Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, September 27, 2023
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Table of сontents
- Sergey Lavrov’s participation in the opening of a Fyodor Tyutchev literary salon and the Ambassadors of Russian Culture literary and musical evening
- Ukraine crisis update
- Great Britain’s involvement in the events in Bucha in March 2022
- Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
- Homage paid in Canadian Parliament to brutal murderer from Nazi Galicia Division
- The ICJ hearings on the Russian-Ukrainian proceedings under the 1948 Genocide Convention
- Moldova update
- Figure skater Margarita Drobyazko’s Lithuanian citizenship revoked
- Russia’s assistance after Storm Daniel in Libya
- Results of the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- 30th anniversary of Victory and Independence Day in the Republic of Abkhazia
- 65th anniversary of the Republic of Guinea’s declaration of independence and 65th anniversary of Russia-Guinea diplomatic relations
- 85th anniversary of the Munich Pact
- The 195th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil
- International Day for Universal Access to Information
- International Translation Day
- The United States’ refusal to invite Russia to the APEC summit
- Nagorno-Karabakh update
- The settlement of the Ukraine conflict
- The supply of long-range missiles
- Restrictions on imports from Japan
- Normalisation of Russia-Armenia relations
- Statements by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye
- Foreign interference ahead of Moldova’s elections
- Statements by ex-Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavel Klimkin
- Russia-Armenia relations
- The United States’ refusal to invite Russia to the APEC summit
- The United States’ financial assistance to Ukraine
- The white paper titled A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions
- The deployment of American multipurpose missiles on Bornholm, Denmark
- The supply of new high-tech weapons to Ukraine
- Statements by the President of France
- Russia-South Korea contacts
- The goals of US and NATO policy in Armenia
- Russia’s consular activities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
- Applying for Russian foreign travel passports abroad
On September 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in the opening ceremony of a literary salon dedicated to poet Fyodor Tyutchev at the Foreign Ministry Mansion at 17 Spiridonovka Street. On the same day, there will be the first meeting in a series of literary and musical evenings entitled Literary Salon: Ambassadors of Russian Culture put on for the foreign diplomatic corps accredited in the Russian Federation. The event is dedicated to the 220th birth anniversary of the poet and diplomat Fyodor Tyutchev.
The event will include an introduction to Tyutchev’s legacy, dramatic readings of his works, and a musical programme. It will also feature a display of exhibits from the Vladimir Dahl State Museum of the History of Russian Literature.
The project is intended to help expose foreign diplomatic corps to Russian writers’ legacy and demonstrate our cultural and humanitarian ties at the modern level.
This is not the only event in Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s schedule. We will inform you additionally on other events when their dates and formats are finalised.
The neo-Nazi Kiev regime continues to shell Russian regions using missiles and projectiles supplied by NATO countries. On September 22, Sevastopol came under fire once again. No doubt, this attack was preplanned with the use of Western intelligence provide by NATO satellites and reconnaissance aircraft and was carried out in close coordination with US and UK intelligence services.
On September 23 and 24, Ukrainian neo-Nazis opened artillery fire on the town of Tokmak, the Zaporozhye Region. On September 25, they targeted localities in the Belgorod Region and the city of Krasnodon in the Lugansk People’s Republic, killing and wounding people. Houses and civilian infrastructure were damaged.
These terrorist attacks were clearly used to divert attention from the failed counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, to intimidate people, to sow panic in our society, and ultimately to destabilise the internal political situation in Russia.
No matter how hard someone in Kiev or elsewhere across the oceans try to achieve their desired results, they will not succeed. We are determined to put an end to any manifestations of neo-Nazism and anti-human practices in Ukraine.
Based on evidence collected by the Russian Investigative Committee, Russian courts continue to hand down sentences to Ukrainian neo-Nazis who have committed grave crimes against civilians.
Last week, a life sentence in a high-security prison was handed down to a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Denis Gangala, who fired at vehicles carrying local residents in Mariupol in March 2022. As a result, three civilians were killed, and one was wounded.
For the murder of civilians in Mariupol in the spring of 2022, Ukrainian gunmen Y. Buchkovsky, S. Gritsiv, S. Dolyagin, A. Kamenev, A. Kashirin, Y. Kucheryavenko, A. Liverchuk, A. Perets, and S. Pilipovich were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 25 to 28 years. A. Kashirin and D. Moskva received sentences of 22 and 24 years, respectively, in high-security correctional facilities.
V. Katranich, a Ukrainian military criminal who shot a Mariupol resident in February 2022 for visiting Crimea, was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a high-security correctional facility.
Ukrainian neo-Nazis will be held accountable for their heinous crimes. They will be brought to justice, and we will keep you informed about the developments.
The barbaric crimes committed by the Kiev regime do not stop NATO countries from supplying weapons to Ukraine. On September 21, the United States announced another package of military assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces totaling $325 million. It includes air defence systems and artillery and cluster munitions. According to The New York Times, the first shipment of US Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine on September 23.
The European Commission reported that it had allocated €1.5 billion to the Kiev regime on September 22 as part of the macro-financial assistance package for 2023. With this new tranche, the Zelensky-led government has received €13.5 billion out of the €18 billion promised for this year.
Berlin announced a new package of military aid (worth €400 million) to the Zelensky regime. It includes self-propelled Gepard anti-aircraft systems, MRAP armoured vehicles, 155mm shells, medium-range IRIS-T missiles, 50 surface drones, and more.
The United States and its NATO allies continue to escalate the conflict around Ukraine disregarding the costs. This is now happening amidst talk about peace and negotiations, which Russia is said to be “turning down.” They seem to care very little about the targets of Western weaponry and understand perfectly well that civilians will inevitably come under fire.
Kiev is making no secret about the Banderites’ intentions to strike deep in Russian territory targeting major cities, transport hubs, and civilian infrastructure. The Crimean Bridge could be in the crosshairs again. Head of the Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov said it would be attacked until completely destroyed. Strangely, no NGO or international institution in the West proclaiming to defend human rights and humanitarian values has noticed this anti-human ideology.
Notably, voices opposing the unchecked flooding of Ukraine with weapons are being silenced in the West. The tone is set by the Zelensky regime, whose representatives openly threaten Americans who oppose financial support for the Kiev regime. Information about these individuals is posted on the notorious “Mirotvorets” (Peacemaker) website (we put this name in quotes not only because it is the exact opposite of the nature of this resource) as “enemies of Ukraine.” They are seen by Banderites as criminals, with corresponding verdicts handed down. Such publications have already appeared in the media, but no one in Europe or overseas seems to care. For them, human rights are merely a political tool to exert pressure on other countries.
Last week, Vladimir Zelensky made another trip to North America, formally attending the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. In reality, his visit looked more like he was summoned to the “Washington party committee,” though distinctive in its way too. The Ukrainian visitors’ hopes for substantial financial injections and guaranteed supplies of modern weaponry in quantities promised to them back then, did not materialise. The United States limited itself to providing a relatively small package of military aid. However, these expenses are more than offset by the enormous economic benefits that the United States reaps from the conflict around Ukraine.
Zelensky’s blitz trip to Canada, where he was showered in applause, was a consolation for him. However, afterward, they washed their hands for a long time. During his speech in the country’s parliament, Zelensky, Canadian parliamentarians, and the diplomatic corps (I am talking about primarily NATO members, since our representatives were not present) collectively greeted a former punisher from the infamous Waffen-SS Galicia Division. Unlike all previous developments, this one really blew up and caused outrage even in the West. This communion of former and current supporters of Nazi ideology once again confirms the neo-Nazi nature of the Kiev regime. I will have more to say on this matter later.
On September 30, we will celebrate the first anniversary of the new federal entities - the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions - joining Russia. A year ago, their residents exercised their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter, the International Covenants on Human Rights of 1966, the Helsinki Final Act of the OSCE in 1975, as well as the ruling of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo from July 22, 2010 which confirmed that the unilateral declaration of independence by a portion of a state does not violate any provisions of international law.
The results of the referendums held on September 23-27, 2022 speak for themselves: the residents of Donbass and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions chose not to return to the life that the neo-Nazi regime had in store for them. They upheld their right to speak the Russian language and to honour the history and culture of their ancestors, and made a conscious and free choice in favour of Russia.
President Vladimir Putin proposed celebrating September 30 annually as the Day of Reunification of the Russian Federation with the new regions and introduced a corresponding draft law to the State Duma amending the Law on Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates in Russia.
The Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions are an integral part of our country that must be completely liberated from the armed forces of Ukraine.
