Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Sochi, March 6, 2024
- The World Youth Festival in Sochi
- Krasnodar Territory and Sochi’s international ties
- Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of Nigeria Yusuf Tuggar
- Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with heads of Latin American and Caribbean diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow
- Upcoming meeting of the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund Board of Trustees
- Preparations for presidential elections abroad
- Ukraine update
- The Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol
- 22nd Spirit of Fire International Debut Film Festival
- Developments in Moldova
- Russia’s contribution to the UN World Food Programme Fund and global food security effort
- Russia’s approaches to youth policy
- Statements by the President of Finland
- Russia’s Latin America policy
- Russia’s stance regarding the ICC
- Imposition of an embargo on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products
- Invitation of foreign guests to Artek anniversary celebration
- EU Ambassadors’ refusal to meet with Sergey Lavrov
- Possibility of conflict between Russia and NATO
- Germany’s reaction to published conversation of German military commanders
- Victims of the Nazis in Kerch
- Learning the Russian language in China
- Acts of vandalism at military memorials in Moldova
- The Skripal case
- Russian-Pakistani bilateral relations
- Gifts at the World Youth Festival
- Chinese smart cars
- Opening of sessions of China’s National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
- Opening of Russian embassies in Africa
- Destructive role of EU embassies
- Victoria Nuland’s retirement
- Russia-China cooperation in the media
- PACE’s policy of double standards
- Statements by Armenian officials
- Armenia’s participation in the CSTO and EAEU
- The term “multipolar world”
- Escalation of the Palestine-Israel crisis
- Statements by the Prime Minister of Belgium
The World Youth Festival in Sochi
I welcome everybody to the fantastic World Youth Festival. As you know, when we hold off-site briefings from time to time, we always begin by commenting on the event we have been invited to, with additional information on the international contacts of the Russian region where the event is taking place.
We are at the International Press Centre. We are witnessing and participating in the largest youth event of the year (as the organisers claim – too humbly, in my opinion), at the Sirius Federal Territory. In fact, there has been no event of a similar scale in the past five years. The World Youth Festival is a unique format held every few years. If you talk to the many participants or representatives of official delegations, or to the public, everybody says the same thing: why do we have to wait five or six years for the next festival? Let’s come up with a format to continue the communication started in this platform. I believe the organisers are aware of these suggestions. Perhaps there will be more details later. Let’s not make guesses.
From the very beginning, when we announced the World Youth Festival, the overwhelming majority of countries welcomed this event. Many of them still have fresh memories of the World Festival of Youth and Students held in Sochi in 2017.
Moreover, I spoke to participants of the youth festival in 1957 who were invited to Sirius as honorary guests. They are also Great Patriotic War and World War II veterans. We met by accident but discussed everything happening here today, comparing it to the festival in 1957 (I am familiar with it from books and memoirs). Those at the 1957 festival assured me that this festival has reached a completely new level, considering the changing situation in the world; in recent decades, it has become common for people from different countries to visit each other. At the same time, some countries today wish to play on a field with new dividing lines. One way or another, people have far more interaction opportunities than 60 or 70 years ago. Despite the fact that global communication is accessible to everybody in the form of trips or messengers, telephones and the internet, this festival today offers a unique format.
National preparatory committees were established in 95 capitals of foreign countries to select participants through competitions. They received around 300,000 applications in total. This is how many people wanted to take part in this festival.
As a result, an event of global scale was organised. Almost 10,000 people representing delegations from 185 countries flew in for the festival. It is one of the most remarkable records for the World Youth Festival. You can find anything here. I want to particularly stress that there is no segregation. Some young people who wanted to come here are from the countries we now call unfriendly regimes. So, they are here. Why? Because we don’t smear everybody with the same paint; and we don’t politicise humanitarian links. Instead, we point out the destructive policy of certain political circles, noting that we are always open to everybody who comes to us in peace. Young people from all continents are here. There are guests from the United States, Canada, the NATO countries, the EU, and so on.
During the World Youth Festival, on March 1-7, the Sirius Federal Territory is also hosting the Global Forum of Young Diplomats on Russia and its role in establishing a multipolar world. I am happy to say that Russian diplomats and the Foreign Ministry created this forum many years ago. This came as a response to the challenges that faced us following their attempts at “isolation.” And they constantly declare this. They say they are “isolating” us, and then for some unclear reason they declare again that we are being “isolated.”
