to the strengthening of your economy and our friendship, as well as enhancing the quality of life and leisure in the Republic of Abkhazia. A prime example is the data from the tourism industry, which indicates a 20 percent increase in tourist arrivals to Abkhazia from Russia compared to the previous year.\nWe anticipate that efforts to modernise services and create favourable conditions for private investment in the country will persist.\nFor our part, we will continue to provide comprehensive assistance to sovereign, independent Abkhazia in its development and security. This fully aligns with the interests of our peoples.\nRecently, you have undertaken several official visits to a number of countries. We look forward to your impressions.\nToday, we will also sign a Plan of Consultations between our ministries for 2026\u20132027. This will undoubtedly enhance the effectiveness of our foreign policy coordination.\nWe will discuss all these matters. It will be interesting to hear your assessment of the regional situation and your contacts with foreign partners.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:31:29",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 4
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s opening remarks at a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev, Sochi, October 1, 2025",
    "date": "1 October 2025",
    "content": "Mr Minister,\nFriends,\nWe are delighted to welcome you in the Russian Federation again.\nI would like to use this occasion to congratulate you and the people of South Ossetia on your recent holiday, Republic Day, which you marked on September 20. The celebrations in Tskhinval and the South Ossetia. Investment Horizons International Economic Forum, which was timed for the occasion, were organised brilliantly and were attended by many guests from Russia, including First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergey Kiriyenko, the ministers of economic development and education, the head of North Ossetia, and other officials.\nWe have recently marked several important dates, namely, the 17th anniversary of the recognition of South Ossetia by Russia (August 26), the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries (September 9), as well as the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (September 17).\nThe second half of August and the beginning of September 2008 saw crucial events, which shaped the foundations of current relations between Russia and South Ossetia, relations based on the principles of equality, integration and alliance.\nToday, South Ossetia is developing as a democratic sovereign state. It is building a modern economy and social sectors, demonstrating sustainable dynamics and GDP growth, which has increased by 27.5 percent over the past five years. You have increased your foreign trade 14.5 percent and are implementing\u00a0 ambitious infrastructure projects.\nThis year was also fruitful for our relations. Our heads of state met on May 10, 2025, and held telephone conversations on June 12. On May 26, 2025, the Intergovernmental Russian-South Ossetian Commission on Economic Cooperation held a regular meeting in Mineralnye Vody, which President of South Ossetia Alan Gagloyev attended.\nA new state programme of South Ossetia\u2019s socioeconomic development for 2026\u22122030 is being drafted with Russia\u2019s assistance. It will boost the further development of your country\u2019s economic potential.\nSouth Ossetia is a close friend and ally of Russia. We will continue to help ensure its security, stability and sustainable development. We believe that it is especially important for South Ossetia to strengthen its international positions, reveal the truth about the events of 2008 and subsequent developments to the international community, and to inform it about South Ossetia\u2019s current opportunities in terms of external contacts.\nWe maintain effective foreign policy coordination between our countries. It will be further enhanced thanks to the plan of consultations between our foreign ministries for 2026\u22122027, which we plan to sign today.\nI hope that during our talks we will also be able to discuss key bilateral matters and the international issues I have mentioned.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:31:40",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 5
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s answers to media questions following the 22nd annual session of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Sochi, September 30, 2025",
    "date": "30 September 2025",
    "content": "Question: What are your impressions of the current session of the Valdai Discussion Club and of your interactions with its participants?\nSergey Lavrov: As always, the impressions are positive. I appreciate this audience \u2013 attentive, unbiased, and always striving to clarify various aspects related to Russian foreign policy.\nI consider this a beneficial initiative. We not only share information and respond to participants\u2019 questions but also draw certain ideas that, in some cases, are translated into practical policy.\nNaturally, the main event will be the day after tomorrow when President Vladimir Putin arrives. I believe this session will be the most substantial. We are looking forward to the questions and answers from our President.\nQuestion: What is Moscow\u2019s position regarding Donald Trump\u2019s plan to resolve the situation in Gaza, which was announced on Monday? How do you assess the proposal to establish temporary external governance with international participation and to form an international contingent for rapid deployment in Gaza? Has Moscow received any signals about the possibility of participating in this contingent? How do you evaluate the chances of success for this plan as a whole?\nSergey Lavrov: We have not seen this plan. We have only heard comments about its contents. You have now outlined its main provisions.\nI have heard that this international body, which is intended to \u201ctemporarily govern Gaza,\u201d is planned to be headed by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He himself seems to have already announced this.\nI reiterate, I am not privy to the details. I do not know what powers he will be granted, nor how the Arab countries view this. I am aware that some of them have already welcomed Donald Trump\u2019s plan. However, a final assessment can only be made once we know the views of all of Palestine\u2019s neighbours, Israel, the countries of the region, the League of Arab States, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and, above all, the Palestinians themselves. I have heard that representatives of the Palestinian National Authority are not being considered for inclusion in this temporary body, even as observers.