It is quite symbolic that September 30 also marks another important date which is the 80th anniversary of the end of the Chernigov-Poltava strategic offensive operation by the Soviet troops. It was held immediately after the Battle of the Kursk and was the first phase in the battle for the Dnieper River. It involved the main forces of three fronts - the Central Front (under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky), the Voronezh Front (under the command of Nikolai Vatutin), and the Steppe Front (under the command of Ivan Konev). They faced a 700,000-strong grouping of Hitler’s Centre and South army groups.
Under pressure by the Red Army, on September 15, 1943, the German command ordered its troops to urgently move behind the Dnieper to prevent the further advance of Soviet forces. The historical literature often refers to the ensuing events as the “race to the Dnieper.” However, it did nothing for the German Nazi invaders. From September 21 to 25, the advance units of all three Soviet fronts reached the Dnieper at different points, crossed it, and established bridgeheads for further offensive operations. On September 23, the enemy was driven out of Poltava, and on September 29 out of Kremenchug. The successful conclusion of the operation hastened the defeat of the Wehrmacht outside Kiev and the liberation of the city. Today’s followers of Bandera and Shukhevich in Kiev and their Western curators should keep these events in mind.
No matter how much the West floods the Kiev regime with weapons and attempts to downplay or enable its heinous crimes in an effort to harm Russia, they will not succeed. All the goals and objectives of the special military operation, as stated by the Russian leadership, will be fulfilled.
Great Britain’s involvement in the events in Bucha in March 2022
We are conducting an objective investigation into the participation of London and, in particular, the British intelligence services in staging the provocation in the village of Bucha, in March 2022. As you understand, we do not receive any assistance in this matter from any of the parties involved in the events. Thus, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov repeatedly appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with a request to use his authority and do what he can to obtain the list of persons whose dead bodies were shown in the village of Bucha. This should have been done a long time ago. What could be simpler and more natural, since charges have already been brought? At least in order to understand: who were the victims? Their names have not yet been received. They are being concealed.
London is especially adept at this: in April 2022, when chairing the UN Security Council, it refused to convene a Security Council meeting on the events in Bucha. This says a lot. First of all, that London is hiding the truth about those events. Why? Because it was directly involved in them.
We are well aware of the active participation of British think tanks and PR firms (that provide cover for British intelligence) in the disinformation campaigns of the Kiev regime. For our part, we continue to monitor these activities and add the leaders of the most aggressive British propaganda outlets to the Russian counter-sanctions list. A corresponding message was published today on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
On September 25, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine presented its regular report during the ongoing 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The accusations that Commission Chair Erik Møse (Norway) made against the Russian government do not stand up to scrutiny; moreover, we consider them nothing but groundless and unsubstantiated, and invented, among other things, to discredit Russian military. The Commission's speculative conclusions are based on accounts of arbitrarily selected individuals posing as “victims” and “eyewitnesses” of alleged crimes committed by the Russian armed forces, with no evidence to substantiate them. Let me remind you of our insistent calls, over the years, to give representatives of Crimea and Donbass, and NGOs active in the region the opportunity to tell the United Nations, the Security Council and other UN bodies about the results of their work. We were always turned down. Moreover, we were threatened, and so were representatives of those NGOs and civil society; they were put on the lists [of enemies of Ukraine] on the Mirotvorets (Peacemaker) website for trying to tell the truth at the UN.
The representative of Norway faced no restrictions here. But the data processing algorithm he used seems problematic. We have no guarantee that the representative of Norway did not obtain this “testimony” via a suggestive interrogation, using a carefully phrased questionnaire drafted by the UN employees.
It is worth noting that the Commission, as well as other human rights mechanisms in the UN system, predictably continues to persistently ignore the massive, gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Kiev regime, preferring not to notice the crimes committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, despite the piles of materials officially submitted by the Russian side. They turn a blind eye to what Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups are doing, to crimes against the civilian population, as well as to the attempts to fully incorporate Nazi ideology into the political and state system of modern Ukraine. They disregard the cases of abuse and torture of Russian POWs by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
And this is despite the fact that we have been continuously supplying the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant UN human rights agencies with relevant materials, including evidence collected by the International Public Tribunal for the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis and Their Accomplices, which includes videos of more than 400 interviews with victims of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As it is, the Commission’s regular report is a hit-job that confirms the biased and corrupt nature of its activity, which was originally stipulated in the anti-Russian resolution of the HRC 49/1, which established this mechanism in March 2022. This was the reason Russia refused to have anything to do with that agency from the start.
The Bucha case was carefully staged to frame Russian soldiers in order to have a reason to adopt such resolutions and create such commissions; references to Bucha continue to be used to justify their activity, as “proof” of Russia’s “crimes.” Once again, where are the lists of those who died in that town? Where are those people’s stories? Where are their relatives? We saw the photos that the Ukrainian side presented to us. There were quite a few people in these photos and video footage. What prevented the Kiev regime from providing information about the victims – which is an integral part of their accusations – for a year and a half? There were no victims. That was a standard staged event, a tactic straight from the Nazi playbook, because this is exactly what the Nazis and fascists practiced during World War II. That’s what it is. The British, and British intelligence agencies, are quite familiar with this tactic.
Homage paid in Canadian Parliament to brutal murderer from Nazi Galicia Division
This is the apotheosis of the Canadian Government’s immoral behaviour. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been or won’t be worse but it is the most telling example of what we have been talking about for many years.
The homage paid in the Canadian Parliament on September 22 to 98-year old Bandera follower Yaroslav Gunko (Hunka), who volunteered to serve in the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, accompanied by a standing ovation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Speaker and members of the House of Commons, and Western diplomats who were invited to attend, including, characteristically, the German ambassador, continues to cause anger and condemnation even among Canada’s closest allies. This was the last thing that Canada’s ruling Liberals expected. I see that they were taken unawares by what has happened.
As for Justin Trudeau, he is trying to justify himself by saying that he knew nothing about the initiative of the Speaker, who immediately repented for the incident. He is not the Speaker any longer. The Prime Minister’s team rushed to remove the compromising videos from the internet. Funny people they are.
It is simply not credible that the head of government and his right-hand official Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, the grand-daughter of Bandera follower Mikhailo Khomyak, were in the dark. Does this mean they did not know who they were applauding? How then do they manage to govern the country?
Most importantly, not only did they know, but they are ideologically committed to this campaign to support the Banderites, the OUN-UPA [the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army] and Waffen-SS Galicia Division – both members of these criminal structures and their followers. They are acting as sponsors of all these structures in Ukraine in their contemporary format, sending financial aid, and providing informational and political support. Now it turns out that they “didn’t know”. How convenient. They knew what they were doing and they have been doing it for many years. Only this time they went too far with the Russophobia, having insulted not only us, something they regularly do, but also the victims of the Holocaust and the anti-Polish mass terror. I wonder, though, why does it not appear to be insulting to the memory of the Holocaust victims when tribute is paid in Ukraine to the members of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or Banderites? Or is it the question of geography? If torchlight processions take place in Ukraine, with people carrying portraits of Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevich, and OUN-UPA members are called heroes and are paid benefits, it fits in with Western logic. However, if the same things take place, say, in Canada with the direct involvement of the country’s leaders, it is “not very good.” What is the criterion? What is the standard?
Justin Trudeau and his team are trying to shift responsibility to someone else, saying that the incident is the result of Russian propaganda and misinformation. Was it Russians who invited Yaroslav Gunko and prepared background materials for Justin Trudeau so he can decide whether he should take part in this Nazi bacchanalia? Is it Russian newspapers that have been glorifying Vladimir Zelensky in Canada for many years, commending Canada for its policy towards the Kiev regime?
What does Justin Trudeau allow himself to do? What is he all about really? It all is so awkward and ridiculous that some journalists in Canada, who definitely are not Russophiles, are calling on Canadians to face the reality and give an honest assessment of what the current Canadian government is doing.
The internet is shamelessly extolling Yaroslav Gunko as a Ukrainian Canadian hero and a World War II veteran who fought for Ukraine’s independence from the Russians (this is what many media outlets say) and continues to inspire the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Let us rely on well-known facts showing how Canada gave refuge and looked after the executioners and members of punitive squads from the SS Galicia Division. There are more than enough available facts, including because we have also made them public.
The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Ottawa have repeatedly discussed the crimes of this Nazi formation and the history of its “relocation” to Canada following the defeat of the Third Reich, and the role of the descendants of Stepan Bandera’s followers whom the Anglo-Saxons, including those in Canada, gave refuge to, cared for, nourished and retrained. These materials discuss the assertion of the ultra-nationalist regime in Kiev.
