Briefing by Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department Alexey Zaitsev, Moscow, May 6, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming participation in the meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming participation in the 30th Assembly of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy (SVOP)
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming participation in New Horizons educational marathon
- Update on Ukraine
- World Press Freedom Day and rights of journalists and media around the world
- Terrorist attacks in Afghanistan
- Joint statement by Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand
- For the 77th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
- Celebration events planned outside Russia for the 77th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
- Exhibition of Pobeda vintage cars
- The unacceptability of nuclear conflict
- Fake news about full mobilisation
- The possibility of EU expansion in the Balkans
- Global food security
- The possibility of a nuclear provocation in Ukraine
- Japan’s statements
- EU “reforms”
- The Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement
- The Foreign Ministry’s awareness-raising efforts
On May 13, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend a regular meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council to be held in Dushanbe.
It is expected that the participants will exchange views on current regional and international topics as well as on promising directions in multi-faceted cooperation within the Commonwealth. There will be a focus on international security issues and on ways to strengthen cultural, humanitarian, and scientific ties.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also plans to hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.
On May 14, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in keeping with a long-standing tradition, will participate in the work of the annual Assembly of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy (SVOP), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Founded in 1992, SVOP is an authoritative Russian NGO and intellectual club whose members are leading experts on international relations. The Foreign Ministry has the highest regard for the level and quality of dialogue with the Russian expert community and attaches great importance to involving it in the foreign policy process.
During his contacts with SVOP members, Sergey Lavrov will share his assessments of the international situation, including in the context of the special military operation in Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming participation in New Horizons educational marathon
On May 17-19, the 3rd Educational Marathon by the Znaniye Society will take place under three themes: New Horizons, Russia’s Role in the World, and We Are Together. This landmark event will be held at five venues: VDNKh in Moscow, the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St Petersburg, the Znaniye studio in Sochi and the Znaniye studio at the Russian Internet Forum in the Moscow Region.
As per tradition, Russian and international politicians, prominent scientists, culture and art professionals, as well as famous athletes and entrepreneurs take part in the educational marathons, which are a venue for dialogue and exchange of opinions on a wide range of current issues.
On May 17, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will deliver a speech within the framework of the Role of Russia in the World track, on the theme Multipolar World: Russia at a New Stage of Global History, at the VDNKh platform (Russia – My History pavilion). The speech will be streamed live.
We will soon be celebrating Victory Day of the Red Army and the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. Seventy-seven years later, we are again forced to fight Nazism, which has reared its head in Ukraine.
Today, Ukrainian nationalists and foreign mercenaries are waging war against civilians in Ukraine and the republics of Donbass. Indiscriminate shelling of the DPR and LPR communities is carried out daily. Ukrainian military equipment is deployed in residential areas. Firing positions are built in hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
I will give you several examples. In Krasny Liman (DPR), which is occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalists have set up a stronghold in a nursing home, using its staff and residents as a human shield. The Ukrainian military made all the patients leave a hospital in Kiev-controlled Konstantinovka (DPR) and used the building for their own needs. A unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was located in a clinical emergency hospital in Zaporozhye, and armoured vehicles and artillery firing positions were deployed on its grounds. These are war crimes leading to civilian casualties.
There are increasingly more reports that the militants from the territorial defence units, in conjunction with the SBU, are conducting raids to identify local residents with pro-Russian views who condemn the Ukrainian authorities in Kharkov and other cities controlled by Kiev. They are detained and taken away to an unknown location.
Kiev continues to block the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia. Despite this, about 1.1 million people have already left for our country, including 201,000 children. Another 2.7 million people said they were willing to do so.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened 776 cases on the crimes committed by the Ukrainian armed forces against the civilians of Donbass and Russian military personnel. Work to find evidence and identify the perpetrators continues.
Meanwhile, peaceful life is being established in the areas liberated from the nationalists. The Russian military are clearing cities and farmland from thousands of mines and explosive devices planted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War are being restored. Grocery stores and public institutions are opening in Mariupol, and public transport has resumed service. More than 17,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid have been delivered to the DPR, the LPR and a number of Ukrainian regions.
Humanitarian corridors open daily for those willing to be removed from harm’s way. There is such a corridor for the evacuation of civilians from the underground facilities of the Azovstal plant. It is open from 8 am to 6 pm on May 5-7. The Russian military units have ceased hostilities during this period and are working to ensure the safe exit of citizens and their further movement in a direction of their choice.