\nRegarding the international security forces. No, we have not been invited to participate. I reiterate, we only became aware of this new plan yesterday. However, I have read that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on Donald Trump\u2019s plan \u2013 which was announced following Netanyahu\u2019s visit to Washington \u2013 said that the plan is good and should not be altered. He claimed that Hamas and everyone else should agree to it. Among the positive aspects of this plan, he stated that Israel would retain control over security in Gaza. This somewhat contradicts the establishment of international forces, so all the details need to be clarified first.\nQuestion: As you know, China has recently put forward a global governance initiative at the SCO summit. Russia supported this initiative. What do you think is the practical significance of this proposal? Was the possibility of any joint actions within the framework of this global governance initiative discussed at the SCO and BRICS platforms?\nSergey Lavrov: The initiative was put forward just the day before the summit. To be precise, we learned about it on the eve of the SCO meeting. Nevertheless, we believe it is useful, since it is aimed at setting right the situation in which global governance mechanisms have been completely subordinated to the West.\nTake the International Monetary Fund, for example, where the United States is blocking the decision to increase quotas for countries of the Global South. Or the World Bank, where the West openly abuses its dominance.\nRecently, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would provide \u20ac1.5 billion for the restoration of Palestine. She said with pride that the sum was enormous. Yet, how much more have they allocated to Ukraine? Not for rebuilding, but for waging war against Russia. Hundreds of times more.\nSome time ago, Ukraine requested a $38 billion loan from the World Bank. The Bank responded: \u201cWhy 38? Let\u2019s make it 65 billion.\u201d Such bias and the misuse of multilateral mechanisms to pursue unilateral, geopolitical, and self-serving goals are disastrous.\nThe World Trade Organisation also requires reform. For many decades, the United States has been blocking the work of its Dispute Settlement Body, above all to prevent this body from considering complaints brought by China over discrimination and blatant violations of WTO rules by Western countries.\nAnd, of course, the United Nations. Reform of the Security Council and other UN bodies must be fair. This includes reform of the Secretariat, where key positions \u2013 those that essentially determine the functioning of the entire UN system and the allocation of financial resources \u2013 have long been monopolised by representatives of NATO and the EU. This situation is unsustainable. We will consistently advocate for reform of global governance.\nAs for practical aspects, we expect our Chinese colleagues, as the initiators of this proposal, to further elaborate their approaches. We will actively support them in this effort.\nQuestion: Recently, parliamentary elections were held in Moldova. The results are already known: the ruling party has won. Can we say that, by using electoral mechanisms, Moldova is strengthening an anti-Russian stronghold?\nSergey Lavrov: Certainly. President of Moldova Maia Sandu has long been one of the heralds of anti-Russian rhetoric. The elections were fraudulent. I am astonished at how blatantly the votes of the electorate can be manipulated.\nHowever, the most significant point is that even with the manipulations and the obstacles created to voting for residents of Transnistria \u2013 where bridges were closed, and so-called quarantines were declared, preventing many from casting their votes \u2013 the patriotic opposition within Moldova still garnered more support than Maia Sandu\u2019s party. It was only through the mobilisation of resources for overseas voting \u2013 where in Europe, voters were practically hand-carried to polling stations (while in Russia, only two polling stations were opened in Moscow) \u2013 that the desired percentage was achieved.\nDespite all these machinations, the result remains indicative. Even with such fraudulent methods, their success is limited.\nQuestion: There have been many bold statements coming from Washington recently. The US President\u2019s Special Envoy, Keith Kellogg, in an interview with Fox News, claimed that Ukraine allegedly has permission to strike deep into Russian territory. The US Vice President, J.D. Vance, has stated that the issue of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles is under discussion. Does Moscow view this as an act of pressure from the United States on Russia? How will the Russian authorities respond diplomatically?\nSergey Lavrov: I believe this is, first and foremost, a result of pressure from Europe on Washington. The United States wants to demonstrate that it takes the opinions of its allies into account. I do not think we are dealing with a decision that has already been made. The Americans do not supply Tomahawks to just anyone. If I am not mistaken, among Europeans, only Spain and the Netherlands have received them. They have been somewhat cautious with others. If they consider Ukraine to be a responsible state that will use them responsibly, that would be surprising.\nIndeed, Keith Kellogg and J.D. Vance have spoken about this. Incidentally, Keith Kellogg generally takes an entirely pro-Ukrainian stance. Although US President Donald Trump always says that \u201che is a mediator, and Ukraine and Russia should resolve matters directly,\u201d Keith Kellogg recently publicly advised the Ukrainian regime to accept reality and de facto agree that the territory is as it is now. He suggested that they should not worry about it, as, for example, the Baltic states were part of the Soviet Union, and the US did not recognise them de jure, but they later became free. \u201cThe same applies here,\u201d said Keith Kellogg. This diverges from the position held by President Donald Trump. There are many spokespersons who simply promote the Ukrainian agenda.\nThe Kremlin has already made its position quite clear. Even if these Tomahawks end up in Ukraine, it will not change the military situation.\nQuestion: A question about our key partner in the Global South \u2013 India. The US administration continues its attempts to pressure this country into abandoning Russian oil under the pretext of allegedly financing the conflict in Ukraine. In your view, what are the true reasons behind this pressure?