The 14th Waffen SS Galicia Volunteer Division was established in 1943 and consisted of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists from the OUN-UPA who exterminated the civilian population. This was their objective. Instead of merely fighting, they exterminated Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. The formation directly engaged the advancing Red Army in the summer of 1944, when the Nazis found themselves in dire straits.
For example, the Galicia Division fought Red Army units near Brody, where most of its soldiers were encircled. In all, 60 percent of its personnel were killed or wounded in action. The division’s surviving elements retreated together with the Wehrmacht and later took part in crushing the Warsaw and Slovak uprisings. In January 1945, they fought the partisans in Yugoslavia. In effect, the combat history of this formation, whose members are getting their own monuments and are being applauded in Canada, proved to be very short and ignominious. But one area where the formation really achieved success is with committing atrocities and executing civilians, as proved by many historical records.
Today, Canada is at the forefront of those in the West who are actively falsifying the history of World War II. In August 2022, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a report Regarding the Situation with the Glorification of Nazism and the Spread of Neo-Nazism and Other Practices That Contribute to Fuelling Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. A large section of this report deals with the glorification of Nazi criminals in Canada. I suggest that you read it. I can make the same recommendation to Justin Trudeau, who is accusing Russia of spreading disinformation on this issue and claiming that what has happened to him is the result of Russian propaganda. The report was posted on the Foreign Ministry website a year ago. Let Chrystia Freeland print it out for him. He will find a lot of interesting facts there, become more educated, and he will understand the gist of the current accusations against the Canadian government. Although I am sure he understands it already, even if he pretends not to.
Russophobia has reached a clinical phase where even formations of the SS can be called allies in the fight against Russia. Moreover, Canada is financing and training ideological heirs of the Galicia Division within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is a fact that no one is even trying to hide. Canadian parliamentarians warmly applauded a war criminal who swore allegiance to Hitler and fought against Russians. In the House of Commons, not a single elected anti-fascist representative left the room in protest over the betrayal of their own history and the memory of tens of thousands of Canadians who died in the war against German Nazism. These parliamentarians were aware of the agenda of the event in advance.
The conclusion is clear: Russophobia and liberal fascism now go hand in hand and have been elevated to the status of the state ideology in Canada. This celebrating of a Nazi, later denied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Russian propaganda,” is a case in point. The collective West takes a standard approach: if you are not sure who to accuse of what, blame Russia, and everything will be fine. It's no longer funny. It's a tragedy for the modern Western community and everyone who pledges allegiance to it.
It is highly symptomatic that Russophobia is passed down through Canada's ruling elite. The aforementioned Chrystia Freeland celebrates (not that she's ashamed or trying to distance herself from it) the memory of her heroic roots. Who was her grandfather? During the German occupation of Poland, Mikhailo Khomyak (this fact was covered multiple times) published the Krakowski Wiesci newspaper in Krakow and later in Vienna. What is that newspaper? It didn't just serve the Nazi occupiers. It was taken from the Polish-Jewish publisher Mojzesz Kanfer. What happened to Kanfer after they had taken his newspaper? Correct, he and his entire family were killed in the Belzec extermination camp. The newspaper was then taken over by the Nazi special services and used as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Reich. This is what Chrystia Freeland's grandfather was doing, and she now serves as Deputy Prime Minister of the Canadian government. Do you still believe they didn't know who they were inviting to the Canadian parliament? Do you believe it was a blunder on the part of the speaker of the Canadian parliament? No, it's a deliberate and long-standing policy of the Canadian establishment.
I wonder if anyone in Canada, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of those who fought against the Nazi killing machine, will say anything now. Will someone say something, write an article, or speak in the Canadian parliament? I watched this morning the Canadian parliament rushing to justify itself and develop some kind of legislative response and adopt some kind of statements.
Do they really think they can cover up years of political and financial sponsorship of Hitler’s collaborationism with a piece of paper? No, this must be a deep and systemic effort. The bully pulpit must go from collaborators and all those who swore allegiance to Nazism to anti-fascists. This means financial and political support for anti-fascist movements in Canada. This means complete repentance for what has been done and rejection of this Nazi ideology that permeates the Canadian establishment.
The reaction of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France is the hardest part of this story to believe. These countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council, who earned their seats because their troops and soldiers fought and died to liberate the world from Nazism. Not a single word, sentence, or even a small comment on social media.
Do you know what the US State Department spokesperson said? He said he wasn't aware of that and was busy working at the UN General Assembly. Do you believe that? No. Because the General Assembly is taking place on US soil, in New York, where newspapers are published, websites operate, and television broadcasts in English. Moreover, the internet connection is quite good inside the headquarters. Do you believe that the US State Department could have missed that? After all, the issue concerns their closest ally and neighbour, Canada. Do you believe that the Americans could have missed something that was happening right under their noses at a time where they are interfering in the affairs of the countries that lie thousands of kilometres away from the United States and are not tied by allied obligations with them? These countries are not part of the same military-political blocs and want nothing to do with the United States which constantly interferes in their affairs and meddles in their domestic politics, while endlessly condemning human rights violations. What about Canada? It's right next door. Everything is in English there, you don't even need a translation. The language doesn't really matter since the issue is about applauding a Nazi.
No, we haven't heard and will never hear anything from Downing Street, the White House, or the Élysée Palace about this matter. It's not about maltreating Russian journalists, right? The issue is about a Nazi in the Canadian Parliament. As you understand, that's a sacred thing for them.
It is outrageous that the Western community and permanent members of the UN Security Council did not respond in any way to this blatant support for neo-Nazism. The refusal to officially condemn the honouring of an SS Galicia Division veteran by the great powers is a disgrace that exposes them for what they are. This is about betraying the memory of ordinary American, French, and British soldiers who gave their lives in fighting Nazism. It looks particularly cynical against the backdrop of the US administration's attention to human rights issues and the fight against anti-Semitism. It's not just about words but only when it's convenient and necessary. Then they turn the page and forget it. How much has been said about the Holocaust, how much money is spent on events, and even laws are passed to prevent Holocaust denial or persecution at the legislative level. Here is a glaring fact that they “didn't see,” “didn't notice,” and don't comment on.
The very fact of such selectivity in assessments and judgments once again demonstrates the cynical calculation and systematic approach to organising such events in Canada. There is no doubt that more will come and that country (which runs ahead of the United States in these matters) will continue to provide comprehensive support to neo-Nazis in Kiev. It's time for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre and other keepers of the memory of the victims of World War II (the victims of the Holocaust, as they say) to realise that first, the Nazis came for the Russians, and then they will come for you. Do you think you're immune? No, of course not.
I would like to note that flirting with the Nazis and Ottawa's systematic hostile actions will not remain without consequences. The response will not be limited to protests and will inevitably affect Russian-Canadian relations, which are in a deep crisis due to Ottawa's stance.
We consider Canada an extremely unfriendly state whose authorities have stained themselves by colluding with Nazism and betraying their own history, and we will shape our policy accordingly.
The ICJ hearings on the Russian-Ukrainian proceedings under the 1948 Genocide Convention
On September 25, the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague continued the hearings within the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian proceedings under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. We have commented on the start of these hearings. Earlier this week, Russia reacted to the statements made by Ukraine and 32 states supporting it, which the ICJ has allowed to join the process as third parties.
Russian representative Maria Zabolotskaya drew the Court’s attention to the Political Declaration adopted by the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter on September 23, 2023. The Group warns everyone against undermining the prestige and independence of the International Court of Justice by abusing their right to join its proceedings as third parties. Incidentally, not only do the countries (mostly NATO members) that have been let in on the case bring pressure to bear on the court, they also deceive the judges by putting forward positions that counter the same countries’ claims made when the ICJ heard cases against them following the bombing of Yugoslavia.
Unlike NATO, Russia did not use genocide charges as a legal ground for its actions. Our legal grounds for launching the special military operation and recognising the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic are the right to individual and collective self-defence and the right of nations to self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter.
We again reminded the ICJ of Ukraine’s atrocities in Donbass and the neo-Nazi nature of the Kiev regime, given the West’s full connivance. We pointed to the recent scandal in the Canadian Parliament with its shameful applause to a Nazi criminal, whom we mentioned today.
The Russian legal team, which includes representatives of the world’s main law schools, provided extensive legal arguments as to the inadmissibility of Ukraine’s complaint and the ICJ lacking the jurisdiction to try this case. We hope that the ICJ will accept these arguments and keep its independence in the face of the unprecedented political pressure it is exposed to.
The Moldovan authorities continue to whip up anti-Russia hysteria, accusing Russia of attempts at “hybrid interference” in the internal affairs of the republic. On September 25, 2023, President Maia Sandu actually said that cooperation with Russia was incompatible with “European values.”