The duplicitous policy of the NATO and EU countries continues to cause indignation. While calling for an early cessation of hostilities, they are doing everything to prevent this from happening. Arms deliveries to Ukraine are on the rise and are estimated at billions of US dollars. Washington alone has sent $3.8 billion worth of military products. The US Congress is reviewing a proposal to provide help to Ukraine worth $33 billion, including $20 billion for military products. Great Britain, France, Canada, Poland and the Baltic countries are actively involved in arms supplies, which leads to the prolongation of hostilities, the continued destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties.
Against this background, Kiev and its Western mentors’ lack of interest in a peaceful settlement becomes clear. Russian-Ukrainian talks are treading water. The Ukrainian politicians’ remarks speak volumes about their unwillingness to continue the talks. On May 4, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said he saw no future for the talks. National Security and Defence Council Secretary Alexey Danilov flat out rejected any chance of a peace treaty with Russia.
The above confirms the importance of fulfilling the goals of the special military operation to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, protect the people of the DPR and the LPR from genocide and eliminate threats to Russia emanating from Ukraine.
World Press Freedom Day and rights of journalists and media around the world
May 3 marked World Press Freedom Day established by the UN General Assembly in 1993 to draw the international community’s attention to the issue of free operation of the media and safety of journalists. This memorable date was established to emphasise the need to guarantee free access to information and pluralism of opinions as well as respect for the rights of journalists and the media. The largest media events are traditionally held to mark this date, designed to give added importance to this field as an integral part of fundamental human rights and democratic society.
What achievements in the area of the freedom of press marked this day in 2022, almost 30 years after it was established? How well does this date justify its name? Here are just a few characteristic threats to its image, which is far from untroubled.
As a co-organiser of the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference held in Uruguay on May 2-5, the UNESCO Secretariat rejected on a trumped-up pretext the Russian applications to hold a special session on the influence of large IT companies on the work of the media, as well as for our experts’ speeches in panel discussions, filed in full compliance with the organisation’s requirements. This procedure has basically blocked the participation of Russian representatives in these events, because we cannot accept the role of extras or observers at this once reputable forum turned into an anti-Russia hobnob at the prompting of several biased countries.
The Russian delegation could not arrive in New York in time for the 44th session of the UN General Assembly Committee on Information, which started on May 3, due to the US authorities’ delay in issuing visas to the Russian participants. As a result, the speech of the delegation head, the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, at the plenary session of the forum, was thwarted, and the participation of our experts in the Committee’s work on the final documents was extremely difficult.
At the same time, the EU is busily discussing the parameters of another package of sanctions against Russian media operators and certain representatives of the Russian media, as if there were no World Press Freedom Day at all. This comes on top of the sanctions and bans that have already been imposed. At the same time, they don’t even try to hide that the only criterion for getting included in the list is to deviate from the Western interpretation of international developments.
At the same time, representatives of the “advanced democracies” continue to speak from high tribunes about the high ideals of press freedom and honest journalism. Such a gap between lofty rhetoric and the real state of affairs is already becoming truly grotesque, which makes us wonder whether the Western elites still have at least a grain of sincere faith in their own fundamental norms and values.
Terrorist attacks in Afghanistan
In late April a wave of terrorist attacks swept across Afghanistan. Explosives were detonated in mosques in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and the Kunduz province. The targets were mainly members of ethnic and religious minorities. As a result, dozens of people were killed and at least a few hundred injured. We express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
The terrorist attacks once again confirm the need for more effective measures to combat international terrorism in Afghanistan. We call on the country's authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the population and to step up their fight against the ISIS insurgency that is trying to fan up the flames of religious extremism in multi-ethnic Afghan society.
Joint statement by Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand
We have taken note of the joint statement issued on May 4 by the foreign ministries of Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand – the countries presiding this year in the G20, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), respectively.
We can see in that document, which calls for inclusive cooperation and solidarity in addressing current challenges and threats, a common focus on ensuring positive momentum for regional development and collective solutions to the challenges of post-pandemic recovery. We consider such a statement by our friends in Southeast Asia to be an important contribution to strengthening multilateralism, building an atmosphere of cooperation and trust, mutual respect and a reciprocal consideration of interests, not only in the region but also globally.
We continue to support a strengthening of the central role of ASEAN in the system of interstate relations in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia has been and remains a constructive and responsible participant in global governance mechanisms and intends to continue the promotion of constructive and result-oriented international dialogue and interaction.
For the 77th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
On May 9, we mark one of our biggest holidays, the day of victory of the Red Army and Soviet people over Nazi Germany. The liberation of Europe and the world from Nazism thanks to the Soviet Union’s decisive contribution is a landmark event in global history that determined the outlook of the modern world.