\nSergey Lavrov: The true reasons lie in the fact that President Donald Trump has declared the need for the United States to actively defend its national interests. These national interests include aggressively promoting their goods on international markets to their partners, as well as eliminating competitors, in this case, the Russian Federation, under the pretext of the war in Ukraine.\nHowever, our Indian colleagues have already responded to calls to stop purchasing oil from Russia. They fundamentally proceed from the position that if the United States wants to sell something to India, including oil, then New Delhi is ready to sit at the negotiating table and discuss the terms. As for how and in what manner to trade with other countries, including Russia, that is a matter of Russian-Indian relations. This position has been articulated by both Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. I believe it reflects the national interest and dignity of our Indian friends.\nQuestion: Brazil has played an active role in attempting to mediate the conflict in Ukraine. How do you assess today\u2019s contacts with the Brazilian side in this context, as well as in terms of building a multipolar world?\nSergey Lavrov: We have very close relations with our Brazilian friends. I attended the BRICS summit and the meeting of foreign ministers. Detailed discussions have already taken place with President of Brazil Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira. We appreciate the position of the Brazilian side, which, a couple of years ago, formulated a proposal to assist in resolving humanitarian issues. In particular, these issues are being addressed in line with the views expressed by our Brazilian friends.\nThe Africans, led by South Africa, have also put forward similar considerations. As a result, we are resolving humanitarian issues, exchanging prisoners, returning bodies, and addressing the problem of separated families.\nThe Ukrainians long claimed that \u201ctens of thousands of children have gone missing\u201d and that Russia had taken them away. When the Russian and Ukrainian delegations met again in Istanbul, our delegation insisted on receiving a list of these children. This is, after all, a matter of profound concern. Following prolonged and persistent persuasion, the Ukrainians provided us with a list of 339 children. Most of them turned out not to be children but adults, who were not on the territory of the Russian Federation. Moreover, most of them were not in Russia but in Europe. Therefore, these humanitarian issues must be addressed honestly. We appreciate that Brazil advocates precisely this approach.\nRegarding the political aspects of the settlement, we are explaining to our Brazilian and other BRICS colleagues the approaches that President Vladimir Putin has articulated on multiple occasions. The key to a sustainable settlement in Ukraine is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and the threats to the security of the Russian Federation, which the West has created using the Ukrainian regime, as well as to fully restore the legally prohibited rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population in Ukraine. So, we will continue to cooperate.\nThank you very much.",
    "time_scraped": "2026-01-12 17:31:51",
    "page_index": 8,
    "article_index": 6
  },
  {
    "title": "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov\u2019s remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference following the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, New York, September 27, 2025",
    "date": "28 September 2025",
    "content": "I am delighted to see everybody here, including many good old acquaintances.\nAs is traditional, we are concluding the High-level Week with this meeting with the media, where we try to answer your questions as transparently and openly as possible. I will not make any lengthy, substantive opening remarks, as I trust that you, as journalists, are closely following the latest developments.\nThe official remarks that I have just delivered in the General Assembly Hall outlined the main guidelines of Russia\u2019s foreign policy.\nMy main conclusion at this stage of the General Assembly is that the world is clearly undergoing a profound transformation, marked by the collision of two tectonic processes. The first is the objective, historically conditioned shaping of a multipolar world \u2013 a process firmly rooted in the principle of the sovereign equality of states, as enshrined in the UN Charter. The second is promoted by a group of countries that still wish to preserve a unipolar world, to uphold what we call the \u201cgolden billion,\u201d and to maintain methods that are, if not colonial, then neocolonial. The essence of these methods remains the same: to live at the expense of others.\nThere are plenty of examples. I have no doubt that you, as journalists, are keenly interested in these developments and in how the explanations that countries offer for their stances diverge from \u2013 or coincide with \u2013 their actions.\nWith that, I suggest we move on to your questions.\nQuestion: The EU says that they are already in a hybrid war with Russia and according to NATO, Russia\u2019s repeated air violations constitute a military escalation that endangers human lives, and Moscow bears full responsibility. What is your response to these accusations?\nSergey Lavrov: Let me give you an example. On the day the drones crashed on Polish territory, as soon as Poland raised the alarm, we proposed a business-like meeting with the Russian Defence Ministry, as befits professionals and without any hysteria. The proposal was to inspect the wreckage and discuss what kind of drones they were and what their flight range was. The crucial point is this: the drones found on Polish territory \u2013 if they are the ones we suspect \u2013 have a shorter flight range than the distance from the Russian Federation\u2019s border to the Polish border.\nI will reiterate \u2013 when the other party dodges an earnest discussion, accuses us of all manner of evil, and turns down proposals to sit down and sort things out because they \u2018don\u2019t want to\u2019 \u2013 well, you know the answer.\nIt is good that you began with this question. A year ago, in this very room, at the same panel, I described our efforts to establish the truth regarding the provocation staged in the town of Bucha in April 2022. Our troops had withdrawn from the suburbs of Kiev, Bucha included, respecting the Western countries\u2019 call to \u201ccreate an atmosphere of trust\u201d for the signing of a peace agreement \u2013 a settlement on the terms that were being discussed at the time, which was later disrupted by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Just two days after our withdrawal, BBC reporters \u201caccidentally\u201d had the \u201cluck\u201d to film bodies, neatly positioned along the main street of Bucha, and broadcast that footage to the world. It appeared that no one had noticed them for two days, and then, suddenly, their vision cleared. This is simply impossible.