Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 22, 2022
Table of Contents
- The New Year Tree of Peace and Friendship by Synergy of Talents Rostov regional public movement
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with the Russian media
- Ukrainian crisis
- Ukraine military shell International Red Cross office in Donetsk
- Interview by Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy of the US State Department Nathaniel C. Fick for Homeland Security Today
- UK Foreign Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2021
- Inquiry into British military crimes in Afghanistan
- Completion of the International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in Georgia
- The Skripal case
- WTO dispute panel decision regarding US duties on steel and aluminium products
- Moldova update
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statements on Ukraine
- The EU recognises Bosnia and Herzegovina’s candidate country status
- First meeting of CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security
- Amendments to Estonia’s education laws
- Hepatitis B vaccination project in Kyrgyzstan
- Sixth anniversary of the death of Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Andrey Karlov
- Attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of Bangladesh
- The transfer of Russian humanitarian aid to the
- The opening of monuments to Soviet internationalist pilots in Laos
- The failed “cancellation” of Russian culture
- The 200th anniversary of Nikolay Danilevsky
- The explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines
- Statements by Armenian officials
- The situation around the Lachin Corridor
- Russia-Germany contacts on Ukraine
- Russia-Belarus military cooperation
- Trilateral gas union
- Statements made by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia
- Transition to national currency payments between Russia and India
- US plans to build up military aid for Ukraine
- Statements by the Ukrainian Minister of Defence
- US actions violating the Biological Weapons Convention
- The Greater Tumen Initiative
- Greece’s plans to hand over S-300 missile systems to Ukraine
- Statements by representatives of Ukraine
- Terrorist attack against a Russian national in the Central African Republic
- The situation around the Lachin Corridor
- Statements by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia
- Fulfilling the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020
- Recent incidents in the disputed sections of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
- Energy supplies to Pakistan
- Recommendations on developing relationships with Russia
- Rising violations against Russian nationals abroad
The New Year Tree of Peace and Friendship by Synergy of Talents Rostov regional public movement
Our favourite, long-awaited time of the New Year and Christmas holidays that unite us all is ahead. It is a time of hope.
I am standing near the New Year Tree of Peace and Friendship, which has been installed and decorated for the third year in a row by the Synergy of Talents Rostov regional public movement. We are happy to learn about this wonderful organisation, and to meet its team.
The New Year ornaments on this tree were handmade by children from 51 Russian regions, including the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and by the children of our compatriots from 59 countries as part of the Fireworks of New Year Tree Ornaments competition held by the Synergy of Talents. The ornaments were made with great skill, diligence and love.
We will definitely talk about it in detail and show the ornaments on the Foreign Ministry’s social network accounts. The ornaments reflect the local colour and features of our regions and ethnicities that live in our country and each country where they were made. I want to thank the children for their participation in this project.
I also want to thank the Synergy of Talents from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful initiative and our fruitful cooperation. Holiday wishes usually come last, but today I begin with them.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with the Russian media
On December 26, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with representatives of the Russian media, editors-in-chief, heads of international news desks and the journalists who cover the international agenda, Russian foreign policy and the activities of the Foreign Ministry on a regular basis.
Is this a new format? No. Such events are held on various thematic occasions: working meetings, briefings, interviews and others. As per tradition, we hold a New Year reception for Russian journalists every year, but this year we have decided to change the format a bit. We will definitely celebrate the holiday, but probably a little later.
The time has come to talk about relevant issues, including those faced by Russian journalists, their news bureaus and staff writers abroad, as well as about the coverage of geopolitical events, the work of journalists including in hotspots, and the international response to their activities. There are many pressing issues. Every day we address them at the Foreign Ministry and work on them with the participation of the ministry leadership.
I think that it is time to summarise the results of this work and discuss the issues and problems that need to be dealt with, and to take a look at the information reality of the new developing geopolitical environment.
By the end of the year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also give a series of interviews.
There are many public surveys and online studies looking for the word of the year. Everybody has their own experience, approach and methodology. If we speak about what is happening around Ukraine, the special military operation and the years-long Ukrainian crisis, it is not just a word of the year but a word of the past decades. I would say this word is “test” – a test of endurance, humanity, decency, strong spirit and sincerity in love, for our geopolitical reality and our world. We all are being tested. It is a global ordeal. There is no question about it.
Both Russia and the new regions of our country are going through a test. Despite regular artillery and missile attacks by the Ukrainian neo-Nazis, their provocations and sabotage in the DPR and LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, these regions are returning to peaceful life. The Russian leadership has promised repeatedly to do everything it can. I think our regions (including Moscow, although I do not want to keep score or compare) do everything to show the people of Donbass and our new four regions that we are together, we do not give up on our people, we help and support each other. As we enter this new reality, we will adhere to the same principles.
Specialists from Russian sponsor regions have already renovated and restored almost 1,500 residential buildings, utility infrastructure, education and healthcare facilities and almost 500 km of roads. More than 60,000 people from all over the country are working around the clock at these construction sites.
These efforts cause annoyance and even hatred in those who had completely different plans for Donbass. They spoke about these plans openly. Just remember the statement by Ukraine’s President Poroshenko who said, appealing to the international community, that “they” (the country under the Kiev regime) will study, develop and build while “those” in Donbass (he said that long before 2022) will be sitting in basements. This is why, when people were brought back into the light of God and given hope and faith, they once again found these symbols. Those who plotted a completely different future for them are feeling hatred, fury and rage. But we will prevail. The regions will be restored. People already know that it will happen.
A tour of Moscow’s Vakhtangov Drama Theatre and a play on the stage of the Lugansk Russian Drama Theatre was a truly important cultural event for the LPR.
Russian and foreign journalists are asking what we think about the actors and singers who leave Russia. I always ask where. Everybody has a different place of residence. Some settle in a new home country because they may have many, not as a result of life circumstances but because they are really that low. Many performers do leave – except they go on tours around the new regions to perform for the people who have suffered for almost ten years and been forced to believe they had no future because they are “second-rate” citizens and nobody would ever come to their rescue. The performers are different with their own unique souls. When they say they are leaving, you should not think that they are looking for a second, third or fifth promised land. It is not true. Many are going under fire, in spite of the fact that it is truly dangerous there. The traditions and values instilled by our previous generations have prevailed. Yes, all kinds of things have happened in our history but that is the point of having values, so the best of it can be gathered up and preserved for future generations.
The efforts to establish a peaceful life on the liberated territories where the local people have chosen a future with Russia, evoke hatred and fury from the Kiev regime. In a fit of anger, it orders strikes on civilians in the new Russian regions. The Kiev regime still regards them as its own people. It considers them Ukrainian citizens and is firing on them.
This is hard to believe. Even the Nazis did no go as far as shooting their own people. Neighbourhoods, kindergartens, medical facilities, shops and markets are coming under fire.
On December 18 and 19, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine used NATO weapons to rain down fire on all districts of Donetsk. The attack on the Kalinin hospital, the republic’s biggest, was the worst of the barbarity. They were targeted strikes. Several buildings of the hospital were damaged with a direct hit. Two people were killed and many wounded.
On December 19, a Ukrainian missile fell near the International Red Cross Committee office in Donetsk. Its façade was damaged and windows broken. Nobody was hurt by sheer luck. Nobody died. Will this finally cause international bureaucrats to muster the courage to refute the Zelensky regime’s brazen lie about Donbass shelling itself? Maybe they will say who has been purposefully exterminating civilians for the past eight years and are doing this now?
The Kiev regime continues cracking down on local residents and accusing them of “collaboration” on the territories from which the Russian Armed Forces have been withdrawn. They are tortured and interrogated. Taping them to posts, pouring all kinds of chemicals on them and other acts of humiliation are no longer enough. They are being arrested not only for cooperation with the Russian authorities but even for corresponding with relatives in Russia.
Rabbi Yosef Itzhak Wolff was accused of “state treason” for allowing Russian soldiers to pray in a synagogue. He remained in war-torn Kherson and is now threatened with life imprisonment.
I have a question for my Israeli colleagues among others. I remember with what sincere, genuine indignation they have reacted to various manifestations of what they qualified as disrespect for their religion, culture and history. What is going on there? How can such things happen and remain without any response?
Raids and filtration continue. Over 700 people have already been arrested. The Security Service of Ukraine does no conceal that this is how they are creating a “fund” for future exchanges for Ukrainian POWs in Russia.
Recently, on social media there appeared blood-curdling footage of a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shooting two civilians in the suburbs of Artemovsk. Apparently, they were accused of sympathies with Russia. Russian investigators thoroughly record all crimes by the Kiev regime. Nobody will avoid responsibility. Look at their methods. Previously, terrorists and extremists that were hated by the entire world used to commit such heinous crimes. We remember well how they shot people in ditches, yelled their slogans and cut off people’s heads. All this happened somewhere outside Europe. “Civilised” Europe said it was immune to such things.