Forums like the Foreign Ministry’s Council of Young Diplomats, suggest that regardless of any sick thoughts and ideas the “collective West” may have, young people will continue to meet in various formats in line with their interests and professional pursuits. Unlike representatives of the older generation in the EU countries, they are interested in this.
Just imagine: their young people and young diplomats come to Russia. They take part in forums, receive information from us, ask questions and share their viewpoint. At the same time, their official representatives, specifically, the ambassadors of EU countries, block themselves from this kind of communication, even though their work is directly related to contacts with Moscow and the Foreign Ministry. Do you understand what I am talking about? The ambassadors of EU countries have refused to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
About 150 diplomats from 60 countries are taking part in this Global Forum of Young Diplomats. The opening of the Secretariat of the International Association of Young Diplomats (whose charter was approved in October 2021) became the main event of the forum. This forum turned into a platform for an open and free exchange of opinion, and it reaffirmed the participants’ commitments to the principles of “horizontal diplomacy.”
Working panel sessions on ASEAN, EAEU, CIS and BRICS issues, and Russia’s cooperation with the African, Latin American and Arab countries were held under the forum’s programme. Meetings with Foreign Ministry leadership, primarily Sergey Lavrov, took place on the sidelines of the forum. Bilateral and multilateral meetings between youth organisations of foreign ministries, a chess tournament with Russian grandmasters, and a friendly football match also took place as well as a ceremony celebrating forum attendees officially joining the International Association of Young Diplomats.
Krasnodar Territory and Sochi’s international ties
Let us move on to international ties of the region that, in a broader sense, is hosting us here. Of course, we are staying at Sirius, but I would like to tell you in detail about the Krasnodar Territory and Sochi.
The region’s main trade and economic partners are China, Turkiye, the UAE, Egypt, Israel, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia.
Kuban ranks first in the Southern Federal District in terms of attracting investment. Foreign funds are mainly invested in transport, manufacturing and wholesale trade. The region takes numerous measures to support investors.
In 2023, the Krasnodar Territory was the leader in exports among the regions in the Southern Federal District. It was awarded the annual Exporter of the Year national government prize. This result was made possible due to the high rates of production and processing of agricultural products supplied to the countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. This is the so-called practical contribution to food security that the “collective West” is so concerned about. We will talk about this in more detail today.
Particular attention is traditionally paid to our Belarusian partners when it comes to fostering interregional ties. The cooperation roadmap for 2023-2024 is being successfully implemented. We considered the issues of expanding pharmaceutical production in Kuban, electrifying urban transport in Sochi with the help of Belarusian know-how, as well as supplying agricultural drones to the Krasnodar Territory.
The Sochi authorities are working constructively with the municipalities of the Customs Union member states and maintaining frequent contacts with our partners from Abkhazia and China. In September 2023, an Agreement on Establishing Friendly Relations between Sochi and Minsk was signed in Minsk. Work is being done on the issue of establishing twin-city relations with the cities of Varadero (Cuba), Kapan (Armenia) and Acapulco (Mexico).
Sochi is actively developing external ties in the cultural, scientific, educational, trade and economic spheres. In January, an online meeting was held with representatives of Qingdao University (PRC) in order to establish cooperation. In February, the 17th Bashmet Winter International Arts Festival took place in Sochi. On February 19-22, a Sochi delegation was on a business mission in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of Nigeria Yusuf Tuggar
In recent days (March 5-7) Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Yusuf Tuggar has been in Moscow on a working visit. Today he will have talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
It is expected that a wide range of current bilateral issues will be discussed, as well as possible ways to promote bilateral cooperation, including stepping up political dialogue and expanding trade, economic, and cultural ties.
There will be a thorough discussion of the international and regional agenda with an emphasis on resolving crisis situations on the African continent and especially in the Sahara-Sahel region.
We hope that Yusuf Tuggar’s visit will contribute to building up mutually beneficial cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in various areas.
Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to meet with the heads of diplomatic missions of Latin American and Caribbean countries accredited in Moscow on March 12.
During the traditional event, the issues to be considered are expected to include the current state of Russia’s relations with the countries of the friendly Latin American region and identifying promising areas for further interaction.
The discussion is expected to include current issues on the regional and international agendas.