\nI also explained to you how I have made repeated appeals to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for almost three years. Moreover, we even sent an official request to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Initially, no one wanted to launch the investigation we called for. As a minimum first step, we asked for the publication of the names of the victims whose bodies were shown on BBC.\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (I spoke with him on this matter yesterday) merely shrugged, saying that he could not deal with this. He then added that he had asked for that to be done but his request had been declined.\nAs I have already said, we also appealed to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This was an official, written appeal, sent a year ago. We received an answer only this summer. The response is startling: it stated that the possibility of disclosing the Bucha victims\u2019 identities was being considered jointly with the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN Secretariat. Later, we were informed (albeit orally) that the UN Secretariat\u2019s lawyers had ruled it inadvisable to disclose information about the Bucha victims, ostensibly to ensure their families\u2019 safety.\nA year ago, when the situation was in the same dead end as it is today, I appealed to your journalistic inquisitiveness. Aren\u2019t you interested in finally finding out who those people were? Whose bodies were shown on BBC? What are their names? Yet, as far as I know, none of you launched a journalistic investigation, even though such inquiries are standard practice for far less high-profile incidents.\nReturning to the first question, we have nothing to hide. We never attack civilian targets. Incidents may happen, but we never target them deliberately. We do not, and would not, send our drones or missiles into the territory of member states of the European Union or European members of the North Atlantic Alliance.\nLet me be clear once again. If the Poles genuinely wanted to look into this incident, we would immediately offer a meeting. But no one ever wants to discuss the facts.\nThere have been numerous examples where we were accused, only for it to later emerge that Ukraine was responsible for hitting a market, a maternity hospital, or other civilian targets. Once the noise of the initial accusations subsides, journalists \u2013 including those who raised the fuss in the first place \u2013 lose all interest in exploring the facts and establishing the truth. Perhaps they are simply not permitted to. But we remain ready for an honest conversation.\nQuestion: Yesterday, following a vote, the UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution proposed by Russia and China on extending Resolution 2231 on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme for another six months.\nWhat consequences do you foresee from the reinstatement of UN sanctions against Iran? Do you still think that a diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear programme issue is possible? If so, what further steps does Russia plan to take?\nSergey Lavrov: The snapback mechanism was incorporated into UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that approved the Iranian nuclear deal in 2015. The incorporation followed direct talks between Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry.\nThis snapback mechanism is not typical for other sanctions regimes. In fact, it authorised any country to submit a resolution for a vote on extending the sanctions. A country with veto power could block such a resolution single-handedly, resulting in the non-extension of the sanctions.\nI have two observations here. First, the mechanism lacks elegant formulation and was implemented solely for the purpose of maintaining a hold on our Iranian counterparts\u2019 throats, preventing them from any sort of deviation.\nSecond, Iran agreed to this \u201cexotic\u201d mechanism solely because it was confident it would never violate the deal. The rationale was, essentially, that they let this mechanism remain in place as a contingency measure. Iran had no intention of violating it then and has no intention of doing so now. Therefore, they agreed to it with a light heart as they saw it at the time.\nThey could not have imagined that the deal would be torn apart not by them but by the United States in 2018. And yet, it happened. The United States withdrew from the deal and declared that it no longer recognised the resolution. Instead of demanding that the United States reassume its obligations, Europe also began to retreat from its commitment to these agreements. This continuous series of violations is well-documented.\nSo, from the resolution that the United States does not recognise, the Europeans take only what they need. And what they need is this exotic snapback mechanism. What did they do? It is difficult to explain this in a human language. It is a trap. This paradox was created as a trap for Iran. This is yet another indication that Iran never intended and does not intend to violate the requirements of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or this nuclear deal. However, Iran\u2019s next government has fallen into this trap inherited from 2015.\nRussia and the People\u2019s Republic of China have done everything possible to give diplomacy a chance. Even after the resolution to restore the sanctions regime was adopted, there was still a chance to agree on extending the full implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal for a certain period (we proposed three months) without adding or removing any conditions so that it would remain in effect with all its aspects during a period when, as we hoped, talks would proceed.\nSince the West sabotaged this effort and blackmailed the majority of UN Security Council members into supporting its destructive stance, now I don\u2019t know how the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond. This demonstrates a complete inability to negotiate across the board. They did not even give Iran two or three months to negotiate and secure acceptable terms to continue cooperation with both the IAEA and the United States.\nIran was and remains open to dialogue, even if not direct but mediated. Iran has also maintained regular contact with the European Three, yet the outcome of these interactions confirms only one thing: from the very beginning, the European Three needed a pretext to reinstate the sanctions. Consequently, all proposals of a compromise made in good faith by our Iranian counterparts were rejected. Whenever an announcement was made giving hope for an agreement, new demands would emerge by the next morning.