Now we are seeing the same methods in the crimes committed by the Kiev regime that has sworn allegiance to the collective West for thirty years (this regime was not always in power but they were in opposition and political circles). It is important to say that this activity is criminal. But it is also important to see what they have turned into before our eyes. They are now the same terrorist extremists and militants that the collective West has declared a universal evil. Now this applies to the Kiev regime and those who are carrying out its criminal orders.
Inside Ukraine, the Zelensky regime is faced with popular discontent due to the economic and social problems triggered by the government’s course. Political turbulence is on the rise. The harassment of dissidents is increasing, including regional leaders. There is unrest in the Servant of the People ruling party as well. Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Alexey Danilov opened urged the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny to give up political ambitions and not to enter alliances with Zelensky’s opponents. Apparently, this is liberal democracy in action.
In these conditions, the Kiev regime decided to toughen censorship in the information space. Despite the devastating criticism by its legal department, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the final reading a scandalous Law on the Media that had been sent back for revision. Apparently, they decided it was no big deal that the law contradicted the Constitution and restricted the freedom of the press. It considerably expands the powers of the National Council for Television and Radio by allowing it to regulate online and press publications and annul the registration and license of any media outlet without charge or trial. It can demand that the social media and web browsers delete any content and use fines. All what they have been doing all these years is now being legalised. Earlier, this draft law was criticised in the Council of Europe, and the American Committee to Protect Journalists urged (this was earlier) Ukrainian MPs to abstain from approving it. However, neither the US, nor the EU officially reacted to it, acting under the principle that Zelensky is their “son of a bitch” and hence can do whatever he liked. Moreover, he is not simply a “son of a bitch” but also their instrument in countering our country. This “democratic” approach is further strengthening Kiev’s feeling of permissiveness and impunity and is pushing it to take extremely dangerous steps with unpredictable consequences.
We noted yet another PR action staged by Zelensky. Allegedly, he visited the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Artyomovsk, the site of fierce fighting that many Ukrainian soldiers compare with the 1916 Battle of Verdun between German and French troops. Judging by all, this staged visit was designed for the foreign audience, primarily the US, where the President of Ukraine went on the same day to present himself before his American curators in the role of a fearless cowboy and demand that the already huge military assistance is increased further.
The collective West is investing more and more efforts and resources in fighting against Russia. According to European expert estimates, the financial and military assistance to Kiev since the start of the special military operation has exceeded $90 billion. Moreover, this is taking place against the background of the energy infrastructure – ties, contacts and supplies – destroyed in the West (after explosions of the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea).
Out of this sum, the US aid amounts to $45 billion and the assistance by the EU states to $28 billion. The draft law on the national budget for 2023, which was recently submitted to the US Congress, provides for the allocation of another $44.9 billion in aid to Ukraine. A big part of US allocations will be spent on its military needs. Zelensky was summoned to Washington to support this draft law, among other things.
The United States and its allies continue to supply Kiev with arms on a large scale and are training Ukrainian mobilised troops. The Pentagon has already announced its intention to supply Ukraine with the Patriot anti-ballistic systems, air defence weapons and new consignments of ammunition worth $2 billion. The White House is considering (let’s bear this in mind) an opportunity to train Ukrainian military in third countries to use more modern types of arms, including tanks, air defence systems and even aircraft.
The United Kingdom has become the leader in training personnel for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After all, it has resolved all domestic problems – the dragon has been slain. The only problem left is to help the Kiev regime. This year, 10,000 soldiers underwent training on British territory. In 2023, their number may increase to 23,000 people. About 1,500 Ukrainian military have started training at military bases in Poland and Germany as part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAMU).
Moscow noted statements by representative of the US National Security Council John Kirby about Washington’s recognition of Kiev’s right to plan and conduct military operations on the territory of Crimea, and to determine their scale, timeframe and deadlines. This sounded like an admission of the de facto direct participation of the Americans in hostilities on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukraine now has a mercenary army with foreign weapons, foreign instructors and foreign mercenaries, primarily from the US.
These facts show that the collective West is motivated to have a long-term confrontation with Russia. But no matter how hard they are trying to arm the neo-Nazi Kiev regime, prolong the hostilities and cynically turn a blind eye to heinous crimes, all their efforts will end in failure. They will get nowhere. As the leaders of our country have said, the goals of the special military operation will be achieved with due account of the situation on the ground and related realities.
Ukraine military shell International Red Cross office in Donetsk
On the night of December 20, 2022, an office building of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Kapitana Ratnikova Street in Donetsk was shelled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the committee’s information, the office building and several cars were damaged. Fortunately, no Red Cross employee was reported injured. A hospital that operates with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross was also fired on. Two patients were killed and several injured.
We consider the shelling of the Red Cross facility in Donetsk a natural result of the Kiev regime’s many years of indiscriminate shelling of the city’s neighbourhoods, which has recently intensified. It is impossible to further deny reality which, unfortunately, is what many international humanitarian organisations have been doing, including those that showed a certain detachment, without establishing who is guilty of what and who needs to be held accountable, while declaring assistance. It’s like carrying water in a sieve. It is impossible to continue winking at the Kiev regime’s lies that have resulted in the shelling of civilian facilities for many years. Over the past two weeks alone, 21 Donetsk residents were killed, 94 injured and 460 houses damaged.
These criminal actions show the Kiev authorities’ blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, as well as the cynical trampling of the special status of the International Committee of the Red Cross as a reputable neutral organisation with a solely humanitarian mandate. Its commonly accepted status is outlined in the Geneva Conventions.
We believe that the international humanitarian community must not leave such barbaric acts unanswered.
Russia expresses its solidarity with the Red Cross and urges it to demand that Kiev adhere to international humanitarian law.
The most important thing is that nothing will happen without an honest conversation about these issues and preventing those horrible false ideas developed inside NATO to be put into the mouth of Vladimir Zelensky and company. If they are not stopped and this horrible infodemic continues, any attempts to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground will be futile. It is impossible to supply the Kiev regime with weapons from Western countries and at the same time pretend to be helping civilians through humanitarian organisations. Something must be wrong here. The West is either for the war, combat and killing, or for peace, assistance for civilians, stopping violence and recording the actual facts. It is impossible to deliver weapons and talk about civilians and protecting their rights. It is impossible, and yet that is what the West is doing. At some point, Western liberal society is going to find itself in a massive dead end.
We noted an interview by Nathaniel C. Fick, Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy and head of the US State Department Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, published on December 14, 2022, by US magazine Homeland Security Today.
The interview evokes mixed feelings. It is understandable that the newly appointed diplomat (who remains a career military man at heart) wishes to assert himself in the new post, demonstrate his knowledge of the subject to the audience and prove his relevance and qualification. But frankly, he is still less than convincing.
Mr Fick proceeds from the point that the United States guards peace, good and freedom in cyberspace, protecting it from the “dark forces of the authoritarian evil” – primarily, Russia and China. The United States stands for negotiations and solely diplomatic means of settling conflicts. It supports active involvement of major tech companies in the decision-making process along with governments.
I have a question for Mr Fick. Several months ago, a US digital platform which is part of a large conglomerate stated that it is completely normal for people to express hatred and call for killing an entire nation. Nobody in the US State Department raised an eyebrow at this kind of statement. On the contrary, it was accepted as absolutely normal. The Kiev regime is free to do anything. Those who support the Kiev regime have the right to hate others and encourage killings. It happened on one of the most popular US platforms visited by hundreds of millions. This platform is used for commerce, learning, streams and more. And it is just one example out of millions.
Besides the fact that Fick’s arguments are threadbare and repeat Washington’s tenets time and time again, they are hypocritical through and through.
Apparently, the diplomat hopes that readers have poor memory and don’t remember the scandalous exposé by Edward Snowden, who told the entire world about a global surveillance programme called PRISM of the US National Security Agency. Not only US citizens but also foreign leaders, including Washington’s closest allies, are under surveillance. It was also revealed that major tech monopolies (Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Apple, etc.) are funded by the US government to fulfil specific political orders and must share all information, including their customers’ personal data, with US intelligence.
The true goals of the administration are well known: to distract the public from its aggressive activity in cyberspace, maintain sole control over information flows, impose a concept of a world order based on rules convenient for the United States and secure the right to appoint the guilty. For many years, Special Presidential Envoy Andrey Krutskikh has been involved in international cooperation to develop common rules of the game in cyberspace. We understand that the United States seeks absolute domination in cyberspace, total control over others and uses illegal and illicit methods to fight its opponents.