At 10.43 pm on May 8, 1945 (00.43 am on May 9 Moscow time), Nazi Germany signed the act of unconditional surrender. May 9 was declared Victory Day by the executive order of the Supreme Soviet Presidium of the Soviet Union.
Victory Day is a day of nationwide pride and commemoration of those who did not spare their lives on the battlefronts of the Great Patriotic War and those who worked selflessly on the home front. It is a victory shared by all the peoples of the former Soviet Union, a victory which claimed millions of lives and brought suffering to every household and every family, and which we remember, with tears in our eyes, 77 years later.
The personnel of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs and other Soviet departments played their part in attaining victory, doing their patriotic and professional duty on the diplomatic front. It was to a large degree thanks to their efforts that conditions were created to ensure the defeat of the Third Reich by consolidating the anti-Hitler alliance of states, opening a Second Front in Europe in 1944 and derailing Nazi plans to enter into separate treaties behind Moscow’s back, which helped lay the foundations of the post-war architecture of global security, including the establishment of the UN and its Security Council.
Today, when the politicisation of history is becoming an element of international politics, we will direct our efforts towards precluding any attempts to rewrite the history of WWII, preserving the historical truth about the real role and place of the Soviet Union in the battle against the criminal Nazi ideology, and creating a modern system of international relations.
During the May festivities, various annual campaigns, such as St George’s Ribbon and the Immortal Regiment, will be held in many cities in Russia and abroad and wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and war memorials. A traditional military parade will be held in Red Square in Moscow on May 9.
In 2022, our compatriots in nearly 130 countries are preparing to hold events to celebrate the 77th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The largest of them will be the Immortal Regiment. Other events include the St George’s Ribbon, Candle of Memory and Windows of Victory campaigns, ceremonies to lay wreaths at memorials to Soviet soldiers, motor rallies, Lessons of Courage, photo exhibitions and film shows.
Today, it is more important than ever to preserve and strengthen the memory of the Soviet people’s heroic battle against Nazism and of our Great Victory. As part of celebration events for the 77th anniversary of Victory, we will post stories on the Ministry’s social account about the history of the Great Patriotic War, the heroism of Red Army servicemen, and the role our country played in liberating Europe and the world from Nazism. Remembering those events and the history of the war every year is like retracing the difficult path our heroic forefathers covered. Our foreign offices – embassies and consulates general – are actively contributing to these efforts. We launched the #FacesOfVictory campaign to tell everyone about outstanding war heroes and also the war veterans who are living abroad.
Memory Garden events are being held throughout the world. On May 4, an olive garden was opened at the historical site of the Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Hebron in memory of those who gave their lives during the Great Patriotic War. The garden was planted two years ago, but its opening was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the unprecedented Russophobic campaign underway in some countries, the communities of our compatriots abroad are resolved to hold commemoration events and are aware of their exceptional importance for preserving the historical truth about the war and for countering the attempts to falsify the history of the war. The Immortal Regiment is consolidating the Russian diaspora and symbolises our memory of those who fell fighting Nazism. According to the information available to us, the Immortal Regiment will march through the streets of 88 countries, including Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Serbia and Spain, as well as for the first time, Venezuela. In light of potential provocations, the organisers are paying considerable attention to ensuring the safety of the participants.
It is regrettable that the authorities of some countries are creating obstacles to those who wish to commemorate the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Public events on the occasion of May 9 and the wearing of the St George’s ribbon have been officially banned in the Baltics and Moldova. Our compatriots’ applications to hold the Immortal Regiment march have been denied in the United States, Ireland, Peru and several other countries.
We regard as unacceptable the attempts to prevent officials of the Russian offices abroad from attending official events celebrating the end of WWII, notably, at the former Nazi concentration camps in Germany and other European countries.
We urge the authorities of foreign states to take a reasonable and constructive stance regarding such events, so that everyone wishing to do so can pay tribute to the memory of those who defeated Nazism.
Exhibition of Pobeda vintage cars
The Foreign Ministry traditionally carefully considers and, if possible, gives a positive response to various public initiatives. Today we would like to announce another joint event with Russian civic activists. This time we are collaborating with the Interregional Public Organisation, M-20 Pobeda Autoclub. On May 10, from 12 noon to 5pm, the legendary Russian Pobeda cars will be displayed in front of the main building of our Ministry on Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square. We invite all Muscovites and tourists to come and meet the car owners. We hope the weather will not let us down.