Upcoming meeting of the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund Board of Trustees
On March 13, a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund will be held under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The participants will review the results of 2023 activities and approve the areas of work for 2025.
This structure was created in 2010 in accordance with the Presidential Order to support public diplomacy, promote the participation of the domestic non-governmental sector in international cooperation, and involve its institutions in the foreign policy process.
The fund annually sponsors scientific and educational programmes for young international relations experts from Russia, CIS countries, and other states, as well as conferences, roundtable discussions and expert meetings, with the purpose of communicating Russian approaches to solving key international policy problems to foreign partners.
Preparations for presidential elections abroad
I will begin with the upcoming events in Russia that are also followed in foreign countries, although with different attitudes. I am referring to the election of the President of the Russian Federation. I will focus on voting abroad because the election proper, the process and the technicalities are certainly within the competence of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. However, as the Foreign Ministry is involved in holding elections abroad, including through its network of foreign missions, I am ready to answer your questions. And we get a lot of them.
Ballots have been delivered to embassies and consulates and, where necessary, printed locally. The Foreign Ministry’s Election Commission provides ongoing methodological, advisory and informational assistance to election commissions abroad.
In a number of countries, early voting took place in a routine process (Angola, Australia, Libya, Mongolia, and Vietnam). In Cyprus, it will last seven days. So far, 435 of our compatriots have voted, so that you understand that we are already entering the active phase of the election, not just the preparations.
Russian overseas missions continue taking steps to strengthen security measures at polling stations. We have been receiving an ever-increasing number of calls intended to disrupt the voting procedure. Attempts are being made to exert psychological pressure on Russians. I hate to give unsubstantiated statements; so, to make sure no one says that we are inventing things or making emotionally charged statements, I’ll give you some facts.
For example, the Estonian authorities have unequivocally warned [the country’s residents] about the “consequences” of participating in this election. Have you ever seen this kind of democracy? How is this possible? I have to say that the same officials, Estonian politicians, former dissidents, have been condemning the years of Soviet power in Estonia because they had no opportunity to freely express their will. And now, after you “escaped,” now that you’re “free,” you’re forbidding others to manifest and implement their will in elections?
The second point is what consequences they might have been talking about. What will they do? I’m interested. Handcuff people or what? Throw people in jail just because they vote according to the laws of their country? Maybe poison them, too? In the literal and figurative sense of the word. I’d like to hear them answer this question. Where are those OSCE/ODIHR representatives now? They have been so eager to monitor the various elections in Russia, always inventing tall tales about the voting process. They’ve started commenting on events in our country again. What about the policies that Russian citizens are facing in the EU and NATO countries now? This is all part of our election process, too. Is this suddenly of no concern to the OSCE/ODIHR? Why is this so? They don’t respond to our remarks. These remarks are about the direct threats and intimidation by the authorities in those countries.
Estonian Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets said law enforcement “will monitor the situation on March 15-17, listen and watch who does what.” My congratulations to Estonia. They were building democracy but ended up with a dictatorship, and one of the worst kinds at that. Political science has several definitions of what a dictatorship is and how it works. This one is clearly the worst kind. No economic results or industrial achievements. Science, culture, and art forgotten altogether; there is nothing left. Only a police state remains.
Latvia, which intends to “punish” Russian citizens for taking part in the election, is no better. According to the country’s Minister of Justice Inese Libina-Egnere, they will be charged with supporting an “aggressor country,” punishable with revocation of their residence permits, a serious fine or up to six years in prison.
What’s with this “aggressor country” phrase anyway? I’ve never heard of any problems between Russia and Latvia. Or maybe she knows something we don’t? Maybe Ms Libina-Egnere knows of plans of aggression in Latvia with regard to our country. What are they even talking about?
My second question. There are plenty of countries today that are involved in serious and brutal conflicts. Will Latvia be consistent with regard to the citizens of all those countries? Will it threaten the citizens of other countries with prosecution for participating in elections, even its own elections? Should Israeli citizens living in Latvia prepare for the worst? Will they not be allowed to vote either?
As a reminder, even mentioning the possibility of criminal prosecution for exercising one’s electoral right in their country of residence is a monstrous violation of democratic principles. Oh right, that was a bit far-fetched. What democratic principles does Latvia even have? So, they could not have trampled on any democratic principles at home – they simply trampled on those formulated by the international organisations that Latvia is a member of.