The cyber ambassador is probably unaware of the fact that the US hegemony is a thing of the past and in the modern geopolitical reality, this kind of cowboy diplomacy is no longer working. If his job is to actually make progress in ensuring information security, it is time to abandon the futile attempts to “demolish” Russia, create an illusion of its international isolation and stop their ugly practices that are presented as righteous deeds.
UK Foreign Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2021
We have read the annual Human Rights and Democracy Report from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. All of its provisions are “wonderful,” and I believe that Russia is not the only country to share this sarcastic position.
It is perplexing that the UK considers it possible to criticise the situation in other countries at a time when London’s policy for observing and protecting human rights is the ultimate manifestation of hypocrisy and double standards.
Does this report have a special paragraph on Julian Assange (I am not even talking about a chapter) who has become a real prisoner of conscience? For many years, British authorities humiliated Assange, a citizen of another country protected by another state, in the UK. They turned him into a hostage. Who can say that he is the only one? London consistently adheres to its concepts. It symbolises the hypocritical British attitude towards human rights issues, as well as a crisis in the ideological liberal domination of Western democracies. London has become a litmus test for analysing the authenticity of the “collective West’s” intentions and goals, as regards Julian Assange.
While promoting itself as a model country in this respect, the UK completely disregards the principles of the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their domestic affairs.
UK authorities are dismissing numerous cases of crimes committed by British service personnel during the Afghan and Iraqi campaigns. Evidence of the illegal collecting of UK citizens’ personal data by British secret services continues to surface. British intelligence services continue to torture more people or are becoming involved in additional related episodes. Police brutality is becoming common.
It is possible to apply the Foreign Office Report’s allegations regarding other countries to the UK. Organisations advocating a neo-Nazi ideology are feeling quite comfortable in the UK. More racist incidents and a discriminatory attitude towards ethnic minorities in many areas of public life are being recorded. One can continue this list indefinitely.
London’s neglected human rights problems surfaced in April 2022 when the British public at large opposed the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act that entered into force at that time. The document considerably expands the powers of local police divisions in maintaining law and order at rallies and demonstrations and contains some vague clauses regarding the limits of using force. We have already commented on this act. Again, the Foreign Office report could devote an entire section to this.
International governmental and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly noted these and many other obvious facts, as regards the violation of human rights by Great Britain or the UK in many parts of the world. London continues to keep silent and completely ignores all these facts, you know, the silent club.
The politicisation of human rights issues is an old tactic in international relations; there is nothing new here. It appears that this tactic is effective for achieving time-serving goals and tasks. The problem is that the world is becoming more unbalanced, but no one, including the Foreign Office and 10 Downing Street, seems to care.
Sadly, instead of addressing overdue problems in its own country, London is persistently trying to teach others, even though it has no moral right to do so.
Inquiry into British military crimes in Afghanistan
We have noted the decision announced by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom to hold a new inquiry into the deaths of Afghan civilians in 2010-2013 that may have been caused by the British military. What are we talking about? The murders of civilians during the NATO contingent’s operation to detain Taliban fighters.
Information about these crimes is published in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s White Book on civilians killed in Afghanistan as a result of the unlawful actions of the US and their allies. So why has London decided to hold this inquiry? Maybe somebody would say that this is normal, that they feel responsible for that. They feel nothing. Journalists do.
Last July, the BBC released an investigative film that caused a chain reaction in society, which was outraged by the facts that were suddenly revealed regarding the actions of the British special operations troops which cannot be ignored anymore.
We are confident that the investigation of these incidents will produce specific results: the guilty British military personnel must finally be identified and punished, and the relatives of those killed and the victims must see justice.
We should probably have paid less attention to this event. But it is impossible to release such reports without contemplating the problems inside the country or in the systems the United Kingdom creates abroad. It is necessary to make a choice – to talk honestly about your own problems and then have the right to criticise others. Or simply wait until these problems are solved and until then stop lecturing everybody else.
Completion of the International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in Georgia
We have taken note of the recent announcement by Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan of the conclusion of the investigation phase into the situation in Georgia.
We have long been aware of and have commented on the ICC’s bias in that sphere. However, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor continues to claim that it works “in an independent, impartial and objective manner,” including when investigating the conflict in South Ossetia, which was launched by the aggressive regime of Mikheil Saakashvili.
For the past 14 years, ICC investigators, who do not have a clue about the details of the situation in the region (it looks like they were chosen for their poor knowledge of the history, specifics and nuances of what happened there), have been working obediently to fulfil the “order” of the court’s Western sponsors. They have turned the situation upside down and cynically placed the guilt on the injured party to the conflict. They have disregarded the large body of materials the Russian investigative authorities provided to the Office, as well as numerous complaints submitted by the civilians who had fallen victim to the attack by the Saakashvili regime.
As a result, they have issued warrants for the arrest for three citizens of South Ossetia, who also hold Russian passports, for the supposed persecution of ethnic Georgians. At the same time, the ICC has said it will not pursue new lines of inquiry into the situation, which means that Hague justice is not interested in certain obvious crimes like the barbaric shelling of Tskhinval civilians by Georgian troops or the attack on [Russian] peacekeepers.
This is all they have achieved after 14 years of work. This organisation is called the International Criminal Court. It spent 14 years investigating the “situation in Georgia.” The result is to blame three Ossetians. There are no other guilty parties, and there are no unsettled problems left. And there were no problems. This is not just absurd; it is a shameful admission of incompetence, irresponsibility and criminal villainy.
The ICC prosecutors are not concerned about the crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan, as they have stated openly. They probably fear American sanctions, similar to those that were adopted against the predecessors of the present ICC leaders. The Americans cancelled their visas and blacklisted them, as they like to do. There is no doubt that the ICC will never investigate the crimes committed by British troops in Afghanistan as recently disclosed by the media and that we talked about in detail recently. The crimes committed against Mr Khan’s compatriots in Iraq have gone unpunished as well.
It is a horrible story of many years of the US war against Iraq and its people. Everything the Iraqi people created over the previous decades and centuries has been destroyed, but the ICC sees no reason to investigate that. The Iraqi leader was hung after being forced to sit in a cage. That’s it.
They have created the semblance of a justice system. They have fed poison to their audiences and, through the global media, to the general public. Case closed.
This unvarnished hypocrisy and double standards in the sphere of justice is more proof that we were correct in our decision to withdraw our signature from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
We cannot remain part of an organisation with this approach. I am not calling on anyone to take sides. It was an extremely complex conflict and a drawn-out confrontation, which resulted in an undependable person (Mikheil Saakashvili) taking criminal action.
If you look into his diagnoses, you will see that such a person should not be allowed to rule a country. I wouldn’t trust him with a bicycle, which he liked to ride so much.
The 2008 situation was precipitated by criminal actions. For 14 years, serious people with judge’s mantles who had pledged allegiance to international and national laws investigated situation there. And what is the result? Just as I said: three Ossetians with Russian passports are to blame for everything.
Where are we standing? Where is the foundation of the civilisation we created, maintained and carefully passed on from one generation to another? What will be left of it if we are only looking into a funhouse mirror? Why do I say, “we”? Because they claim to have the right to domination and to be seen as the symbols of good and justice. We must admit that they also have huge information resources at their disposal and therefore can mould our perceptions. And this distorted image is presented to the world as reality, as what we really look like. But this is not true.
I would like to remind everybody that Russia is no longer cooperating with the International Criminal Court and that therefore we regard the court’s decisions passed on our citizens as legally null and void.
There is another example which stands out in terms of non-compliance with and trampling upon international law – the Skripal case.
The Salisbury incident remains on the agenda in our contacts with London. But is the word “incident” an appropriate way of describing it? Maybe, but it is a secret. The case has yet to be solved. What actually happened with all these steeples, ponds, cats, benches and ducks (yes, the ducks were also involved), police, etc.
The UK authorities sought to capitalise on what happened there with the intent of aggravating our bilateral relations, which resulted in a push by London to pressure other world capitals into expelling Russian diplomats, ceasing contacts, etc.
Let me remind you that the UK refused any kind of cooperation with the competent Russian agencies to investigate what had happened, even though our fellow Russians Sergey and Yulia Skripal suffered in this incident. The British stubbornly ignore Russia’s multiple requests to provide exhaustive information on what happened there and grant consular access to the Russians.
They refuse to answer questions not only from Russia, but also from their own journalists. The questions are as simple as they can be: Where are the Skripals? What is going on with them? What happened? What has the investigation concluded? Has anyone been punished? Who was held accountable, apart from the two designated as this world’s main culprits.
London has clearly failed to honour its international legal obligations, including under the 1965 bilateral Consular Convention. Still, we continue insisting on a professional, objective and unbiased investigation of this incident in which Russians suffered, as we and the entire world have been told. We will keep requesting information on what happened to them.