It is an incredible thing to say. In fact, she didn’t say anything we haven’t heard before, but the way she did it is impressive. The Moldovan administration has become an integral part of the Western campaign against Russia and has accepted the “us or them” paradigm. This is exactly how the active phase began in Ukraine. We regard this approach as fundamentally wrong and extremely dangerous. It does not meet the interests of the Moldovan people, who have been traditionally friendly towards Russia, and will affect the internal situation in Moldova. Russia has nothing to do with it. Such formulas amount to blackmailing the citizens of Moldova and keeping them hostage to the unhealthy political ambitions of Maia Sandu, which are fuelled by Western grants and Western political and information support.
As for the unsubstantiated accusations of “attempted meddling” in Moldova’s internal affairs, we have heard many of them before. Chisinau claims that Russia will use “propaganda,” “dirty money,” “criminal groups” and other methods to “undermine” the citizens’ ability to make a democratic choice at the upcoming elections. Maia Sandu probably knows more about such methods than anyone else, but it was not Russia that used them. Why are the Moldovan authorities using these lies? The answer is obvious.
Despite substantial support, including financial aid, from the West, the Moldovan administration’s rating is record-low a month before the elections. It is true, and there is nothing surprising about this. There is an explanation which Maia Sandu prefers to keep silent about. Here it is:
- the socio-economic situation in Moldova remains unfavourable because of the managerial mistakes made by the president and her team. The blame lies squarely with her;
- the authorities do not respect the principles of democracy and free speech; they are trampling them underfoot, persecuting opposition forces, closing down undesirable media outlets and deporting journalists. On September 13, 2023, they deported head of Sputnik Moldova Vitaly Denisov, and there are more examples like this;
- the opinion of Moldovan citizens is disregarded, and their legitimate rights are infringed upon. Evidence of this is the decision to change the name of the state language from Moldovan to Romanian. Why didn’t they think about the possible reaction? Don’t blame Russia for people’s dissatisfaction with Sandu’s policy. We have nothing to do with it. The West has been using this method in other countries as well, not only in Moldova. Another example is Chisinau’s disregard for the people’s choice at elections in Gagauzia held in April and May 2023, when victory went to the opposition candidates who don’t support the authorities’ anti-Russia policy. Do you remember what the Sandu regime did with them?
It is not surprising that the Moldovan authorities are using the alleged need to fight against “Russian propaganda” to justify the persecution of dissenters. On September 25, 2023, Maia Sandu said on a local television channel that the cities and villages that elect representatives of “criminal groups” would be denied European funding they need for development. I think it is a perfect example of the “European values” upheld by Sandu and other politicians like her, who defame and use unlawful methods against their opponents, including economic and financial sanctions and military force, like it happened in the countries NATO has destroyed – Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya.
As for the election of “representatives of criminal groups,” where was the Sandu government looking before? Why are these criminal groups still at large? The blame for this lies with the Moldovan administration, which is now inventing tales about Moldovan citizens voting for “representatives of criminal groups.” This is ridiculous. Why did the country’s security and law enforcement authorities sit on their hands before?
I would like to say a few words about the “values” which Maia Sandu is striving for, and which are allegedly incompatible with cooperation with Russia. Now, to the values. Can you name them? What values are these, and how are they implemented in practice? I would like to see a list of values with concrete examples, without expanding on democracy and freedom of speech. Concrete examples only. Ms Sandu, I can also give you a few concrete examples of how European “values” are being implemented in Europe.
Figure skater Margarita Drobyazko’s Lithuanian citizenship revoked
In Lithuania, a smear campaign is underway against famous figure skater Margarita Drobyazko following her participation in popular Russian ice shows.
The Lithuanian authorities have already stripped her of her state awards under a made-up, absurd pretext: the athlete allegedly is a threat to the country’s national security. What kind of values are these? Athletes achieve success through hard work, discipline, nerve and willpower, and then become a threat to these values? Is this what the Maia Sandu regime aims for, harassing those who want to communicate with their Russian friends, partners and brothers?
Now, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda has signed an order to revoke the figure skater’s Lithuanian citizenship. This measure, as even Lithuanian experts famous for their agenda-driven position say, is a blatant violation of not only local legislation, but international and European human rights standards. This is pure dictatorship and oppression of any rights and laws.
What are European values? First of all, it is the rule of law, legality and presumption of innocence. There is none of that any more. It is just that Maia Sandu does not tell Moldovan citizens about that. And I will tell them what else these values are: liberal economy, free economic relations based on the principles of a free market. What is left of all of this in the seemingly European, but de-facto EU space? Only illegal, illegitimate, unilateral sanctions and manual control of the regimes, including by all these superstructural agencies like the European Commission, of all the economic and financial flows, as well as the wildest corruption that became patently clear during the pandemic, when US-made vaccines were purchased for EU consumers for crazy multibillion prices. What else? Traditions, religion, history – all of this has long been gone in the EU countries because it was suppressed by endless ranting about tolerance and new ethics. No original works can be staged in theatres and screened in cinemas anymore. Everything is being rewritten and amended to accommodate the new normal. These are the values Maia Sandu calls for to replace cooperation with our country.
The true European values are preserved in Russia. They are about respect for traditions, world religions, the free market and the development of the media, not selectively but based on the laws of every country, respect for the law, jurisprudence, and presumption of innocence. But nobody will tell you about it. I am addressing Moldovan citizens because in that country, television is now segregated as well.
As for Margarita Drobyazko, the reason behind the Lithuanian authorities’ attack is obvious: to scare their own citizens, all those who, despite Vilnius’s Russophobic propaganda, continue to live and work in our country, who do not deny but emphasise their ties with their historical Motherland, our common past and culture. None of these things are of any use in the liberal dictatorship and have been trampled.
Russia’s assistance after Storm Daniel in Libya
A Russian Emergencies Ministry team is completing its mission in Libya as per the instructions of Minister Alexander Kurenkov. For 10 days, a group of over 100 Russian rescuers has worked around the clock to clear up the consequences of Storm Daniel in the most complicated and dangerous areas.
The team included rescuers, divers, medics, psychologists, dog handlers and drone operators.
Overall, the ministry’s team has cleared away nearly 2,000 cubic metres of structures and wreckage and inspected 610,000 square metres of land area and 108 kilometres of shoreline. They found 49 flooded facilities and raised 17 boats and cars to the surface.
The team found and removed 153 bodies, 140 of them in hard-to-reach areas, and provided medical assistance to over 670 people, including 67 children.
Results of the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee
The extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee ended in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 25, 2023. The committee consisted of representatives from 21 countries, including Russia.
We assess the session results as extremely positive. The committee unanimously approved the addition of the 32nd Russian property, the Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University, to the World Heritage List.
This is the second Russian observatory to be added to this prestigious list and the second purely scientific and non-religious or cultural heritage site in Russia. The first is the Struve Geodetic Arc, which runs across 10 European countries, including Russia.
A special value of the Kazan Observatories, built in the 19th century, is that they continue to be used for their designated purpose and are making a substantial contribution to global astronomical science.
The committee also examined the state of conservation of 11 World Heritage properties located in Russia and adopted balanced and unbiased resolutions. For example, the member states accepted our arguments regarding the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, which were recommended for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger before the session. The committee welcomed Russia’s efforts to enhance the conservation status of the property such as the creation of a specially protected federal area at Klyuchevskoy Nature Park and the Southern Kamchatka State Nature Reserve. The project has been launched and is being implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The attainment of these results was largely facilitated by the simultaneous translation of the committee’s meetings into Russian. This allowed our experts to become fully involved in the discussion of all issues of importance for Russia. It is notable that the discussions were held in a purely professional, constructive and depoliticised spirit.
The discussion of World Heritage properties in Ukraine was held in a regular manner without any sensation. In this context, we were surprised to read the press release of the UNESCO Secretariat, which does not reflect the atmosphere of the meetings and contradicts the essence of the resolutions. It runs contrary to the neutral status of international officials and, in general, is beyond the purview of the Secretariat. We have noted with regret the bias of the UNESCO Secretariat’s staff, whose coverage of the session’s results was unprofessional and ran counter to the actual state of affairs.
30th anniversary of Victory and Independence Day in the Republic of Abkhazia
On September 30, the Republic of Abkhazia marks a national holiday, the Day of Victory and Independence (1993). With all our heart, we congratulate our Abkhaz friends. As per tradition on this anniversary date, messages of greetings from the leadership of the Russian Federation will be sent to the republic’s authorities. Ceremonial events in Sukhum will be attended by a high-level Russian delegation.