I advise you to re-read all these fundamental international documents related to elections, including the International Bill of Human Rights and its constituent parts: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol. Haven’t Latvia and Estonia ever heard of these? Well, here’s a hint.
A consistent campaign to smear the upcoming elections continues in the Lithuanian information landscape. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called on the Western countries to not recognise the elections nor their results, which express the will of millions of Russians. He should consider the possibility of someone doing the same to his country at some point in history – call on the citizens of his country not to recognise the results of the elections or not to participate in them. He might want to try walking in our shoes. Has this never occurred to him before? Well, it should now.
The Finnish media has focused on demonising Russia and discrediting its leadership. Russia is presented to the local audience as an “aggressor” and a “threat,” including for Finland. Stretching this out to the point of absurdity, some “experts” in the country are ready to seriously speculate about the possibility of Moscow using its presidential election “to exert hybrid influence on Finland.” It’s the election of the President of Russia. Why is Finland so worried? Or, again, do they know something we don’t?
I can assure you that any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, in particular in the process of holding our elections, are doomed to failure. Second, they will backfire. Because history remembers everything. Even when you skip classes or try to forget or rewrite it. This is one of its rules. This is the law of history. It repeats itself in its most tragic forms for those who refuse to remember the past.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making every effort to ensure that Russian citizens outside the country can participate in the election. We will continue to report on the preparations for the presidential election abroad at briefings, on the Foreign Ministry’s website, on our official social media accounts and on the official online resources of our foreign missions.
The Kiev regime is using Western weapons to perpetrate its bloody terrorist attacks against peaceful Russian cities. We know now how it happens. We have the transcript of a conversation between high-ranking NATO officials, the tape, which has been made public knowledge thanks to its publication by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the RT television channel. Russian journalists know everything about it. I am saying this now above all for the benefit of foreign media representatives and foreign audiences.
On February 27, 2024, Ukrainian forces delivered approximately 80 attacks on residential areas in the Belgorod Region, including from Grad multiple launch rocket systems.
On February 29, 2024, they launched 13 large calibre shells at Donetsk and Gorlovka. On March 1, 2024, they shelled the mineral water plant in the Donetsk People’s Republic, claiming two lives.
The Ukrainian neo-Nazis continue to send drones against civilian facilities in Russia. On March 2, 2024, a drone that was shot down damaged a residential building in Piskarevsky Prospekt in St Petersburg. A drone attack was also repelled over the Gulf of Finland the same evening.
On March 1, 2024, Russian air defence forces shot down 12 UK-made Storm Shadow missiles, which Ukrainian forces had fired towards the Crimean Bridge. On the night of March 2-3, 2024, we repelled one of the largest ever drone attacks on Crimea. All the 38 Ukrainian drones were destroyed.
These crimes of the Kiev regime have been registered by the Russian law enforcement authorities. Ultimately, the guilty parties will be called to account.
On the morning of March 4, 2024, unidentified people attempted to blow up the pillars of a bridge across the Chapayevka River on the Zvezda-Chapayevsk railway section in the Samara Region. The explosion damaged the steelwork. It has been registered as a terrorist attack. Law enforcers later found and defused several other explosive devices on the railway line.
It is notable that the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry has commented on the incident competently and with pleasure. They have not acknowledged their involvement, but as the saying goes, if the cap fits, wear it. There is no doubt that this terrorist attack was organised by Ukrainian special services.
According to one version, the terrorists planned to derail a train carrying ammonia from the Togliattiazot chemical fertiliser plant. This would make it the second attempt by the Kiev regime to hinder the transportation of ammonia.
In June 2023, Kiev ordered the explosion on the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline. It could hardly contain its glee but did not openly admit its involvement. Western countries looked away, pretending not to know what was what. First, it was a terrorist attack aimed at deliberately destroying civilian infrastructure. And second, it damaged the environment, the protection of which is a top issue at international platforms from Davos to Munich, as well as food security, which is such a big concern of the West. Everything is interconnected in this world. Has the accident been investigated? Did you hear anything about it? Have they condemned it or called for the guilty parties to be punished? Have they adopted sanctions against those who blew up the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline? Where are all the international investigation groups, including Bellingcat? Have they established who called who the night before to order the terrorist attack on the pipeline? You say you haven’t heard anything about this? And you never will. Such attacks are masterminded by British security services, which only monitor information that has to do with Russophobic anti-Russia activities. The environment, safety and all other aspects of life on this planet are nothing to them, except as instruments in the struggle against our country.