We also see attempts by the UK authorities to use the Skripal case in a broader propaganda effort targeting Russia and led by the British together with their Western allies within international structures such as the OPCW.
At the same time, we have every reason to claim that the glaring inconsistencies in Scotland Yard’s investigation, the dubious evidence and the overt pressure on foreign partners undermined London’s plans to use the Salisbury incident to knock together a wide-reaching anti-Russian coalition using the Skripal incident.
Just as before, we remain committed to finding the truth. We will continue requesting exhaustive official information on what happened from Great Britain, or at least any information we can get, since it seems like they turned off the tap of some kind. It used to be that not a single day went by without a tabloid publishing a hot headline on its front page with photos alleging that someone heard something from some kind of sources referring to unnamed secret structures. What kind of monstrous logic is that?
We will keep demanding consular access to Russian nationals. Many people want to know where the Skripals are and what happened to them. We need answers.
WTO dispute panel decision regarding US duties on steel and aluminium products
On December 9, the arbitration group of the World Trade Organisation Dispute Settlement Body circulated reports with regard to China, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland’s claims against the United States over the additional duties applied by Washington on imports of a wide range of steel and aluminium products.
In 2018, the US administration accepted its Department of Commerce’s proposal to establish US import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium against most countries.
For years, everyone kept repeating the “liberal economy” and “free market” cliches. If the United States claims global leadership, who can prevent the country from competing? But they can do this only through their Department of Commerce. But that agency in the United States is part of its administrative system. So, any liberal economy is out of the question – when their administrative system is dominating the free market.
Washington cited some “national security” considerations at the time, meaning it was guided not by international norms (such as WTO rules), but by US domestic laws.
Some ten years ago, Washington argued furiously that the WTO was the tool that could help all countries interact smoothly and get rid of the dominance of the “evil forces” and totalitarian regimes preventing the free market from self-regulating. They explained it all by “national security.” They have trampled upon WTO rules.
The Americans ignored most of their trading partners’ arguments or concerns. Consequently, they predictably faced a series of lawsuits filed with the dispute panel.
As a result, the arbitrators made unequivocal decisions in favour of the plaintiffs. The panel ruled that the US tariffs directly violated the fundamental WTO rules (including Article II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade concerning most favoured nation treatment). The US arguments that those tariffs were ensuring their security were considered untenable because they were not introduced in a time of war or other extraordinary circumstances in international relations. The panel recommended that Washington bring its trade policy in line with WTO rules.
The Biden administration’s response was not long in coming. On the same day, the Office of the US Trade Representative strongly rejected the arbitrators’ findings. Washington stressed that the United States does not intend to abolish its duties on steel and aluminium as a result of the rulings, accusing the WTO of bias, inefficiency and inaction in relation to the “non-market” practices used by China and other states.
According to experts, now Washington has two ways out of this situation. The first and most likely option is to file a complaint with the WTO Appellate Body, whose activities have been on hold since December 2019, also at the behest of the United States. In this case, the consideration of their complaint will be pending indefinitely, and the US will continue to apply import restrictions with impunity. The other way is to ignore the WTO decision, but in that case, there is a high probability of sensitive responses. This could prompt a discussion as to the respective roles of the United States and the WTO, and which of them is ineffective.
It is obvious that the United States is abusing an expansive interpretation of the national security concept, using it solely to justify its unfair competitive practices, not stopping short of frankly dishonest and illegal methods. Washington’s unilateral protectionist measures, just as the notorious “sanctions,” run counter to the free market, openness, self-regulation, and liberalism the Americans ostensibly champion.
Those advocates of economic freedom have long adopted the tactic of coercive pressure, forcing others to make unilateral concessions. Not everyone can confront Washington politically. There are only a few such states.
There is yet another attempt by Washington to demonstrate its global superiority in such a savage and barbaric way. They are doing this by trampling upon multilateral agreements with overt disregard for their own obligations to their own allies, friends and foreign partners. This is the America First concept at its ugliest. And while a significant number of countries are ready to tolerate or, at least, turn a blind eye to such behaviour of a self-proclaimed hegemon, this does not help make the global economy or trade more predictable.
Once again, we feel compelled to highlight the escalating trends in nearby Moldova which have been a matter of concern for us. What we see is an effort to impose total control over the country’s public and political life in all its aspects and continuing attempts to spread Russophobic sentiment by using Western methods which have already been tested in the Baltic states and Ukraine.
Vested with almost unlimited powers, the repressive apparatus seeks to cleanse Moldova’s political landscape, with the government rigorously pursuing its opponents, primarily those calling for promoting constructive relations with our country in the interests of the people of Moldova. They are labelled Kremlin agents by default. It all follows a scenario prepared well in advance. The truth of the matter is that the ruling regime wants to get rid of those expressing alternative views.
At the same time, inspired by its Western mentors, Moldova’s Justice Ministry has been working on a draft law similar to the Magnitsky Act to introduce the would-be international sanctions into national law. Independent experts agree that by doing so the Moldovan government seeks to add to its arsenal a new tool for fighting dissent.
The policy aimed at sterilising the local media space carries on. Much has been said recently, and we have also highlighted that political censorship in the media sector is unacceptable. However, the situation in Moldova has been deteriorating in this regard, and will keep deteriorating. It was enough for the authorities to snap their fingers, and some kind of an emergency response agency instantly banned Russian news and analytical programming and blocked several Russian media resources. Will Chisinau stop at that? Of course not. It went as far as outright repression when six independent Russian-language television networks lost their licences on December 19. The Baltic states have already tested all these methods. Channels which are currently serving Maia Sandu’s regime are under the illusion that they will be spared for their mainstream positioning and political awareness. But this is merely an illusion. Look at TV Rain, also known as Dozhd, which has been designated as a foreign agent in Russia. What did they do in the Baltics, and how did they take care of it? Do you think that these are just isolated cases? They will have the same fate when the corresponding regime can benefit from it or sees this fit.
Judging by the news coming out of Moldova, the next step would be to take control of the social media and messenger apps. This is their vision of moving towards joining the European Union. All this is taking place while the EU raises the issue of censorship with Elon Musk, arguing that Twitter does not have the right to censor anything (they probably use space communications for this because they simply cannot resist the temptation of making a show out of their dialogue and drawing crowds to watch it). We would like to call on Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell to distance themselves from this strange verbal exchange which is taking place in the public space with Elon Musk, trying to teach him something. Instead, they would do better to turn to their subordinates in Moldova, for example. There are no Teslas or Elon Musk there, so far, but the problems Moldova is facing are quite real. In fact, these are the same issues causing concern in the EU. Maybe it makes sense to start with smaller things, with those you are trying to tame, for inculcating the idea that Moldova is a democracy or must reaffirm its commitment to the fundamental international norms, to say the least? I think that Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell would be more effective on this front, rather than trying to give lessons to the United States. They can use Maia Sandu’s regime to hone their skills.
Moldova has been using the same methods borrowed from the Baltic states and Ukraine to expel the Russian language from everywhere, including culture and education. There are also attempts to rewrite history, and demonstrations against Russia continue near the Russian embassy is Chisinau, making it impossible for our mission to operate normally.
What will come next? This is a good question in these circumstances. Can we expect the Moldovan Orthodox Church to face persecution just for being a canonical church of the Moscow Patriarchate? Or can it get even worse? How about stripping the Russian-speaking people of their rights? What about forcing them to wear stars on their sleeves? We know this from the history of the 20th century. There were yellow stars back then, and now they use red stars or ban everything altogether. If they follow this ill-minded logic, at the end of the road they can get to human selection. We see what is going on in Kiev. Is this the experience Moldova believes to be successful?
When I say Moldova, I am not referring to its people. They have made their choice many times by opting for developing the country in all directions where it can benefit, by choosing mutual respect over destruction. Communicating with the West is fine, and ties with Russia are great, as long as Moldova as a country, as a state and a multi-ethnic nation can benefit without suffering any historical damage. They will be fooled once again. They promise people a multi-pronged policy ahead of the election, but once the vote is over, people get totalitarian rule and are squeezed into the Western moulds.
We call on Moldovan officials to abandon the irrational policy of severing their ties with Russia, which is actively enforced from outside the country while lacking popular support. This can have serious, grave consequences for everyone. We have deep historical roots and positive experience in working together as sovereign states, as long as the West does not interfere.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statements on Ukraine
According to the statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that there is no upcoming opportunity to hold peace talks with Kiev, we believe that Antonio Guterres’ attitude towards this issue cannot serve as a guideline. So far, he and his staff have not expressed a realistic or unbiased position. So, these statements cannot serve as a guideline for anything. The UN Secretariat has many goals, tasks and functional duties. However, we hear various excuses in this respect, neglect and a lack of attention to sort things out. At the same time, they draw conclusions on issues beyond the UN Secretariat’s area of competence.