\nThis is a deliberate campaign to initiate another phase of strangling Iran economically, financially and so forth. You consistently say in your reports and political analysts mention that the threats of new strikes against Iran persist and, as some informed sources even indicate, are discussed as options at a practical level, which is also highly indicative. All these actions are synchronised, both the military threat and the measures of economic suffocation. This is regrettable and indicates only one thing: western countries hold UN Security Council resolutions very cheap, as we say in Russia. This is true regarding Iran, Kosovo and the Minsk Agreements on Ukraine. I could give you plenty of examples.\nQuestion: A couple of days ago, after meeting with President Zelensky, US President Trump said that he believed Ukraine could take back all the territories and even go further. And you met with Marco Rubio and had, let\u2019s say, a constructive talk. With this kind of ever-changing policies from your US colleagues, how is Russia planning to engage with the US, especially with the Trump administration, on this issue?\nSergey Lavrov: You could call it an ever-changing and flexible policy.\nYou see, every state and certainly every leader has their own style of conducting affairs on both the international stage and at home.\nWe genuinely appreciate that the United States understands the most critical point: it is fundamentally wrong when states refuse to even speak with each other, as the Europeans and President Joe Biden did during his term. At a time like this, when numerous events of global and monumental significance are unfolding, refusing to talk to one another is simply criminal.\nWe appreciate that from the very beginning, the administration of President Donald Trump proposed to resume our dialogue. We have resumed it. We immediately affirmed in February 2025, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and in a telephone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, that we recognise that Russia, the United States and all other countries have national interests. Every state has the right to advance them. In cases where interests align (and we reaffirmed this philosophy with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during our meeting on September 25), and there are, of course, few such instances in Russia-US relations, it would be foolish not to use this circumstance to implement joint and mutually beneficial projects, whether in energy, space or any other area. And in cases (which prevail) where the interests of Russia and the United States do not align, the main objective is to prevent them escalating into a clash, a confrontation, let alone a \u201chot\u201d conflict. Here, we fully agree.\nAs you know, in diplomacy and particularly in public diplomacy, many things can be said based on the specifics of the moment. There are many such moments, and the specifics of them are constantly changing.\nWe do not see any deviation on behalf of the United States from its course of conducting an open and honest dialogue with either Russia or China, as well as in communication with the other countries with which the United States has disagreements, contradictions or differing views on how to continue trading and dealing with economic matters.\nThis is precisely what diplomacy does: it reconciles and manages conflicting interests in a manner that avoids confrontation. When some of our European colleagues turn diplomacy either into courting their counterparts from Washington to keep them engaged in \u201cJoe Biden\u2019s war,\u201d or substitute diplomacy with sanctions, it is a path with no prospects that will not bring any success. On the contrary, we are ready for an honest dialogue on any issue, which, as we see, the United States is also ready for. Meanwhile, diplomatic comments can vary.\nQuestion: President Trump publicly asked Turkish President Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil and gas at the White House. Do you expect T\u00fcrkiye to stop or are you confident that Ankara will remain in it?\nSome time ago, T\u00fcrkiye purchased from Russia the S-400 missile defence systems? When I asked you a similar question last year, you told me that T\u00fcrkiye was the final user and cannot sell it to a third country. What do you have to say to that?\nSergey Lavrov: With regards to both questions, I don\u2019t want to make guesses. I want to affirm what I always say about T\u00fcrkiye and any other partner. We respect the stance of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye. We have no doubt that T\u00fcrkiye respects itself and its people.\nQuestion:\u00a0 Next month, Russia is taking over the UN Security Council presidency. On what matters will your work focus?\nSergey Lavrov: Each month, items automatically appear on the Security Council agenda as a result of previously adopted resolutions. Typically, there are periodic reviews of resolution implementation. The UN Secretariat circulates in advance a list of topics scheduled for hearings, discussions and potentially further guidance on the implementation of respective decisions in any given month.\nSpecifically, during our presidency, there will be a review of the fulfillment of the Dayton Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina. This appears to be a rather timely review as the situation there is critical. A course has been taken for dismantling the agreements and infringing upon the rights of the Serbian people. There are clear and gross violations of the Dayton Agreement that established the equality of the three constituent peoples \u2013 Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks. This promises to be a significant event.\nPerhaps the most importan matter is that Russia\u2019s presidency coincides with United Nations Day on October 24, marking the anniversary of the founding of the Organisation. We plan to convene a special meeting on that day, not only to reiterate our support for the principles enshrined in the UN Charter by its founding fathers but also to examine how they should be implemented today. Especially since the overwhelming majority of these principles are directly related to the processes of multipolarity. The sovereign equality of states, non-interference in each other\u2019s domestic affairs, the right of nations to self-determination, the right of peoples to shape their own destiny \u2013 all these principles have been enshrined in the UN Charter for the past 80 years but not always consistently implemented. This anniversary meeting will be focused on analysis and, hopefully, on reaching a practical conclusion on how we can further develop the United Nations.