We remember that the car got its name in honour of the Victory of the Soviet people. It is symbolic that the upcoming exposition is held on Victory Day and is a logical continuation of our other event – the display of a GAZ-AA truck at the same place, timed to coincide with the 78th anniversary of the Day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege.
Previously, Pobeda cars have been exhibited at the Museum of Victory on Poklonnaya Gora. We are confident that this event will be the beginning of a strong friendship with the Autoclub, which unites owners and enthusiasts of the Soviet automobile industry legend.
Alexey Zaitsev: We regard your question as yet another clumsy attempt to shift the UK public’s attention from truly important developments now unfolding in Ukraine to the discussion of seemingly absurd issues.
We do not know what particular statement aired by Russian television you are talking about. In any event, it obviously has nothing to do with quotations from statements by Russian officials. We have repeatedly provided exhaustive comments on topics related to nuclear weapons.
In his recent media interviews, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov primarily underscored the need to unfailingly honour understandings on the unacceptability of a nuclear war and, considering escalation risks, the unacceptability of any armed conflict between nuclear powers.
At the same time, speaking of risks and possible reasons for concern, they are not generated by Russian television and even UK media outlets, but, rather, by the direct actions of Western countries, including the deconstructive activities of UK authorities.
Alexey Zaitsev: Russian representatives have already refuted this. Let’s proceed from this. A clear answer was given, and we have nothing more to add.
Alexey Zaitsev: Understandably, EU members are making these non-binding statements to cheer up Western Balkan countries that are becoming more and more disappointed over the delayed process of their rapprochement with the European Union.
Another aspect is deplorable: It appears that Germany and some other EU countries have almost completely forgotten the lessons of history, and they continue to view the Western Balkans as a sphere of their exclusive geopolitical interests. They are openly including them in their “backyard.” At the same time, they are hypocritically accusing Russia of attempting to establish spheres of influence in Europe.
In turn, we have repeatedly noted the deleterious practice when the European integration aspirations of the Western Balkan countries are used for undisguised blackmail, unfair competition and for forcing out investment by non-EU countries that are making a real contribution to the socioeconomic growth and stability of Western Balkans. Under the pretext of following Brussels’ political line, Balkan countries are being forced to support anti-Russia sanctions and make an artificial choice to either side with the EU or Russia.
The EU-imposed agenda does not take into account the mentality, historical, linguistic, religious and cultural roots of Western Balkan countries. Its implementation is fraught with the loss of regional states’ sovereignty and the right to conduct an independent multifaceted foreign policy. By the way, no one guarantees that they will be able to join the EU in the foreseeable future.
We are urging the EU to renounce its neocolonialist ways and to adhere to a respectful and equitable approach towards neighbouring countries, including in the Western Balkans, in the future.
Alexey Zaitsev: Food security amid turbulence in the global economy has led to debates at international venues. The collective West is attempting to accuse Russia of provoking food shortages. Allegedly, Russia’s Special Military Operation is the main cause of the crisis.
We will not comment on these speculations. At the same time, we have no intention of avoiding a detailed discussion on the food security issue. In fact, a crisis is brewing on the global agro-industrial market. The roots are much deeper than it seems at first sight, and are primarily related to the miscalculations and accumulated system-wide errors in the Western countries’ macroeconomic, financial, trade and energy policies. The COVID-19 pandemic has made a contribution of its own, resulting in a breakdown of established production and supply chains.
The unprecedented surge in food prices we are seeing today is the direct consequence of huge financial inputs in the economies of the developed countries, inputs designed to overcome the aftermath of COVID-19 against the background of runaway growth in budget deficits, ongoing trade wars, and numerous protectionist restrictions. The West’s attempts to expedite the transition to “Green energy” at the expense of “traditional” fuel and mineral sector have piled up new problems on top of the old ones. Energy price increases have led to a collapse in the transport sector (freight rates have doubled). Half of the heavy-duty truck fleets in some countries are standing idle. Mineral fertiliser prices have shot up by 150-300 percent.
Another adverse factor is the generally low level of food inventories, unfavourable weather, and an overall underinvestment in agriculture. Farmers are reducing arable area because of the continuing increases in fuel and fertiliser prices.
This is the background against which unprecedented sanctions have been introduced against Russia, which are expressed, among other things, in payments and logistics restrictions. The sanctions have affected agricultural producers as well. They are finding it more difficult to service their foreign trade contracts. This certainly leads to interruptions in food exports and imports. The only thing that is unclear is why the entire blame for this crisis is put solely on Russia.