We do not know if they ever noticed that Russian officials have never aggressively rejected the negotiating process or have never refused to hold talks. Does the UN Secretariat know that it was the Kiev regime that broke off talks in April 2022? We would like to clarify: do they know that Vladimir Zelensky has insisted on unrealistic conditions for any possible talks, and that he banned any talks with Russia in October 2022? Where does Russia fit in here? UN representatives should start with this if they want to discuss the subject of talks.
Since March 2022, when the UN General Assembly passed a number of non-consensus resolutions condemning Russia during its 11th Emergency Special Session, the UN Secretariat can hardly afford to make a completely unbiased assessment. Allegations that the UN Secretariat must adhere to the decisions of the UN member states basically deprive the Secretary-General of the ability to act as an unbiased broker.
At the same time, we know that the UN General Assembly passed many non-consensus decisions on other pressing issues where UN member states voiced diametrically opposite positions. This does not prevent UN officials from maintaining an equidistant approach and from making well-balanced and unbiased comments that do not aggravate the situation. We would like the same practice to apply to the situation in Ukraine.
The EU recognises Bosnia and Herzegovina’s candidate country status
On December 15, 2022, the Council of Europe decided to grant EU candidate country status to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the context of the current global situation and the West’s expansionist policy, it is obvious that the adoption of this decision prioritises the task of the region’s complete geopolitical development and the institutionalisation of the protracted local neo-colonialist policy. There are plans to deprive the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the right to independently address their domestic issues and to choose partners at their own discretion.
This is not an exaggeration. The EU has turned pre-accession and accession talks into a tool of economic and political coercion. We see the same happening in other regional countries. The targeted states are not involved in drafting Brussels’ decisions. They are forced to “automatically” join all of the EU’s foreign policy statements and sanctions-related decisions in an inconsiderate and categorical manner.
We want to note our principled interest in strengthening the diverse partnership with friendly Bosnia and Herzegovina, its entities and ethnic groups. We reaffirm our commitment to upholding fundamental principles of the Dayton Agreement as a foundation for maintaining peace, security and stability in the Balkan region. We are determined to continue working to rid sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina of the obsolete external protectorate regime, and we regularly provide the appropriate explanations on this.
First meeting of CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security
In light of the emerging situation in the area of biological security, the CSTO member states are looking for effective mechanisms to counter arising threats.
In accordance with a Russian initiative, the first meeting of the CSTO member states’ Coordinating Council on Biological Security was held in St Petersburg on December 15. It was chaired by Head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova. The concerned specialists held an in-depth discussion on biological security and further possibilities for cooperation in the CSTO zone of responsibility.
They listened to a report on the implementation of a decision taken at the CSTO summit in Yerevan to establish a joint CSTO radiological, chemical and biological defence and medical support structure, a new component in the collective security system.
They also talked about coordinating the member states’ positions and joint actions to strengthen the regime of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention or BWC) in accordance with the Collective Security Strategy up to 2025.
The participants discussed the Coordinating Council’s future plans and spheres of operation.
Amendments to Estonia’s education laws
The ruling nationalist regime in Estonia, playing along with the situation in Ukraine, has declared war on everything that is Russian. In particular, Tallinn has formalised its long held plans to eliminate Russian-language education in the country.
I wonder where all the rights champions are. Why are Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, the European Commission, PACE, the Council of Europe and the Polish OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office keeping silent? Why are all the extra-budgetary foundations affiliated with the above organisations keeping silent? Where are all the other commissions, sub-commissions, working groups, committees and the like? Where is UNESCO?
The transition of education in primary schools and kindergartens to the Estonian language is to begin in 2024 and will be completed at all stages of education, including high school, by 2033. These are fearless people, considering that their plans run contrary to international law. But they are also optimistic people.
The formal reservations on the possibility of organising additional language and culture education in a native tongue cannot meet the educational requirements of the Russian-speaking children. Are there no such children? Are they a fiction? A myth? No, they are the children of the parents, a whole generation, that has grown up battling for their rights. The future of teachers at Russian schools has been decided as well: those who fail the C1 level language skills test by August 2023 will be fired, even though there is nobody to replace them. The ultimate result will be the elimination of Russian-language education in Estonia.
A few words about the United States. Listen to the International English spoken by many White House and State Department officials. I am not referring to lexical or grammatical errors. It is clear that they are first-generation immigrants. One element of America’s greatness is that people have an opportunity to speak their native language not only in the family or with friends, but also in public and in work spaces.
Nobody will tell you this in Estonia, but do you know that Russian is one of many working languages in the state of New York? This is not a slip of the tongue. I know this for a fact. The choice of language options at official organisations incudes Russian. This is what concern and care for the people mean. This is not done to encourage laziness. It’s just that people can be in difficult circumstances. But we have not seen any of this in Estonia, which wanted to fit in the high ideals of the Western world so much.
We regularly try to draw the attention of the relevant international organisations, including the OSCE, to the obvious, gross violations of ethnic minorities’ basic rights and freedoms in Estonia. There has been no reaction, which is evidence of the OSCE’s passive and dysfunctional approach. We try to attract their attention and we provide documents. This is important, for the people should feel that we know about their problems and are trying to help them. This is a topical issue. The OSCE has the institutional foundations for this because it was established as a dialogue platform. But where is it now? How much extra-budgetary money is attracted and spent on protecting the rights and languages of national minorities? This is an acute issue. This is how the people who live in that country see it. We demand an appropriate response.
Regrettably, what we get instead is a predominantly biased approach at the international platforms where the West is using various instruments to rally a majority. We will continue working on this issue at all associations.
Hepatitis B vaccination project in Kyrgyzstan
On December 14, 2022, Kyrgyzstan launched a pilot Hepatitis B vaccination project for the adult population. The ceremony was attended by Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova, via videoconference, and Kyrgyz Healthcare Minister Gulnara Baatyrova.
Russia handed over a Vaccinator vehicle and four Kamaz-based mobile clinics to Kyrgyzstan, also providing 350,000 doses of Hepatitis B vaccines, 225,000 express tests for HIV and other infections, and 350,000 copies of various information materials.
The vaccination campaign will be completely free for the Kyrgyz population and is expected to cover around 150,000 people in 2022‒2023.
This project is part of the Programme of Technical Assistance to Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia concerning prevention, control and oversight of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. It has been carried out with the financial support of the Russian Government since 2013.
Kyrgyzstan is one of the largest recipients of humanitarian and technology aid under this programme. Coupled with the mobile clinics handed over in previous years, the republic’s total fleet is now nine vehicles. In 2022 alone, Russia provided 109 million roubles worth of aid to Bishkek, or 32 percent of the programme’s annual funding. Earlier this year, the republic received equipment and expendable supplies for infectious disease laboratories. Ninety-six medical and 12 non-medical specialists took professional development courses.
Sixth anniversary of the death of Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Andrey Karlov
On December 19, 2016, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Türkiye Andrey Karlov was assassinated while performing his work duties in Ankara.
Andrey Karlov was a true professional who dedicated 40 years to a diplomatic career. A genuine patriot of his Fatherland and Hero of the Russian Federation, Andrey Karlov firmly defended, throughout his life, this country’s interests in the foreign political arena, during the most challenging moments in history. At the same time, he passed on his experience to the younger generation, inspiring and giving them strength for new achievements.
We cherish the memory of Andrey Karlov, who dedicated his life to loyal service to his Fatherland. His actions and deeds will always remain in the hearts of his family, friends and colleagues.
May he rest in peace.
Andrey Karlov’s life has been commemorated by conferences in his memory, anthologies, films, reports and educational events in schools and universities. Andrey Karlov was an outstanding diplomat, brilliant professional and excellent colleague.
We will keep returning to this topic, as we do on the Foreign Ministry’s social media accounts. The incident is an example of horrific injustice. Our small efforts (and they multiply if our number grows) can achieve justice at least in the historical context by preserving his memory.
Attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of Bangladesh
We have noted the widely publicised incident with the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, whose security was allegedly threatened by activists from a local public organisation who were against his meeting with the family of a supporter of an opposition political party on December 14, 2022 in Dhaka. In 2013, the supporter went missing.
This incident is an expected result of the activity of the American diplomat, who, under the pretext of caring about the rights of the citizens of Bangladesh was persistently trying to influence the domestic processes in the country. As of late, his colleagues from the British and German diplomatic missions have been engaged in the same cause and have allowed themselves to openly give recommendations to the local authorities regarding transparency and inclusiveness in the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
We believe that such actions that violate the basic principles of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states are unacceptable.