During these years, Abkhazia has achieved significant progress in state building, including strengthening the economy, increasing social support and the quality of life of its citizens, implementing important investment projects, expanding international ties, and increasing tourism. Russia has been providing assistance to these processes as part of foundational bilateral documents, including the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance of September 17, 2008, and the Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership of November 24, 2014, as well as investment programmes to facilitate the development of Abkhazia, and the programme to create a common social and economic space between our states.
We are interested in maintaining constructive cooperation and strengthening Russian-Abkhaz friendship in all areas.
The Republic of Guinea declared independence on October 2, 1958. Just two days later, on October 4, 1958, our country established diplomatic relations with Guinea.
For the past 65 years, Russian-Guinean ties have been friendly and are notable for mutual respect and consideration for each other’s national interests. A regular political dialogue at a high level is being maintained. A representative delegation from the Republic of Guinea led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, African Integration and Guineans Abroad Morissanda Kouyate, and also comprising President of the National Council of the Transition Dansa Kourouma, took part in the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit in July 2023 in St Petersburg. This March, Dansa Kourouma held talks with Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa second international parliamentary conference in Moscow. The participation of Guinean officials in these events confirmed our mutual intent to develop the entire range of bilateral relations.
Cooperation between the foreign ministries is developing successfully. In most cases, Russia and Guinea share common or similar positions as regards major international and regional issues. The unbiased voting by Guinea on the Ukraine situation and other anti-Russia initiatives at the UN General Assembly and other multilateral platforms shows that the republic’s authorities have a clear understanding of the true reasons behind current developments.
Bilateral trade and economic relations continue to develop. For over 20 years, one of Russia’s leading companies RUSAL has been successfully operating in Guinea’s mining sector. As a major investor, RUSAL pays special attention to the social welfare of its Guinean employees, including offers to receive a free higher education at Russian universities. Gold producer Nordgold, a subsidiary of Russia’s Severstal, is also operating in Guinea. These Russian companies provide jobs to over 5,000 Guinean citizens.
Ties with our Guinean partners in healthcare are also expanding. Experts from the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) work in Guinea regularly; Guinean medical personnel regularly visit themed conferences in Russia. Over the past few years, three medical centres have been opened in Guinea with Russia’s assistance. In the pandemic year of 2021, 400,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine worth $4 million were sent to Guinea.
Since 1996, Russia has resumed providing annual state scholarships to Guinean citizens. Over 2,000 Guineans have received education at Russian universities. The scholarship quota for Guinea for 2023/2024 has been increased severalfold.
We are ready to continue developing mutually beneficial cooperation in other areas in the interests of the peoples of our countries and to the benefit of peace and stability on the African continent. We relish the opportunity to wish all citizens of Guinea success, prosperity and wellbeing.
85th anniversary of the Munich Pact
September 30 is the day the Munich Pact was signed 85 years ago. That tragic and shameful event in European political history created conditions that led to WWII. It was an unpardonable decision. Everything the Western community, NATO and the EU are doing now is even worse, but it is the result of the contemptible, dishonourable and immoral Munich Pact.
On the night of September 29/30, 1938, Prime Minister of Britain Neville Chamberlain and Prime Minister of France Edouard Daladier met in Munich, where they signed an agreement with Adolf Hitler, mediated by head of fascist Italia Benito Mussolini, on the annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland by Germany.
Poland and Hungary took part in that criminal division of a sovereign European state. Special supplements to the text of the agreement stipulated the settlement of the issue of Polish and Hungarian minorities in Czechoslovakia “within three months.” Later, Poland and Hungary annexed Czechoslovakia‘s most attractive parts – Teschen Silesia, Transcarpathian Ukraine and part of Slovakia. The Polish government acted so impatiently that even the Western establishment was shocked. As Winston Churchill said, Poland “with hyena appetite… joined in the pillage and destruction of the Czechoslovak State.”
The Western European leaders chose the tactic of appeasing the aggressor by feeding a sovereign Czechoslovak state to it, thereby hoping to deflect the threat they were facing and to redirect the powerful German army towards the east, that is, the Soviet Union. Later the same day, on September 30, 1938, Britain and Hitler signed a declaration that essentially amounted to a non-aggression pact. Three months later, on December 6, 1938, France and Germany signed a similar declaration.
I would like to point out that at that time Britain and France had alliance agreements with Czechoslovakia, and that therefore they were morally responsible for the abuse of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a classic example of the catastrophic consequences of the Western countries’ disregard for the standards of international law and belief in their own exceptionalism.
September 30, 1938, is a date the West chooses not to remember. Neither London nor Paris have issued a formal apology to the Czech and Slovak people for the crime they committed against their state.
Russian historians have long ago provided a clear-cut assessment of the Western countries’ role in the Munich Pact. Relevant materials have been published, inter alia, on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2008, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the “agreements” signed in Munich, we declassified archival documents where you can read in detail about the reasons that pushed London and Paris towards collusion with Hitler. In 2018, a large exhibition titled Munich 1938. On the Eve of Catastrophe, opened based on materials from Russian Archives and the Russian Historical Society (the exhibition is now available on the website of the State Archive of the Russian Federation).
The Russian academic community continues working to bring the truth about the Munich Pact to light. Today, prominent historians will take part in a news conference on the 85th anniversary of the Munich Pact held at the Rossiya Segodnya International Multimedia Press Centre.
We believe that London and Paris must accept responsibility for the events that took place 85 years ago. Today, as the collective West supports the criminal regime in Kiev, the Munich Pact signed on September 30, 1938, should remind the world about the consequences of flirting with Nazism.
Today, as the historical facts of the 19th, 18th and 17th centuries are being revised, London and Paris might as well recognise the criminal nature of the Munich Pact, which they signed.
The 195th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil
October 3 marks the 195th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil. On this occasion, the Foreign Ministry and the Embassy of Brazil are planning to organise a number of events.
The Foreign Ministry will host an exhibition of archival materials and photos illustrating the history of bilateral relations, which began on October 3, 1828, with an executive order on appointing Franz Borel the first Russian Envoy to Brazil. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, heads of BRICS and Latin American states’ diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow, representatives of Russian political, academic and business circles and the media will take part in the opening of the exhibition (we will announce the date in advance).
The foreign ministers of Russia and Brazil will exchange greetings on the 195th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The Russian diplomatic missions in Brazil and the Brazilian diplomatic mission in Moscow are planning to hold various events. The Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn (International Life) journal will carry an article by Sergey Lavrov on the history of Russian-Brazilian ties and their current status.
Today, our countries are linked by relations of strategic partnership. Brazil is Russia’s key partner in the Latin American and Caribbean region and the world. Our countries maintain active political dialogue, expand cooperation in trade, the economy, science, technology, culture and the humanitarian sphere, and work together constructively at key international platforms, primarily the UN, BRICS and the G20.
International Day for Universal Access to Information
September 28 marks the International Day for Universal Access to Information, established by the UNESCO General Conference in 2015.
The initial purpose of this date is to remind the global community about each person’s fundamental right to freely search for, receive and distribute information. It was outlined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Even back then, it was acknowledged at the global level that the desire to gain an objective understanding of current events is a natural and inalienable need of people, and global and equal access to information is the pillar of a healthy democratic society. States took up the responsibility to provide all the necessary conditions to implement this right to the fullest. And now it seems that it was a false start. It seems that after 2015, everything went wrong despite this document.
The very same countries of the collective West that were the loudest when proclaiming their democracy and that tried to lecture the rest of the world have without hesitation transitioned to total censorship in their desire to suppress all outbreaks of dissent. In violation of all international obligations, they literally eradicated the sources of alternative points of view from the information space their controlled. First of all, they got rid of the Russian media and media resources and used every repressive trick in the book: from politically motivated bans on broadcasting and blocking websites to psychological pressure on journalists and their criminal prosecution.
The neo-liberal dictatorships, which is what we call them now, have utilised the huge potential of Western IT companies and mainstream media giants to suppress all attempts of their societies to look at the situation in their states from a different angle and take a critical look at the actions of their officials as regards our country. It is nothing but the zombification of their population with a Russophobic rhetoric. The neo-liberal West is aggressively forcing this approach on other members of the global community and demanding that they stop broadcasting Russian television and radio channels that are popular with the local audience. What will it lead to? We can see this if we look at several countries. The ban on Russian channels is the first sign of an upcoming crisis in these countries.
It is very telling that this year’s international day centres around the theme of "the importance of the online space for access to information," especially given the current development of the digital space. It is there where the accounts of the Russian media and journalists are getting blocked, deleted and marked through the efforts of internet monopolies that follow Washington’s cue. In the Foreign Ministry, we have repeatedly faced such cases of arbitrary treatment and political censorship. We have told you about it many times.