\nQuestion: Your ambassador here gives very strong speeches at the Security Council about the \u201cgenocidal\u201d war in Gaza. He is very factual, he\u2019s very straightforward; he gives a strong position of the Russian Federation. However, can\u2019t Russia do more than just giving strong statements, and factual and right to the point?\nAnd the second related question. ICC Prosecutor issued, on May 20, 2024, arrest warrants for two Israeli war criminals. And from that day until today, the crimes are continuing, the genocide is continuing \u2013 and yet not one single indictment of any other Israeli general, or minister, or war criminal.\u00a0\nSergey Lavrov: Over the past few days, I have met with many of my Arab friends. Our discussions focused not only on Palestine, but also on the West Bank, southern Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and more. The situation is extremely explosive. It\u2019s not merely lined with time bombs \u2013 it is a minefield with the fuses already activated, where a single misstep could trigger a detonation.\nYou asked what Russia could do, beyond stating its principled stance on Palestine at the UN Security Council. Do you represent an Arab media outlet?\nMost recently, a joint summit of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was held, where the atrocities in Gaza were a central topic. The collective punishment of the Palestinian people continues \u2013 an action that is no better than the terrorist attacks we all condemn and is, moreover, prohibited by international humanitarian law. If our Arab and Muslim friends undertake any initiatives following that summit, and if those efforts show practical potential for stopping the violence, we will definitely join them.\nYou, in the Arab world, share direct borders with Palestine and Israel. You are the ones most immediately affected by these developments. Almost all Arab and Muslim countries are our close friends, and we want to help. However, it is primarily for the countries of the region to decide on their course of action.\nI know that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are engaged in confidential, trust-based talks, a process which the United States is assisting. Now, rumours are circulating about some emerging agreements. US President Donald Trump said a deal was \u2018close,\u2019 but we are not yet sure exactly what was meant by that.\nWe have all seen the media speculation about the so-called \u201c21-point plan,\u201d which proposes something akin to a \u201ccollective administration,\u201d with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair touted for \u201cGovernor-General.\u201d According to certain rumours circulating in the media space, this is an attempt to make a structure akin to \u201creservations\u201d (or \u201cBantustans,\u201d as they were known in apartheid South Africa) appear more attractive.\nLet me be clear: I am commenting on these rumours without endorsing them. But since you asked what Russia could do, I am telling you that a process is underway. If the countries participating in that process, primarily the Arab countries, and the Palestinians themselves, saw a role we could play or a contribution Russia could make, we are confident we would have been told about it.\nQuestion: Given the statements made by various parties, including here at the UN General Assembly, can Vladimir Zelensky expect a return to the 2022 borders? What is the current situation on the ground in the DPR, specifically in the strategic triangle?\nSergey Lavrov: As for the 2022 borders, no one seriously expects a return to them anymore. To insist on this would be a sign of \u201cpolitical blindness\u201d and a complete failure to understand the realities on the ground.\nRussia is acting to defend its legitimate interests and the rights of the people who, after the usurpers seized power through a coup, were branded as terrorists, \u201csub-humans,\u201d and \u201ccreatures\u201d by the Nazis in Kiev. Their children were threatened by the then-President, Petr Poroshenko, when he said they would \u201crot in basements\u201d while the children of the Ukrainian elite drove beautiful cars, went to school, and ate sweets.\nThat option is best forgotten; it is off the table. The discussion about returning to the borders of a certain period has been prolonged by the Ukrainian leaders who came to power illegally after February 2014. They constantly lied and disrupted every agreement reached over the years. If the agreement actually signed in February 2014 between the then-president and the opposition, and guaranteed by Germany, France, and Poland, had been implemented, Ukraine would today be within its 1991 borders. Crimea would not have rebelled, refusing to recognise the illegal government, as there would have never been an illegal government.\nInstead, war began. The Kiev regime chose to bomb and shell those who refused to recognise the illegal government, and to burn them alive \u2013 as was the case in Odessa, where some 50 people perished in a fire. Lugansk was bombed by aviation, and other territories were shelled with artillery. It is strictly forbidden to use military force in internal conflicts \u2013 you know it is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.\nA year later, the Minsk Agreements were signed. If those accords, guaranteed by Germany and France and approved by the UN Security Council, had been implemented by the Kiev regime, Ukraine would have remained within its 1991 borders, minus Crimea. Crimea held a referendum; this is an undisputed fact. Frankly, in 2014, the then-US Secretary of State, John Kerry, told me, let\u2019s forget Crimea and talk about Donbass instead. That initiative was also derailed, and Ukraine shrank further.\nSubsequently, when Ukraine proposed a deal in April 2022, which we agreed to, its implementation would have meant Ukraine within its 1991 borders, minus Crimea and the larger part of Donbass. But Kiev thwarted that, too, by refusing to follow through on its own initiative.\nTherefore, the \u201c2022 borders\u201d are off the table today. What we are now discussing are the borders as enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nQuestion: How would you comment on the situation in the DPR, specifically in the \u201cstrategic triangle\u201d?\nSergey Lavrov: I will refrain from commenting on the battlefield situation. Firstly, I have been away for several days. Secondly, the Defence Ministry does so regularly. Our frontline reporters also provide excellent coverage, so I will leave that analysis to them.\nQuestion: I wonder if I could persuade you to answer this question in English perhaps?