If anybody wants to ask: How about the terms “diplomat, immunity, embassy, security”? We always urge these things in accordance with international law and the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations. True, these are the basic principles. We urge the US, the United Kingdom and other countries to care about and comment not only on cases of their own security, but also to support their colleagues when the countries and their representatives, including at international organisations, raise questions about the security of their embassies and consular facilities. They do not want to see or hear that terrorist attacks are being committed against embassies, consulates general, representatives of official governmental bodies, or that they receive threats. They do not care about this. At best, they remain silent and at worst, they justify those who do this. When international terrorists committed a series of attacks against our embassy in Syria, we urged the Americans to respond to this through the UN Security Council. Everything was obvious. There can be no political justification for an unwillingness to publicly take a stand and use the common voice of the Security Council. Washington did not support our proposal on the council taking a clear stance on the protection of diplomats and condemning terrorist attacks at embassies and against diplomats. There cannot be any double standards, only a joint consolidated position.
The transfer of Russian humanitarian aid to the Republic of Djibouti
On December 20, Russian humanitarian aid (100,000 doses of the Sputnik Light vaccine and 100,000 disposable syringes) were handed over to the
The Djiboutian side expressed sincere gratitude to
This transfer of the Russian-made vaccine is a practical confirmation of the
The opening of monuments to Soviet internationalist pilots in Laos
Ceremonies for opening monuments to Soviet pilots who died during the “undeclared war” in Indochina took place in the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Vientiane and the town of
The speakers emphasised the fact that perpetuating the memory of those who gave their lives fighting for independence of
Amid outrageous acts of vandalism, the barbaric demolition of monuments to Soviet liberator soldiers, the oblivion of history, and the attempts to cancel Russia’s modern culture in a number of European countries that brag about their “civilisation” and “culture,” our Lao friends continue to cherish the memory of the heroic pages of our common past imparting them a modern dimension.
The failed “cancellation” of Russian culture
We will cover the cancel culture and the attempts of what the West believed it could pull off in a separate material. We will post it on the Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel. The material will make it clear that the West had got in full measure what it was fighting for, whether it is possible to cancel Russian culture and what came of these attempts.
The 200th anniversary of Nikolay Danilevsky
This year marks the 200th birth anniversary of Nikolay Danilevsky, an outstanding Russian thinker, a philosopher, a natural scientist and a man who, without a doubt, was ahead of his time.
His life is a reflection of the 19th century
Nikolay Danilevsky was an all-round scholar of his time. Without a doubt, a man of incredible creative talent, he shone not only in natural sciences, but also in history and philosophy. He used a civilised approach to describe the world, and provided a conceptual and science-based description of the original role of the Slavic civilisation and
In his Russia and Europe published in 1869, he presented a detailed theory of cultural and historical types for international scholars to ponder. Before the classical studies on this topic - The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler and A Study of History by Arnold Toynbee were released - Nikolay Danilevsky, with facts in hands, talked about diverse historical paths of development and the special Slavic path. In addition to presenting painstakingly gathered scientific and cultural facts, as a Russian person, Nikolay Danilevsky sincerely admired the civilisation built by the Slavs and the peoples of other countries within the borders of the space that we now call
The words that Danilevsky said about the European decline were prophetic. Here’s a quote: “We must, therefore, abandon the idea of any kind of solidarity with the European interests” and “
Today, 200 years after the birth of Nikolay Danilevsky, we should take a closer look at his intellectual legacy. The civilisational approach developed by this great thinker, the arguments about the unique Slavic civilisation included in this approach, as well as the specifics and the purpose of Russia that were proposed within the framework of this approach, have not lost their importance in the 21st century.
Question: The Washington Post writes that, according to its sources,
Maria Zakharova: I will not play this game. There is and there should be an official position of the concerned countries. Interstate relations should rest on an international legal framework, namely, the results of investigations. Let us set aside various media leaks, unnamed sources, and analytical reports based on unconfirmed data.
Today, I have talked quite a bit about the Skripals. We have always asked questions, but we have not received any answers to them.
An international investigation that is currently underway should rest on an international legal framework. The concerned countries should interact on this matter. The politicians in these countries that represent their peoples can and should make statements. They should not act the other way round when they leak and plant various data to the media via some strange anonymous channels, and when they try to forge a perception of reality through this format.
We advocate an approach that I have mentioned, namely, an investigation, fact-finding and fact-evaluation missions, conclusions and subsequent statements. If the situation in Western countries continues to develop as it does today, all we will have in the end will be leaks. They will simply be afraid to state their viewpoint and position.
Regarding this incident,
Nord Stream 1 transported substantial volumes of gas, and the Nord Stream 2 construction project received considerable investment. It is therefore obvious that
Some time ago, we made public our analysis of various statements and actions that could have inspired this terrorist attack. Shall I remind you? The US Department of State, specifically Victoria Nuland, said that this project will not be implemented. Later, US President Joe Biden said the same, at a new level, that they would find a way to wreck this project. They are officials representing a major country that has an interest in demolishing
This issue remains on the agenda. We are talking about the greatest act of sabotage against transport infrastructure in history and an extremely dangerous precedent that calls for a firm collective response on the part of the international community, in line with specific facts, investigation results and legitimate conclusions. Unlike our Western colleagues, we will refrain from speculating as to who masterminded and perpetrated these acts of sabotage.
They are trying to accuse us of pinning labels on others. What kind of labels are they talking about? All information has been published and studied long ago.
At the start of any detective story, an investigator notes the need to determine the motive for the crime. The existence of a motive will make the investigation easier. We discussed practical, rather than theoretical, motives that officials voiced in their statements in this precise context. We did not submit numerous prepaid stories and publications that are based on media leaks and plants. We did not publish the transcripts of behind-the-scenes talks. We simply pointed out the official US position on this issue. We hope that the concerned countries will revise their approach, and that they will agree to cooperate and will not politicise this issue and falsify data.
Question: Prime Minister of
Maria Zakharova: I can say the opposite: the Russian peacekeepers are doing their duty.
Question: Will any actions be taken to stabilise the situation in the Lachin Corridor?
Maria Zakharova: They are being taken; work is underway. Those who do not know the situation or take their lead from political statements should know that the same thing has happened many times before the current aggravation. There were problems, and the sides blamed each other. But it was the Russian peacekeepers who did their utmost to stabilise the situation. And they succeeded. Therefore, I cannot accept this assessment of our peacekeepers’ actions.
Question: Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz has admitted the possibility of holding new talks on a settlement in
Maria Zakharova: Since I cannot ask Mr Scholz, I would like to ask you, since you have quoted him here, who should the talks be held with?
Question: With
Maria Zakharova: Who should
Question: As I see it, he was speaking on his behalf.
Maria Zakharova: Should we talk with him?
Question: I have only quoted him.
Maria Zakharova: I would like to repeat what you have said: “it is necessary to talk” to “end the armed conflict.” And you have asked if
Question: With
Maria Zakharova: Do you doubt that the German Chancellor telephone conversations with the President of Russia? Or do you think that the connection is poor? What is the problem?
If he was referring to talks with
Maybe Chancellor Scholz had something different in mind? Maybe he meant that one should speak into a microphone? Like in a monologue? This is what they are brilliant at. We can see that. But this will not bring the desired effect. The result will be the opposite. If you speak in monologues, accusing each other, while one of the sides supplies weapons to the
If you decipher what Chancellor Scholz had in mind, I will be only too happy to be more specific in my reply.
I would like to remind you that the German authorities, while calling for talks, are sending more weapons to the
I believe there is one more explanation for what Mr Scholz had in mind when he said that it is necessary to talk. Maybe he should talk with Angela Merkel after the disclosures she has made in the interview with Die Zeit? Maybe this is what
What we see now is that not a single initiative advanced in
Question: The media is once again speculating on whether
Maria Zakharova: The leaders of
Our countries are as close as you can get within an alliance, and have been consistently carrying out their commitments as set forth in the Military Doctrine of the Union State. This is a defensive document which provides for using force as an exceptional measure in the event of direct aggression against our countries. In this case, it is up to the Russian and Belarusian political and military leadership to take the corresponding retaliatory steps.
Once again, let me note that I have not said anything which could be viewed as something new, revolutionary or adding new nuances to the issue. I am simply referring to the provisions set forth in this document.
As for the deployment of additional troops within the Russia-Belarus Joint Regional Group of Forces on the Belarusian territory since October 2022, and the exercises, manoeuvres and operational coordination initiatives carried out by military units and formations, they must be viewed as a symmetrical response to the current military and political environment in the region. NATO is expanding its military presence in
These steps are designed to deter those who wish us ill and secure the
Question:
Maria Zakharova:
There is a clear appetite for having the stakeholders work together in this sector considering the ongoing global energy crisis, as well as the reality, needs and objectives of ensuring socioeconomic stability and well-being for their people.