On March 5, 2024, the Ukrainian forces attacked an oil depot in the Belgorod Region.
Zelensky’s regime, facing losses on the battlefield, is resorting to terrorist tactics against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Russia. These actions are clear indicators of the regime’s accelerating agony. We are aware of this. They have as good as acknowledged their defeat.
Courts in the Russian Federation continue to issue verdicts for Ukrainian militants who have committed grave crimes against civilians, based on the evidence collected by the Russian Investigative Committee.
In Donetsk, Maxim Yukhimchuk, a militant from the Azov neo-Nazi organisation, who issued orders to open fire at civilian infrastructure, has been sentenced, in absentia, to 29 years in a high-security penal colony.
In the DPR, Ukrainian neo-Nazi O. Mikad has been sentenced, in absentia, to 27 years in prison for crimes against civilians.
None of the Ukrainian criminals will evade justice. They will be exposed and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue to report on these cases every week.
As the scandal surrounding the leaked conversation between high-ranking German officers about the prospects of supplying Taurus long-range cruise missiles to the Kiev regime and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s confession that there are British and French troops present in Ukraine continues, we have learned new details about the United States’ involvement in the conflict. On March 4, 2024, Bulgarian Military quoted Defence Minister of Singapore Dr Ng Eng Hen speaking about the Pentagon having deployed F-35s over the Ukrainian territory to identify the precise location of Russian surface-to-air missile systems and share collected intelligence with NATO countries.
We hope that in the coming days (possibly today or tomorrow), the White House and the US Department of State will answer questions from their own journalists. The American public wants to know what they think about this state of affairs.
We have long been speaking about the direct and active involvement of the Western military in commanding the Ukrainian Armed Forces, planning operations, selecting targets and coordinating combat. Facts cannot be ignored. It will not be possible to sweep them under the rug. They are increasingly becoming public knowledge.
On February 28, The Times published an article about Admiral Tony Radakin, the UK Chief of the Defence Staff, who provided covert assistance to Ukraine in developing combat plans. Specifically, it was reported that the admiral assisted Kiev in devising a strategy for attacking the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Initially, the UK tried to avoid answering questions about their involvement in carrying out anti-Russia terrorist attacks, and then they denied it. We summoned the British Ambassador and reported about that. They claimed it was just Kremlin propaganda and Russian misinformation. It was not Russian misinformation.
This fact once again confirms London’s hostility and direct involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. What they are doing in reality is truly incomprehensible. They claim to be law-abiding countries that adhere to international law and fulfil their obligations. Politicians keep saying that they support peace and stand against war, hostilities, and so on – when, in reality, they are fanning the flames of a major global conflict in Europe.
For several centuries, Western powers have tried, unsuccessfully, to weaken, conquer and exploit Russia and cause it as much harm as possible, now aiming for a “strategic defeat.” It will end the same way it ended before.
We are perplexed by the cynical recent report from the French Ministry of Defence on military aid provided to Ukraine over the past two years. The report states that Paris has supplied the Kiev regime with equipment worth 2.6 billion euros in total. Additionally, the Europe Peace Foundation provided another 1.2 billion euros. The French Ministry of Defence did not disclose the number of long-range missiles supplied that the Ukrainian army used to target civilian facilities and population. Why be so reticent? If you are involved, share the details of your peacekeeping efforts with the people in your country and the rest of the world.
France must realise that, by providing weapons and military support to Vladimir Zelensky’s neo-Nazi regime, it becomes complicit in the regime’s crimes against innocent people.
The Kiev regime continues to try to blame its Western handlers for various military setbacks, accusing them of being reluctant to meet its constantly growing demands. The latter continue to make us “happy,” and they deprive us of the chance to perceive all this as some terrifying circus of carnage. Over the past two years, Vladimir Zelensky has been attending all kinds of international events in order to beg for weapons, money, equipment and ammunition, as well as every conceivable type of political and military support.