\nPresident Donald Trump called Russia a \u201cpaper tiger\u201d and said that European countries should shoot down Russian planes if they violate European airspace. Do you see that as a provocation? And what would happen if Russian planes are shot down?\nSergey Lavrov: We are in the United Nations. Russian is one of its official languages, as is English. I am therefore grateful for your understanding as I exercise my right to use it on this official platform.\nIt is frankly impossible to follow every statement made. However, I recall that a day after President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cpaper tiger\u201d remark, he was asked if he still held that view and he answered in the negative. If we had to provide explanations for every rhetorical nuance...\nI have already stated my position on certain statements by President Trump. Public diplomacy employs a wide variety of tools, methods, and techniques. The same logic applies to the allegations that Donald Trump \u201callowed\u201d deep strikes into Russia or the shooting down of our aircraft or drones.\nA drone that has left our airspace is one matter. If it crosses a border, anyone can do whatever they deem necessary to ensure their security. But any attempt to shoot down or target an object over our territory, within our sovereign airspace, will have the gravest of consequences. Those who commit such a gross violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty will come to seriously regret it.\nQuestion: The German authorities do not hide the fact that they are actively militarising their country. Why do you think they are doing that? What are they trying to achieve?\nSergey Lavrov: Regarding the re-militarisation of Germany, we have repeatedly expressed our profound concern. What we are witnessing is not merely re-militarisation; there are also clear signs of re-nazification.\nWhy are they doing it? The goals appear to be the same as those of Adolf Hitler: to subdue Europe and to inflict a \u201cstrategic defeat\u201d upon the Soviet Union. For modern Germany, this target is the Russian Federation, with the European Union and NATO acting as its accompanying chorus. And this is what they keep saying.\nGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated again yesterday that while we are not yet in a state of war, we are no longer in a state of peace. This militaristic rhetoric intensifies daily. According to his own expression, which he has already used more than once, Germany can now vastly increase defence and infrastructure spending, now that he has successfully pushed for loosening the constitutional fiscal restraints known as the debt brake.\nHe has proudly stated his goal is to build the strongest conventional army in Europe \u2013 again. For a country bearing the historical responsibility for the crimes of Nazism, fascism, the Holocaust, and genocide, to speak of re-emerging as a great military power \u201cagain\u201d signifies a serious atrophy of historical memory. This is just profoundly unsafe.\nQuestion: You have repeatedly talked about the West \u201cprivatising\u201d the UN leadership. What can Russia do to change this situation?\nSergey Lavrov: I have been honest about this. We do not hide it. Many positions at the Under-Secretary-General level are distributed across different countries and continents. However, several key departments that directly affect the core functioning of the UN Secretariat and the decisions it submits for Member States\u2019 approval are all led by citizens of NATO member countries.\nWhen the UN Secretariat makes a recommendation, Member States are often strongly inclined to support it.\nConsider the leadership: the UN Secretary-General, the head of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and the head of the Department of Peace Operations, are all citizens of NATO member states. Furthermore, the highly influential Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is, once again, led by a citizen of a NATO country (specifically Britain). The head of the Department of Safety and Security, which is also essential for the functioning of the entire UN system, is also a citizen of a NATO member state.\nI just mentioned the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs \u2013 that particular office is filled by another Briton \u201cby inheritance.\u201d\nAgainst this backdrop, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has put forward the UN80 initiative, which contains many radical proposals. These require in-depth, transparent, and inclusive analysis with the participation of all Member States.\nWe have sponsored a corresponding resolution to ensure this process does not boil down to another \u201cgentlemen\u2019s agreement.\u201d In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed another Under-Secretary-General to lead the process and, by a most unusual coincidence, has selected yet another British citizen. Shouldn\u2019t these key offices be distributed more evenly across member countries? I would have thought this was obvious.\nAt the last session of the UN General Assembly, I spoke about the need to reform the principles underpinning the formation of the UN Secretariat. Currently, the main criteria seem to be the size of a country\u2019s population and its per capita GDP. The larger the country, the more posts it gets \u2013 a logic which may have some merit.\nBut this must be balanced against the principle of the sovereign equality of states, a point raised repeatedly in these halls. Individuals should be appointed to the UN Secretariat based solely on merit, free from national bias, while always observing the principle of equitable geographical representation. At present, this principle is completely disregarded in the upper echelons of the Secretariat.\nQuestion: India continues to purchase Russian oil despite the fact that the United States insists on it cutting the imports down. What\u2019s your take on Russia\u2019s relations with India in this context? How will this affect India-Russia relations?\nSergey Lavrov: I cannot approach India-US relations, or relations between India and any other country as a measure to assess India-Russia relations.\nOur ties have long become a strategic partnership. At some point, our Indian friends proposed expanding this term, and our relations came to be called a privileged strategic partnership. A little later, our Indian friends have come up with another refinement, and these relations are now referred to as a particularly privileged strategic partnership.\nWe have full respect for India\u2019s national interests and foreign policy pursued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to advance them. We maintain regular contacts at the top level. Recently, Prime Minister Modi and President of Russia Putin met at the SCO summit in Tianjin, China.