A flagrant display of hypocrisy, cruelty and immorality in the “advanced democracies” and international organisations they have usurped was the lack of any reaction to the terrorist attacks masterminded by the Kiev regime against Russian journalists and publicists, and the deliberate disregard of the cruel murders of Darya Dugina, Vladlen Tatarsky, Oleg Klokov, Rostislav Zhuravlyov and other media representatives. These people were murdered; there have also been attempted assassinations, attacks, threats, intimidation, blackmail, etc. All of this creates a catastrophic background for the International Day for Universal Access to Information. Instead of making merry, we should probably ask ourselves if there is anything to celebrate at all. Or maybe we should ring an alarm.
The West continues to persecute the Russian media. We have already noted that the Foreign Ministry website has a special, regularly updated section that lists cases of discrimination against the Russian media and journalists that have been recorded since February 2022. To understand the scale of this problem, I recommend that you go visit this section.
September 30 marks International Translation Day established by UN General Assembly resolution No. 71/288 of May 24, 2017. It coincides with the Feast of St Jerome, who made the canonical translation of the Bible into Latin and is considered the patron saint of translators.
In today’s international environment, the importance of translation and the responsibility that lies with translators is steadily increasing. They are the ones who are always near politicians and broadcast their statements to the whole world during international talks and summits, where essential decisions are made that determine the fate of humanity for many years to come. Maintaining peace and prosperity across the world, bringing nations closer together, developing global dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation, ensuring and strengthening international security largely depend on the competent and well-coordinated work of translators and their ability to quickly navigate difficult situations.
Translation as an activity has so many aspects that no artificial intelligence can compete with humans in literary, technical, political and other types of translations. That is why we stand against initiatives for the quick and not always justified introduction of machine translation technologies into the operation of linguistic services at various international organisations, including the UN. All in good measure and as it develops. Everything must be combined in a balanced way, based on effectiveness and efficiency.
The Foreign Ministry traditionally pays great attention to studying foreign languages and improving translation skills. The Department of Linguistic Support, which grew out of the USSR Foreign Ministry Translation Bureau established in 1955, unites highly qualified specialists who have been successfully providing translation support for the activities of the country’s top leadership for many years.
Question: Would you comment on the US authorities’ refusal to invite Russia to the APEC summit?
Maria Zakharova: We have seen Washington’s decision that you are referring to. It is fully in line with the US’ behaviour, which, as usual, is neglecting its international responsibilities as host country.
Suffice it to remember that this harmful practice has been going on for many years at the UN, where the United States violates shamelessly and systematically the fundamental 1947 Agreement on the Organisation’s Headquarters by refusing to issue visas to official representatives of Russia and other countries. During the recently concluded High-Level Week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was forced to once again call on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to quickly launch an arbitration procedure against the US on this. It is regrettable that the Secretariat management avoids this long overdue step, thus encouraging the irresponsible actions by the US. This is just an example to remind you that the US has been behaving this way for a long time and with many countries.
Now about APEC. We are not the only APEC economy that is facing this problem. The confrontation provoked by the Americans is not only spearheaded against Russia, as we all know. Washington nourishes the feeling of its exceptionalism and, imagines itself to be an international referee, constantly trying to use the levers of dictatorship and the language of ultimatums in relation to a variety of international partners. Now they are practicing this at APEC.
What shall we do? We will continue to insist that the US fully implements its obligations at APEC, because we believe it is fundamentally important to preserve APEC as a constructive platform for inclusive dialogue, which cannot be usurped by any party for its own selfish purposes. We will work closely with our other partners who share our approach, urging our colleagues to more actively protest against the flawed line of the US. We will react accordingly as the situation unfolds.
Question: How would you describe the current humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh?
Maria Zakharova: We see that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains complicated, to put it mildly. First of all, we would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the explosion at the fuel and lubricants depot near Stepanakert/Khankendi on September 25, and to wish the injured a speedy recovery. Russian peacekeepers were active in extinguishing the fire and providing emergency medical aid on the spot. The 165 Nagorno-Karabakh residents who were seriously wounded in this tragic incident were evacuated by Russian helicopters to Armenia for further treatment in a specialised hospital.
We will continue to make every effort to normalise the local people’s life. The Russian peacekeeping contingent is selflessly fulfilling its duty and remains the main stabilising factor in the region.
Maria Zakharova: Why are you asking me why the United States would put an end to it? We see that they do not want it to end, and all the verbal gymnastics that mentions “negotiations,” “peace,” etc., are just a distraction. Their main efforts are focused on extending this conflict, prolonging it as much as possible, whether simmering or active. They are prepared to do anything to make sure that this wound never heals: send arms, provide political support, money and get directly involved with their instructors, services and mercenaries.
Speaking about the Ukraine crisis earlier, I touched upon the issue of arms supplies. We have repeatedly said that nothing, not even the Kiev regime’s barbaric crimes against the civilian population, has stopped the United States from sending more weapons to Ukraine. Today I mentioned the figures that we have concerning the scale of these supplies. The numbers of weapons supplied have decreased, but they still continue. The United States also continues to press the European Union to extend similar support for the needs of the Kiev regime. No, they are not going to stop.
To your second question, as to what should be done to resolve the conflict around Ukraine – this pumping its army full of weapons needs to stop, and the Kiev regime needs to stop fighting and withdraw its troops from Russian territories.
This sponsorship of the terrorist regime in Kiev needs to stop in the first place. The US as well as other Western, NATO-centric countries have laws forbidding the sponsorship of terrorism and terrorist regimes and legal prosecution of those who do. The Kiev regime is a terrorist regime. Different countries will have different terms. In some countries, it is terrorism, others define it as a terrorist regime, still others mention terrorists, but this is immaterial. It is clear to everyone by now that the acts they are committing amount to terrorism: the systematic intimidation and abuse of civilians and sabotage of civilian facilities. That Zelensky and his gang are pursuing terrorist activity is obvious. The United States is sponsoring all this in defiance of its own laws.
Maria Zakharova: Can you please stop mentioning “red lines.” We have repeatedly corrected journalists who choose to use these terms. What “red lines” are you talking about? This can obviously be qualified as sponsorship of the Kiev regime’s terrorist activities by Western countries led by the United States. This applies to your question as well.
As regards sending long-range ATACMS missiles to the Kiev regime, we should understand (I am confident that Washington is aware of this, but not US voters) that the Kiev criminal regime will be essentially using this type of weapon for terrorist purposes to attack civilian facilities and residential areas in Donbass and Crimean cities. They have already done this using munitions fired from American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems as well as 155 mm cluster munitions fired from NATO-style artillery systems, and will now do this using ATACMS long-range missiles.
This will lead to even greater suffering among the innocent civilians in Crimea and Novorossiya, who have been subjected to intimidation and genocide since 2014. This will result in retaliatory measures and more deaths among Ukrainian citizens as well as of those associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A legal and historical assessment will be made in this regard. We just spoke about WWII, but many failed to get it right away. The same countries supported and sponsored Nazism but had to face rebuff from the Soviet Union and the Red Army, which fought against Hitlerism. This resulted in the grown of anti-fascist movement. This is how it will be this time as well, and we can already see the trend.
Maria Zakharova: First, I would like to say that the matter of restrictions on food imports is not a subject to be addressed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but by our specialised agencies including the Ministry of Agriculture, Rospotrebnadzor and other authorised bodies. They always provide thorough comments on such matters.
Second, as I understand, this statement by the Japanese side is directly linked to the mentioned issue. Tokyo called on Moscow to rely on scientific facts when introducing restrictions. Can I respond to Tokyo as well? We urge Tokyo to rely on science when choosing to support the Kiev regime. I hope that Tokyo will analyse the recent incident in the Canadian parliament from a scientific point of view. History is a science.
Maria Zakharova: Perhaps it is better to ask Yerevan about the Armenian response to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement. I think that even a deaf person would hear what is going on there. This is not the matter of Moscow’s reaction alone. The reaction has swept across the world.
Generally, contacts are maintained at different levels. We hope that our signals will be heard and properly understood. In many respects, our reaction is a response and the statement says as much.
Russia has always cherished its allied relations with Armenia and has never taken the lead in aggravating these relations. It has done whatever it can to support the people of Armenia in the most difficult situations. And this will be so in the future. We proceed from the premise that all agreements on developing bilateral cooperation will continue to be implemented in the interests of both countries.
Maria Zakharova: We see how quickly developments on the ground are moving. We know the situation’s prehistory well: in the current period, in the Soviet period, and before. I wouldn’t comment on history for two reasons. First, the current situation is developing quickly and calls for a running commentary rather than anything else. Second, it takes a lot of time to comment on facts of history. I think this question is better addressed to professional historians and experts.