The relevant ministries are working to define the contours of this cooperation.
Question: Previously, President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan expressed discontent with the speech of a Russian representative at the UN meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh and the developments in the Lachin Corridor. The above-mentioned statements have already been made on Russian peacekeepers today. Can you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: I have already spoken about the peacekeepers. As regards our representative’s speech, we need to see what dissatisfaction it provoked in the official you mentioned. I will comment further if you send me the quotation from the statements of our representative.
Question: Starting this week, India will begin using rupees in its transactions with Russia, according to Ajay Sahai, Director General and CEO of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. Which goods will be the first to be paid for in the national currency? What plans are Russia and India making for mutual trade in their national currencies? And what are the prospects of switching to settlements in national currencies?
Maria Zakharova: Our plans are nothing new. They involve constant regular efforts to strengthen bilateral financial cooperation with friendly countries, including India, amidst illegal anti-Russia sanctions and increasing instability in international cross-border settlements. For more detailed comments, we recommend contacting Russia’s relevant departments: the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Bank of Russia.
Question: President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky plans to visit Washington and discuss with US leader Joe Biden a new package of military aid that will include Patriot missile systems. It has been reported that the draft 2023 budget submitted to the US Congress includes $45 billion in aid to Kiev. What is Russia’s stance on the current actions of the United States with respect to the Russia-Ukraine situation and how will it affect the development of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?
Maria Zakharova: I expressed our stance in the main statements. In addition, I would like to draw your attention to President Zelensky’s staged actions. He put on a show. It was almost like watching Servant of the People 2 or Servant of the People: Apocalypse. This is what happens to people who conceal their genuine goals, lie to their nation, play to the crowd and then try to beg, as the President of Russia said yesterday at a meeting of the Defence Ministry Board, for rescue handouts. Rescue of what? Probably themselves.
His visit yesterday is the same story. The trip was fully funded by Washington. Zelensky travelled overseas onboard a US government aircraft. It might as well have been a story about an infiltrator who was dropped off on Ukrainian territory by the US, withdrawn for a short indoctrination and sent back.
The most fantastic and improbable thing (you can see it all over the place, there is a post on the Telegram channel) is that Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN posted an updated Ukrainian flag on his social media – the way he sees it, the way it looks now. It is an American flag painted in Ukrainian colours. Or a Ukrainian flag sewn to look like an American flag. There you go. This is what they think of their sovereignty and independence, their statehood. This is how they see it, an American flag painted in Ukrainian colours.
This is the cost of their ‘nezalezhnost.’ Who is really the president of Ukraine is a good question. It looked so preposterous, apocalyptic and despicable that even Western observers wondered if the White House saw Ukraine as the 51st state.
The goal of the visit was predictable. Vladimir Zelensky came to demand more financial and military aid. Not exactly demand because he was brought to the US by the very people who will eventually reap this financial aid. This money will eventually bring returns, in the military and figurative sense of the word, to these people. They dragged him out like a puppet, showed him around, put him back on the plane and sent him back. Wonderful. Aid was promised. The whole event was staged to make sure that not a single person in the US Congress questioned the need for supporting the Kiev regime further.
The “talks” in Washington demonstrated that neither Ukraine nor the United States are interested in peace and intend to continue the hostilities. Did you hear anything about a dialogue, talks or contacts with Moscow? Of course, not. Vladimir Zelensky once again spoke about our country in a thuggish manner (and he does not know how to behave in any other way). Not even his bosses have resorted to that, yet. They may have used similar rhetoric but it has not come to crudeness on their part. Obviously, Vladimir Zelensky has nothing else to say. All he can do is be rude.
Question: Ukrainian Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov announced during a national telethon that Russia could create an attack group manned with mobilised personnel in Belarus and that there was a risk of another full-scale attack on Ukraine from Belarus. What can you say about this?
Maria Zakharova: The purpose of these statements made by the Ukrainian authorities is to ask the West for even more money and weapons. Amid the existing military and political situation in that region, which includes the ongoing flooding of Ukraine with Western-made weapons and the buildup of NATO military forces in Poland and the Baltic States, additional contingents of the Regional Group of Forces have been deployed in Belarus since October. Combat coordination of formations and military units is being carried out as well as regular joint exercises and manoeuvres. Such actions are transparent and exclusively defensive in nature, and are designed to provide additional security for the western borders of the Union State.
The goal of the joint Russian-Belarusian forces (to reiterate, so that there are no doubts, there is nothing new about it and everything has been agreed upon before) is to push back a potential enemy in the event of an invasion. Under current Military Doctrine of the Union State, the use of military force against any participating state is regarded as an attack against the Union State as a whole. The issue about taking proper response measures in this case remains at the discretion of the political and military leaders of Russia and Belarus.
Question: Last week, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Office and Other International Organisations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov spoke at a news conference about the outcomes of the BTWC 9th Review Conference. In 2001, the United States unilaterally thwarted talks on a legally binding protocol and is now opposed to adopting it. On top of this, Pentagon biolaboratories in Ukraine were discovered. How, given these circumstances, anyone can trust the West and hope, to quote Gennady Gatilov, that “common sense will prevail in Western countries and they will stop undermining the BTWC?”
Maria Zakharova: The so far unsettled and untenable situation stemming from the military-biological activities of the United States and Ukraine within Ukrainian borders, which is in violation of the BTWC, demands the most resolute actions on the part of the states parties to the Convention. We have even held special meetings and briefings to address this matter. In particular, the situation clearly shows the importance of taking urgent steps to strengthen the BTWC in order to have effective mechanisms for resolving such situations and preventing similar occurrences in the future.
In conjunction with the overwhelming majority of the BTWC participating states (including 120 countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as a number of others, including Western states), we believe that the Convention’s effectiveness would benefit much from adopting a universal, legally binding and non-discriminatory protocol that applies to all articles of the Convention, with an effective verification mechanism. Since 2001, the United States has been groundlessly blocking the development of such a tool that would ensure reliable implementation of the BTWC and prevent its violation.
Despite the widespread resistance of Western countries and, as a result of strong and methodical efforts at the recently concluded BTCW 9th Review Conference, we managed to achieve the adoption of a consensus creation of a Working Group to Strengthen the Convention. Reviewing BTWC verification and compliance is set out as one of its activities. We plan to take an active part in the new group’s activities and expect to reach an agreement on effective measures that could become components of a legally binding Protocol to the Convention as we go forward.
Together with like-minded people, we will continue to advance Russian initiatives aimed at strengthening and institutionalising the BTWC.
The issue is about forming mobile biomedical units under the convention in order to develop international cooperation in the biological sphere for peaceful purposes; to provide assistance and protection in the event of the use of biological weapons, and investigate alleged violations of the convention’s provisions; establish a Scientific Advisory Committee to review scientific and technological achievements pertaining to the convention, and provide advice to the states parties to the convention; include in the BTWC Confidence Building Measures reporting form information about military biological activities abroad in order to take off the table any remaining issues regarding such activity; and establish a mechanism for conducting investigations in connection with the alleged violation of obligations assumed under the BTWC in accordance with Article VI.
Question: TASS has reported that on December 9, 2022, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Korea Kim Seong-Wook urged the DPRK to resume its participation in the Greater Tumen Initiative. This mechanism of intergovernmental cooperation was mentioned in July 2021 on the Foreign Ministry’s website – in particular, the expansion of the port of Zarubino and the development of related infrastructure. Both Chinese companies and authorities of the adjacent province have shown a lasting interest in the port and its access. What is your Ministry’s stance on these issues?
Maria Zakharova: Russia welcomes development of regional trade and economic cooperation in Northeast Asia. The economic agencies of the member countries are directly involved in the activities of the Greater Tumen Initiative. In Russia, such activities are performed by the Ministry of Economic Development.
Question: When Türkiye decided to purchase S-400 missile systems from Russia, we saw Western countries issuing numerous warnings against it. Recent media reports have said that Greece is transferring S-300 systems to Ukraine – yet, the West has made no warnings or comments. What would you say about it?
Maria Zakharova: We have already provided remarks on this issue, with the corresponding comment posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website on December 19.
We consider provocative plans to supply the Kiev regime with S-300s and other Russian or Soviet-built air defence systems as blatantly hostile to Russia. The opinion of Greece’s citizens is not considered, while – 70 percent of them oppose pumping Ukraine with weapons, as public opinion polls have revealed. Greece’s authorities – who know what internal, border, as well as conflicts that are under international resolution are, and could use their historical experience to look into the situation – are not concerned about the fact that by supplying weapons to the war zone they become directly complicit in action of the Ukrainian neo-Nazis who are waging a criminal war against civilians in Donbass, Zaporozhye, and the Kherson Region, including against numerous ethnic Greeks living there.