\nIn December, President Putin will pay a state visit to New Delhi. We have an extensive list of bilateral issues to discuss, which includes trade, the economy, finance, military-technical cooperation, humanitarian contacts, healthcare, high technology, and artificial intelligence. We maintain close coordination in the international arena within the SCO, BRICS, and through bilateral channels.\nThis year, my colleague, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - I spoke with him yesterday - visited Russia. I will pay a visit India as well. Regular exchanges are underway.\nI\u2019m not even asking our Indian colleagues what will happen to our trade and oil. They have no problem addressing this issue.\nAnswering a similar question, my friend Subrahmanyam Jaishankar publicly stated that if the United States wants to sell its oil to India, India is prepared to discuss the terms. However, commodities that India buys from other countries, not from the United States, but from Russia are within India\u2019s purview and are not part of the India-US agenda. I believe this is a dignified answer showing that India, just like T\u00fcrkiye, has respect for itself.\nQuestion: Of late, we\u2019ve been hearing a growing number of accounts about difficulties faced by delegations attending the UN General Assembly. The Russian delegation has repeatedly encountered visa issues. This year, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend the UN General Assembly session.\nWhat is your assessment of the legitimacy of such actions on the part of the United States, given that the UN headquarters is located in New York? What do you think about the increasingly frequent calls to move the UN headquarters to another country?\nSergey Lavrov: This is a serious matter that inconveniences the countries whose delegations run into such issues. It\u2019s a major violation of the Agreement between the UN Headquarters and the host country. The host country has an obligation to issue visas in a timely manner and without discrimination to all UN events upon request of a country in question ahead of the session, be it the General Assembly or another UN body.\nWe regularly come up short of our delegation members, including State Duma deputies. Our President includes parliamentarians in the delegation. Not everyone gets their visas. I mentioned this to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 24. A Foreign Ministry department director was denied his US visa as well.\nThis is not the only violation of the Agreement between the UN Headquarters and the host country. The seizure of our diplomatic property during the Obama administration was among the most glaring violations. He had done it a couple of weeks before Trump was inaugurated into his first presidency. Leaving a pile of garbage like that for someone who, under law, the Constitution, and the will of the people, is going to replace you at the White House was an undignified thing to do. Still, he left such a legacy. To this day, we have been unable to clean it up. The Americans lack the will to return to honest compliance with the agreements.\nHowever, the dialogue about visas, the embassies, and this property, as well as about other aspects of the daily functioning of our diplomatic mission is on. Two rounds have been held. As agreed with Marco Rubio, we will hold the third round this autumn in order to finalise the arrangements.\nWith regard to moving the headquarters, many would be supportive of the idea. Recently, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had his visa revoked while he was in the United States. He\u2019s a straight shooter. Many suggested starting to think about it. I think these proposals were purely polemical and were meant to raise this issue with the UN Committee on Relations with the Host Country more forcefully.\nLegend has it that the first time Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill discussed the idea of creating a world organisation, Stalin insisted on headquartering the UN in Sochi. The city of Sochi has a proven ability to host major events. If such a decision is ever made, the Olympic infrastructure in Sochi is ready to accommodate the UN. It would offer the UN Secretariat staff a comfortable environment to maintain an active lifestyle.\nQuestion: President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on countries buying Russian oil. Does Russia have any concrete steps to offer to India in order to preserve the economic partnership with that country?\nDid you discuss India with Secretary Rubio?\nSergey Lavrov: The answer to your second question is no. We do not discuss anyone, especially our friends, in our contacts with third countries.\nI clarified the issue about oil in my earlier answer to the question posed by your colleague from an Indian media outlet. The way you phrased your question was \u201cAre there ways to preserve Russia-India economic partnership?\u201d I have no doubt about that, because it is not under threat. No one is encroaching on it. Should anyone ever take such steps, India\u2019s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have made everything clear. India chooses its own partners itself. If the United States has an offer to increase bilateral trade with India, India will be willing to discuss the terms offered by the Americans. However, New Delhi will discuss India\u2019s trade, investment, economic, and military-technical relations with third countries only with the countries in question.\nQuestion: Word is out that Kiev is plotting another provocation, this time in the EU. The plan is to attack NATO members Romania and Poland under a false flag and blame the attack on Russia. What, do you think, this can lead to? Are we going to be pro-active on the information front? Will that work?\nSergey Lavrov: This is by far not the first time it is happening. I have no doubt that these reports have reliable grounds. The Kiev regime has special entities in the media and the military-technical sphere that deal with provocations, as you said, under a false flag.\nReportedly, they use our drones and make it look like we are the ones that launch them. However, in addition to hysterical outbursts coming from Poland, Estonia, and the Baltic states, as well as a number of other countries, there are serious people in serious capitals who have a clear understanding of what is going on.\nTruth be told, even in those serious capitals the elites are committed to the goal of suppressing Russia. They are no longer talking about inflicting a strategic defeat, but are phrasing their goals somewhat differently. Yet, the idea of inflicting a strategic defeat never leaves their m