Let me pass to the second point related to the current situation. Armenia and Azerbaijan have recognised the territorial integrity of each other and henceforth will be guided by this principle in their practical actions. Russia is interested in stability in the South Caucasus and is in favour of dealing with all disputes exclusively by political and diplomatic means.
At the same time, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are our allies. With Yerevan, we are linked by security obligations both bilaterally and within the CSTO. With Baku, we are successfully implementing the Declaration on Allied Interaction signed at the highest level in Moscow on February 22, 2022.
As far as the unblocking of transport routes in the region is concerned, this issue is being thoroughly considered by the Trilateral Working Group co-chaired by deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. We are confident that a mutually acceptable solution can and must be found precisely in this format, a solution that would guarantee each country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the routes crossing its national territory. Based on a balance of interests, these agreements will benefit both the states in the region and their neighbours, including Russia, Türkiye, and Iran.
Maria Zakharova: It is funny and sad at the same time. Why is it sad? It concerns many candidates, politicians and public figures asserting their right to be heard in contemporary Moldova. Their homes are being searched, they are being arrested and harassed. This is really sad and tragic.
Why is it funny? Prior to the general local election in Moldova that will take place on November 5, the US Administration has been actively involved in “reforming” the Moldovan information security and law enforcement sectors. The goal is to neutralise the Russian information presence and create police tools for the pro-American regime in Chisinau.
I would like to point out something else. Two American delegations were sent to Moldova to implement these plans on September 18-19, 2023, led by Special Envoy and Coordinator for the US Department of State’s Global Engagement Center James Rubin and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Rachel Schiller. So, my question is: have there been searches at the homes of Moldovan officials who met with James Rubin and Rachel Schiller? Or does it only concern those citizens, politicians and public figures in Moldova who meet with Russian representatives and journalists? I think it is worth checking what the Moldovan officials who met with the representatives of the US Department of State and the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs were doing. What kind of meetings were there, what was agreed on, and what actually happened there. We would have asked these questions if we were the current regime in Chisinau.
Following these visits and talks with the Americans, the Moldovan government signed a memorandum on cooperation in counteracting foreign manipulation of information. A meeting also took place with Head of the Moldovan Border Service Rosian Vasiloi to discuss facilitating the modernisation of the country’s law enforcement agencies in accordance with the Western standards.
Does all this count as interference in Moldova’s affairs prior to the election? Is this not American influence on the minds of Moldovan voters as well as on the tools that are supposed to be democratic but now are driven by the agenda of the West and work in its interests? Maybe those who guard the interests of Moldova should look into whom Moldovan officials meet with and why.
Building on these contacts, on September 21, 2023, a new training centre for law enforcers opened in the country to improve the potential of the Moldovan police as part of the UN development programme, financed by the US. There you have it.
I very much hope that there is no direct connection with our meeting with Natalia Paraska, and that the pressure on the Revival Party is not connected to Russia, considering the many years of history of relations between our countries. But I see what is going on. It’s hard not to notice this American incursion ahead of the elections in Moldova that directly relates to areas that regulate the pre-election situation in Moldova.
I want to express hope that these developments will not be a harbinger of a political crisis and will be resolved solely by legal means. I am talking now both about Natalia Paraska and many public and political figures in Moldova, including journalists.
Maria Zakharova: I think I can address this question in two ways, depending on what exactly Pavel Klimkin meant. Thank God I am not familiar with his thought process.
When it comes to mentioning Ukraine and the Ukrainian crisis in general, it still remains a priority.
Countries are conventionally divided into two groups. Those in the first group take every effort to support the Kiev regime, praising themselves for their own efforts as well as for pumping Ukraine up with weapons, and talking about ways to “handle” Russia, which are just their sick fantasies.
The second group of countries is making attempts to articulate their stance on resolving the crisis. This is obvious for many countries, even despite their non-involvement and non-engagement in this situation. They are aware this is a pivotal issue that affects many developments in all areas of global and international relations. From this perspective, this issue is of concern for many. There have been over 20 (and now many more) draft visions that offer ways to initiate a settlement. Credit should be given to countries that are basically not involved in the regional agenda and have never had any connection to this crisis but are willing to make their contribution. These are states and governments, sometimes certain individuals, as well as political and public figures. We can only praise their efforts and their constructive attitude. In this regard, this topic is active.
It is another matter if Pavel Klimkin was perhaps saying things that many people are now mentioning in or around Ukraine, those who until recently had fully associated themselves with the Zelensky and the Kiev regime. He may have meant that people no longer have the same attention and enthusiasm and gasping at the sight of Vladimir Zelensky the way they used to. Rather, there is a reverse reaction – annoyance, disgust and mockery. This is obvious everywhere, ranging from US media articles to an enormous mocking video postcard on New York streets with the message “Glory to Urine.” Sorry, but millions of people have seen it not only on the streets but also as a viral video on the web.
Those who now pretend to be disgusted saying there are tired of Vladimir Zelensky are actually their own victims. They created this image for him, coming up with the camouflage, worn-out dirty T-shirts and pants of obscure colour. They staged photographs and reports near the bunkers on Bankovaya Street and by sandbags. It was them who came up with an idea for Vladimir Zelensky and his wife to pose in those “field conditions”. Now they are reaping what they sowed; they have an image of a dictator that they cannot get rid of anymore, no matter what Zelensky wears, how he looks, or how much effort he puts into looking proper. This is it: the image has already been created, an image of a dictator who was depicted as a caricature by Hollywood when talking about the regimes that represent the “axis of evil.” Remember Dr Evil and many others? Now this image has come to life as the figure of Vladimir Zelensky and all those who were involved in designing his clothes and shoes and came up with ideas for his facial expressions, gestures and speech. They got what they wanted. I agree with Pavel Klimkin (which is a rare occurrence) that interest expressed as the bravado of applause and praise is now gone.
To the Western liberal democracies: come and collect what’s yours. This is your client, your creation (I would rather say “creature”). Now you are nursing him, and you can’t be squeamish. You gave him life, now you will… (here I will refrain from quoting the classics and citing Taras Bulba’s words). Just live with it.
Maria Zakharova: I have already said at the beginning of the briefing that contacts are being maintained. You should not pay attention to those who are now making extremist statements of various kinds or who question our relations. This will all pass. We have already seen this in the example of other countries. We understand who is inciting such sentiments.
Believe me, the people of Armenia have gone through many trials in life. Such life tragedies may not have befallen any other nation. It knows who is an enemy, who is a friend, and who is not. The people of Armenia know that help in various types and formats has always come from Russia. It came from its territory, which received a huge number of people from Armenia at different historical moments. It was also in the form of our peacekeepers, our humanitarian aid, and economic support. It varied. The people of Armenia know and remember this. Despite the fact that colossal resources are now being invested in shaping the media landscape in this country. Two thousand people are employed at the US Embassy to be engaged in exactly this: shaping the media landscape of Armenia.
I repeat, we can see this. Just like everyone else. This too shall pass. I hope for everyone that this will pass with minimal consequences, although we know that wherever the American “foot” treads or the American “hand” touches, unfortunately, is subject to profound crises. Now, unfortunately, we can see this in the region, because over the past year, the Western world, Washington, Brussels, and Paris have pronounced themselves new mediators and guarantors. You can see what all this has led to.
Russia is carrying on its mission. Our peacekeepers are in the region. This is the best confirmation of our intentions and true attitude. Let me repeat that Russia has always cared about its alliance with Armenia. We will never be the cause of our relations deteriorating.
We assume that all agreements on the development of bilateral cooperation will continue to be implemented in the interests of the two nations.
Maria Zakharova: I commented on this earlier in response to a similar question.
Maria Zakharova: I just covered this. The United States is providing aid in smaller amounts. However, it’s important to remember that they also have electoral cycles. American voters are starting to ask uncomfortable questions. Why is the Biden administration helping the Ukrainian government more than its own citizens? Why isn’t the United States, which is clearly in the grips of an economic crisis (they reject the term “recession,” but the crisis is clearly there) receiving the same amount of assistance from the government and the White House as the Kiev regime, given the failed counteroffensive plans and everything that Washington promised Kiev? So, things are being adjusted on the go. Concurrently, substantial material, military technical, financial, ideological, and political support is being provided, which includes Washington pressuring its NATO allies.
Maria Zakharova: We believe that the contents of this document are of interest to a wide range of readers, primarily international relations experts.
Earlier this year, President Putin approved a revised version of Russia's Foreign Policy Concept. Many provisions of our document are similar or even overlap the Chinese concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind.