Our country remains a responsible participant in the global market under all circumstances. We intend to deliver on the commitments under our international contracts in good faith where agricultural and fertiliser supplies are concerned. We are well aware of their importance for the socioeconomic development of many of our friends and partners, for maintaining food security, and for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Alexey Zaitsev: We have seen evidence more than once that our Western colleagues, and now Kiev as well, may come up with all sorts of provocations.
We have commented on this many times. We have to be ready for any turn of events both in the media and on the ground.
We had to refute repeatedly the insinuations about Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons during the special military operation in Ukraine. This is a deliberate lie. Russia firmly adheres to the principle that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it must never be unleashed.
Last year, we managed to persuade the United States and then the entire Nuclear Five to reaffirm their commitment to this principle. A relevant top-level joint statement with the Americans was adopted on June 16, 2021. The leaders of the Five issued a top-level statement to this effect on January 3, 2022. We assume that these documents remain relevant.
Russia understands perfectly well the real threats and risks of irresponsible conduct in this area. Scenarios for Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons are clearly described in Russian doctrinal papers. They cannot be used to achieve the goals set for the special military operation in Ukraine.
As Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “Russia has never ceased its efforts to reach agreements that would guarantee the prevention of a nuclear war.” It would be useful for the US-led Western countries to realise that the irresponsible escalation of their anti-Russia actions is unacceptable. These actions include the creation of prohibitive strategic threats to Russia and the rhetoric about imaginary “Russia’s nuclear threat.” These assumptions distort the words of our representatives.
Alexey Zaitsev: This question is not appropriate. This is a private opinion expressed by a retired military official who is obviously affected by Cold War stereotypes. We think there is nothing to comment here.
Alexey Zaitsev: The Russian Foreign Ministry does not traditionally comment either on the activities of the European Parliament or on the contents of its resolutions that are strictly advisory. We would like to advise you to address your question to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
On a broader plane, it is obvious that the EU leaders find it increasingly more difficult to explain their external and internal political setbacks through the lack of proper competences. Any redistribution of authority will hardly make a substantial change in the situation. In any respect, this is an EU internal affair in which we do not interfere, as opposed to some of our EU “partners”.
As for future relations between Russia and the EU, obviously Brussels is less and less independent in making its decisions on this issue. It prefers to keep an eye on Washington or directly follow its instructions. So, even if EU institutions receive more authority, it will hardly result in a more positive dynamic in Russian-EU relations. That said, despite the EU-provoked escalation of political, economic and trade tensions, we are ready, as before, for honest and pragmatic cooperation with EU institutions and with the EU member countries on issues of mutual interest.
Alexey Zaitsev: You are correct, this is the internal affair of Armenia. We are interested in the stable, safe and peaceful development of the allied republic.
We believe all issues in the country’s internal political life must be resolved exclusively in the legal and constitutional space through the relevant democratic procedures.
As for a connection between the current developments and the process of normalising Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, we understand this issue is not about the opposition’s attitude towards the trilateral agreements but about its perception of some or other statements by Armenia’s leaders.
Russia is invariably committed to facilitating the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, primarily through the implementation of all the provisions of the trilateral agreements of November 9, 2020, and January 11 and November 26, 2021, and the conclusion of a peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku.
Alexey Zaitsev: Thank you for your question. We have been doing a lot in this area. At all levels – the Foreign Ministry, the Minister, his deputies, official spokeswoman, other officials and embassies – we are providing numerous comments, explanations, interviews in Russian and other languages. We focus on the foreign audience.
The official website of the Foreign Ministry publishes news in eight languages. There is also a Spanish-language version of the website, social network accounts in Spanish, as well as the accounts of our embassies in Spanish-speaking countries.
We acknowledge that certain countries have been ignoring the principles of objective journalism, which affects, first of all, the residents of those counties who are denied access to an alternative point of view. We are open to dialogue with media representatives, including foreign media.
Over the past week, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given several interviews, including to Arabic, Chinese and Italian media. They are promptly translated into foreign languages and are published on our website.
At various levels, the Foreign Ministry regularly informs the audience about our position on the current issues on the international agenda.
However, there are sometimes incidents that we do not quite understand. For instance, the Spanish newspaper ABC has recently asked for an interview with Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. It was agreed that the interview will be held in writing. They sent their questions and received answers. And then they decided not to publish the interview. That was a strange situation and we have given our official comment. The full text of the interview can be found on our website.
So you asked a good question. We have been doing our best to explain our position in Russian and other languages.
Дополнительные материалы
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Фото
Выступление С.В.Лаврова на презентации Республики Дагестан.mp4)
С.В.Лавров с министром иностранных дел Абхазии О.М.Барцицом (1).mp4)