As a reminder, among other things, this is a gross violation of the provisions of the Russia-Greece intergovernmental agreements on military-technical cooperation of October 30, 1995 and on the supply of military products of December 3, 2013, which expressly prohibit Greece from re-exporting military equipment supplied by Russia to a third party without Russia’s consent. The violation of these treaty obligations will have inevitable effects and will substantially weaken Greece’s air defence capability.
The Greek side is showing a total indifference to international restrictions in arms trade, which prohibits their export to regions where it could lead to violating international humanitarian law and further aggravate conflicts.
Ultimately, no one should doubt that all military equipment supplied to Kiev will be promptly tracked, as our military officials have repeatedly stated, and that it will be considered as a legitimate military target. It is still not too late to abandon these dangerous plans. Once again, we are warning Greece’s leadership about their responsibility.
Question: Kiev has accused Russia of buying a new batch of 250 kamikaze drones from Iran. Could you comment on these Ukrainian claims?
Maria Zakharova: Let’s not continue pointless discussions. We’ve said all that we have to say on this. If they prefer this wishful thinking, that’s their problem. Such insinuations are lies and an attempt to spread unsubstantiated allegations.
Russia’s take on this matter has been repeatedly aired at the UN Security Council, including at the December 19 meeting on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Iran and Russia have made no deals violating the above-mentioned resolution. We call on all other countries to approach their international obligations with the same level of responsibility.
Question: Do you think France has been involved in the terrorist attack against Russia in the Central African Republic?
Maria Zakharova: We have commented sufficiently on this score.
As is known, on December 16, head of Russian House cultural centre in the Central African Republic Dmitry Syty was attacked in Bangui. A Russian citizen was gravely injured after a parcel addressed to him exploded when he was opening it. Fortunately, there is no immediate threat to his life. However, the attempt on his life was clearly a premeditated terrorist act that sought to kill the Russian citizen, who had previously received threats to himself and his family. Any arguments citing propaganda in this context do not stand up to criticism and sound cynical.
According to the CAR police, the parcel containing the explosive device was delivered by the international express delivery company, DHL. The African country’s law-enforcement authorities investigating the attack have detained a number of employees of the company’s local branch. Until the investigation is over, we must rely on the facts. There are experts, military experts, and people on the ground who may have their own point of view. We are following the progress of their investigation.
We strongly condemn all terrorist acts, regardless of who commits such heinous atrocities or where. By the way, did Paris condemn such atrocities against the Russian representative? I haven’t heard anything. You can ask them this question. We look forward to a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this crime by the competent authorities of the Central African Republic. We hope that the perpetrators will be punished as they deserve, wherever they are. We believe that the Central African authorities have the right to seek assistance in investigating this terrorist attack from the relevant services of other states capable of clarifying the situation.
At the same time, we would like to note that such incidents could have been avoided if the Western countries and, above all, France had not been contributing to this information atmosphere in the CAR – the artificially created negative and often hysterical toxic atmosphere around Russian representatives and specialists. As a reminder, they are operating in that country exclusively at the invitation of the official local authorities. But that’s for another day.
In this case, we believe we have to wait for the results of the investigation. We believe that the French authorities, who have been so vigorously fanning an anti-Russia campaign in Africa of late and trying in every way to discredit Russia’s friendly assistance to our African partners, should think more often about the consequences of their words and actions, which are sometimes irresponsible.
We hope and expect that Paris will express sympathy, regret, and condemnation of this terrorist attack, since Russia’s presence in Africa has been a topic of such close interest for them lately.
Question: The Lachin Corridor remains under the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan. One person died as a result of it. Artsakh is on the cusp of a humanitarian crisis. Baku is grossly violating the provisions of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020. How are Russia and Russian peacekeepers planning to fulfill the obligations assumed under the tripartite statement? Clearly, talks with Baku are unproductive.
Maria Zakharova: Our position on this matter was made clear at the previous briefing and during the theme-based UN Security Council meeting on December 20.
The blockade of the Lachin Corridor must be ended. It is likewise important to resolve disagreements regarding the development of ore deposits in the region. The Defence Ministry and the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent continue to work on de-escalating the situation.
Their efforts made it possible to resume gas supply on December 16 and traffic for the humanitarian vehicles, including ambulances. We look forward to having the situation resolved soon.
We call on the parties to strictly adhere to their obligations assumed under the Statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia of November 9, 2020, which provide for ensuring the connection of Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia through the Lachin Corridor currently controlled by a Russian peacekeeping contingent.
Question: Our colleagues have already asked about President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, who was dissatisfied with the lack of Russia’s targeted criticism of the actions of Azerbaijan. Can you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: I have already said that I would need to look at our representative’s statements and then come up with a comment.
Question: My question is connected with a statement made by Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Anna Yevstigneyeva that the parameters for visits by Azerbaijani environmental experts to ore deposits in Nagorno-Karabakh are being discussed. The question arises: what’s the point of attempting to stop Baku’s gross violation of the Tripartite Agreement by creating another agreement?
Maria Zakharova: That’s what the experts are thinking. I can’t add anything to what the experts, who are familiar with the situation, have already said. This is not a political question. It’s a matter to be addressed by the experts.
I will be able to comment on your questions after reading the statement and the paragraphs that made you ask these questions.
Question: The head of the UN is calling on the Taliban government to stop terrorist activities that pose a threat to Pakistan from Afghan soil. On the other hand, Pakistan has been recently hit by a new wave of terror attacks. What can you say about this situation?
Maria Zakharova: We are aware of recent incidents in the disputed sections of the Afghan-Pakistan border, as well as the increase in terrorist activity of the Pakistani Taliban. We hope that all conflict-related issues will be resolved peacefully and the current Afghan government will be able to curb the activities of the terrorist groups in the country.
Without a doubt, it is critically important for Kabul to focus on observing guarantees whereby threats to security of third countries do not come from Afghan territory. The recent attack on the Pakistani Embassy and an attack on a hotel in Kabul once again highlighted the importance of this issue. We consider Islamabad a key regional player capable of using its leverage on the processes unfolding in Afghanistan.
However, one should be mindful of the fact that by imposing tough sanctions on Kabul Washington-led Westerners undermine the Afghan government’s counter-terrorism potential and contribute to the further worsening of the security situation in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
Given these circumstances, it is particularly important for the countries neighbouring Afghanistan to continue pragmatic partner-like interaction in order to ensure equal and indivisible security at the regional and global levels.
Question: Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced that Pakistan is not chasing after or getting discounted Russian oil. It seems that his words have put an end to the attempts of some Pakistani officials to buy Russian oil for cheap. Is there any behind-the-scenes diplomacy going on around cheap energy supplies to Pakistan?
Maria Zakharova: There can be no behind-the-scenes negotiations, it is out of the question. I already informed you during my previous briefing that hydrocarbon exports from Russia, along with other matters of bilateral energy cooperation, were discussed on November 30 during Minister of State (Petroleum Division) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Musadik Masood Malik’s visit to Moscow. As concerns the cost of contracts, once again, it will be determined after commercial talks.
Question: What would you recommend to your foreign colleagues when it comes to steering interaction with Russia toward achieving positive mutual understanding and accord? Perhaps they misunderstand our proposals?
Maria Zakharova: It seems to be the topic of the millennium. Let’s narrow it down.
Our colleagues from BRICS, the SCO, and the CSTO, our partners from ASEAN, Africa, and the Arab world have long developed their relations with Russia based on neighbourliness and mutual respect, as prescribed by international law.
Perhaps the West could take the same path. Unfortunately, professional degradation of the Euro-Atlantic political elites is the most distinctive feature of these times. The gap between the mindset and qualification of Western leaders during the Cold War period and the conduct of the current generation of Western politicians is becoming more apparent.
However, let’s not forget that true diplomacy goes beyond expressively reciting the same statements again and again during meetings of international organisations, even if slightly rehashed. It is more than curt slogans with hashtags on social media. True diplomacy is the art of understanding your partners’ national interests, concerns, historical and cultural roots. It is the art of dialogue and searching for a balance of interests.
Unlike the West today, Russia is open to an honest dialogue and always advocates for resolving disputes using political methods.
Question: Human rights violations against Russian nationals abroad are on the rise. Russian nationals are experiencing worsening Russophobia (the explosion in the Central African Republic is one example). Is it possible to counter such activity? Does the Foreign Ministry keep a record of such incidents?
Maria Zakharova: It is possible, and this is exactly what we are doing. We are collecting facts, working with our lawyers, and supporting our fellow citizens abroad.
We will continue to focus on this matter, not only with respect to information, but in our political activity as well.
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