In particular, we share the call for solidarity within the global community and the pooling of efforts to respond to the common challenges of our time, as well as to opposing conventional and unconventional security threats. Together with China, we advocate the establishment of a fairer world order, equal partnerships, the development of interstate relations based on the UN Charter and international law, rather than some rules-based order promoted by the West.
These are the examples of either alignment or the total overlapping of our points of view.
Maria Zakharova: The issue is about the container launch system designated Mk70, which was based on Mk41 modules, and enables the use of not only the aforementioned SM-6 missile adapted from an anti-ballistic interceptor to engage both ground and surface targets but also much longer-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
This is not the first time this launch system has shown up in Europe. A year ago, the US Navy deployed what was essentially a prototype of the Mk70 to one of the NATO countries in Europe for the purpose of “demonstrating” this capability.
However, the details of this “demonstration” were somewhat vague at the time, with Pentagon officials hesitating to specify the particular country where it took place. Furthermore, the US State Department has remained silent in recent years regarding any active military preparations for the deployment of ground-based intermediate-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
In keeping with its established tradition, whenever it doesn’t look good for the United States, it pretends nothing is happening. The State Department claims nothing is happening in this area, either. They even “overlooked” the scandal involving Zelensky’s collaborationist actions in the Canadian Parliament. Similarly, they “fail to see” their own actions.
Now, the US Navy has conspicuously moved to the practical use of the nearly operational Mk70 launch system during military exercises conducted in Europe with the involvement of US NATO allies. Therefore, Washington has effectively begun practical preparations for the deployment of missile systems previously banned by the discarded INF Treaty to the European theatre of operations.
In the context of Russia's unilateral moratorium on the ground-based deployment of intermediate-range missiles, we are closely monitoring every step taken by the United States to implement destabilising plans involving the deployment of such weapons. As a reminder, the viability of the Russian moratorium is directly tied to the presence of US missiles in the above class in respective regions. We would like the American media to pay attention to this information, so they are not caught off guard by anything in the future.
Maria Zakharova: I have partially commented on this matter. I can add that, according to available information, the United States and its NATO allies have sent a limited number of older model Abrams tanks to Ukraine from their military storage facilities. Certain experts believe this won’t change the situation in the contact zone between the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the armed formations of the Kiev regime.
Regarding the recent missile strikes on the Crimean Peninsula and specifically on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, British-French air-to-ground Storm Shadow missiles supplied by London were used in these strikes. Ukrainian front-line aircraft, specifically MiG-29 and Su-24, were modified and used as launch platforms.
Maria Zakharova: A fantasiser, that’s all I can say. Only someone with a rich imagination could say that.
It’s unclear what he’s talking about. Perhaps President Macron knows something about territorial integrity that no one else does. We would like him to share his insights. I would like to know what he means. Maybe we are really unaware of something. If so, I want to let everyone know that nobody else knows this except Macron or those who wrote it for him. I think it’s just more hypocrisy. He is using such statements to show the inner workings of ongoing developments.
Before that, they said Armenian officials were trying to shift responsibility for their actions onto others. Now, we see who encouraged Yerevan to take certain steps. President of France Emmanuel Macron used strange terminology about the threat to territorial integrity without specifying what he meant and then shifted responsibility onto Russia. Apparently, they used the same technique to inspire Yerevan to take certain steps, shifting responsibility to Russia or anyone else for that matter.
We are well aware of such tactics by the French authorities in the context of the African continent. Many African countries said Paris did about the same there as well. First, it promised things, and then failed to deliver on them. First, it talked about Napoleonic plans, and then in a critical moment, it stepped back or even left the country, literally putting its partners in a tight spot and creating an explosive situation in these regions. It’s a mix of incitement and provocative language.
The actions by French representatives clearly show their engagement in the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process. They acted not as impartial mediators seeking to restore peace in the region, but rather pursued their own political interests.
I liked the phrase; the way it is constructed is excellent. All you need to do is rearrange the words: “France is the Kiev regime’s accomplice, which could threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity.” It’s brilliant. I suggest that the Elysée Palace use it widely. This is my gift to them.
Maria Zakharova: On September 21, 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko met with South Korean Ambassador Lee Do-hoon. The relevant information is available on the Foreign Ministry’s website. Russia’s position in response to Seoul’s reaction to the visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to our country was made abundantly clear during the September 19 briefing.
Maria Zakharova: The Foreign Ministry statement that you mentioned contains answers to most of your questions. It emphasises that the United States and other NATO countries have set a goal to destabilise our common Eurasian space. Even before this, the West has viewed the post-Soviet territory as an arena of geopolitical rivalry with Russia. With the Ukraine events as a backdrop, they stopped hiding their end goal of ousting Moscow from the South Caucasus. To achieve this, they are prepared to go to any length, no matter how many victims that entails, including military escalation or undermining stability in one or another country.
We can see the Americans’ destructive and obsessive determination to manipulate Yerevan. Consider the flock swarming over the country: USAID Administrator Samantha Power, known for her Russophobia; acting Assistant Secretary of State Yuri Kim, who recently admitted during a Senate hearing that the US was diverting countries from alliance, interaction or cooperation with Russia; and a congressional delegation led by Senator Gary Peters. This is just in the last few days and something that no one is denying because it’s on the surface.
According to the incoming reports, Washington and Brussels are trying to persuade Armenian leadership to withdraw from the CSTO, step up cooperation with NATO, reorient military-technical cooperation, and sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan while disregarding the rights and security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.
We also see that in pursuit of these goals, the West has forgotten about any human rights values. This is just another manifestation of pseudo-democracy: they turn a blind eye to the harassment, beatings and arrests of protesters in Armenia. They have always said this was Armenia’s internal business, the country would sort it out. On the other hand, the US seems to notice every protester in Iran, for example. If they can see what is going on in Iran from up there in the State Department, they can probably see what is going on in Yerevan as well. I think so, but no, they are silent. They do not see and do not want to comment on what the opposition leaders are facing, how they are being threatened if the rallies continue. This is not even double standards. This is a total lack of standards. They are trampling upon their own democratic values. In fact, this is interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
Maria Zakharova: The mission’s status and format are still being discussed.
As for consular services for Russians living in the northern part of Cyprus, the need for consular assistance has long been apparent. I would say it is long overdue. Presently, a regular consular delegation was dispatched to the northern part of Nicosia on September 21 as part of providing our citizens with the necessary range of services. The effort included two mobile facilities that could process applications for biometric passports. More than 70 applications were accepted, and 15 passports were issued to underage citizens. They also accepted plenty of applications for Russian citizenship for children. The consular staff also visited Russians who could not show up for health reasons.
We will continue doing this. The total number of people who have received consular services in northern Nicosia or have made appointments is approaching 1,000, according to the most recent reports. The next consular session will take place at the end of September.
Maria Zakharova: The procedure for the processing and issuance of Russian passports is established by Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996, On the Procedure for Exiting the Russian Federation and Entering the Russian Federation. In accordance with this document, citizens of the Russian Federation residing outside its territory may apply for a passport for traveling abroad to diplomatic missions or consular offices of the Russian Federation in the country of their stay.
The date of submission of an application for a passport is considered to be the day of submission of all the duly executed documents provided for in Article 9 of the above Federal Law, as well as photographs. When submitting an application, a citizen of the Russian Federation shall present the main document certifying his/her identity, i.e. a valid foreign travel or regular Russian passport. In their absence or expiration, the applicant’s citizenship of the Russian Federation is verified. Accepting an application for a passport from a person who does not have a valid identity document confirming Russian citizenship may be considered a criminal offence.
When accepting an application, the consular officer should establish the identity of the applicant and make sure that all the necessary documents are present and valid. For that reason, the three-month deadline for the issuance of a passport for traveling abroad by a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Russian Federation cannot be calculated from the date of completing a preliminary application on the relevant website.
Unfortunately, the measures taken by a number of unfriendly states to reduce the Russian diplomatic presence in these countries have indeed had a negative impact on the availability of consular services for the processing and issuance of foreign travel passports in Russian diplomatic missions, the workload of which has now increased significantly. Their staff will continue to do their best to provide Russian citizens with foreign travel passports in a timely manner, but under the circumstances it is not possible to guarantee this.
We recommend those whose passports are about to expire to make an appointment at a consulate in advance or to consider the possibility of exchanging their passports at the territorial branches of the Russian Ministry of the Interior.
We also draw your attention to the possibility of applying for both a foreign travel passport and a certificate of entry (return) to the Russian Federation on the basis of a regular Russian passport, which has a much longer validity period. For those Russians permanently residing abroad who have not yet received it, we recommend that they do so at any territorial branch of the Russian Ministry of the Interior during their next visit to the Russian Federation.
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