Yesterday, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby noted that they did not intend to deploy military personnel to support the Kiev regime. How can this be explained? Just think of it: John Kirby said it was because Zelensky wanted Ukrainian troops to fight on their own. This looks like a waxworks exhibition or a scene from a mental institution. You will never see this in any film. First, the United States provoked the situation in Ukraine, reshuffled Ukrainian politicians, installed its own candidates and deployed numerous “experts” from the CIA and other US special services there. Later, it completely falsified the entire political democratic process, arranged additional presidential election rounds, organised Euromaidan protests, and persecuted people advocating the preservation of Ukrainian statehood and ties with neighbouring countries, as well as the development of peaceful relations. After that, they rebranded Ukraine in line with Western patterns and promised that it would join NATO and the EU. They also promised some huge subsidies for peaceful technological development. They greatly expanded military activities in the Black Sea region and conducted countless NATO exercises directed against Russia, a theoretical enemy, on Ukrainian territory. They also trained Ukrainian militants in order to turn them into a basic anti-Russia force. They spread misinformation and provoked conflicts.
In early 2022, attacks on Donbass and local civilians increased several times over, although the Kiev regime had been waging a war against its citizens there for seven years. Over the past two years, the West has been suggesting that the Kiev regime should fight Russia, and that it will certainly win. They are basing their entire ideology on this assumption. They are virtually forcing the entire world to oppose Russia. They have failed to accomplish this, and they will never be able to achieve this goal. They are trying to do this. For two years, they have been promoting the idea that nothing should be resolved at the negotiating table. By the way, the Kiev regime had already been involved in such talks at its own request, and it was ready to sign specific agreements with Russia, drafted with its own input. However, the Kiev regime refused to do this following a British and US ban and subsequently passed legislation that made it impossible to negotiate with Russia. After they had organised all this, Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the head of the EU diplomatic service, and all representatives of EU countries noted that everything should be decided on the battlefield alone. Everything was shown on the battlefield; unfortunately, all this devolved into carnage. Ukrainian citizens are thrust by the Zelensky regime into the “meat grinder” and perishing there. As you understand, I have absolutely no sympathy for Vladimir Zelensky, to put it mildly. You and I are interacting in such a format when I should control myself. He is already starting to howl, addressing his handlers and showing that Ukraine, its economy, political model, statehood and public life have been destroyed completely. No one is even talking about culture and science. Most importantly, there are no people left. Some of them have left the country, and others have been killed. He continues to address those who got him involved, who thrust him into the limelight and to beg them for help. He insists that they should assume at least some responsibility before the people of Ukraine. Western representatives mount their wonderful rostrums and tell him cynically that he wants to fight on his own, without anyone’s assistance. This shows that the West always acts consistently. They have always dumped all their allies. There has not been a single ally who has not been betrayed by them. In the past, they were, at best, ready to accommodate these people in the West. Things worked out differently for them there. Today, they are simply “writing them off,” killing them and throwing them to the crowds who devour them. Some of these people commit suicide. This amounts to colossal meanness. There is no definition and no historical example of a country being destroyed so quickly, with its citizens blamed for everything. I repeat, we can see that the “collective West” is acting in line with the very same formula that it has used before, in various parts of the world. Next time anyone who is praised by Washington, and who hears promises and tales that they are true representatives of their nation (although no one has elected them), they should remember this. They will be told that the White House is allegedly staking on them, and that everything will work out just fine.
The next generation in any country should remember how this ends; they should know what and how much they promised Zelensky and the Ukrainian people. There are no such examples in modern history.
The West has completely subjugated Ukraine, taking control of every aspect, including history and the historical memory of the people. They rewrote it on the fly. The economy – remember the corrupt scheme the United States itself is now investigating, involving President Biden, his son and Ukrainian companies? It was destructive. It was clear that this corrupt scheme would completely destroy the Ukrainian economy. All the loan tranches channelled into Ukraine are a bondage for future generations. Expropriation of land at the legislative level. Destruction of local agriculture and its takeover by Western transnational companies or simply Western owners. The use of depleted uranium ammunition in the hostilities, contaminating the soil. Clearly, they have taken full control of the state and then cynically said that Vladimir Zelensky wants to fight on his own. This day in 2024, March 5, should go down in history. What John Kirby said on behalf of the White House he represents should be written in all textbooks on international relations.
What the Zelensky regime is doing is a cry for help. It resorts to direct threats and blackmail. On February 26, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba demanded that the EU ban the export of ammunition to third countries, except Ukraine. Ten days later, John Kirby said the US wouldn’t help Ukrainians fight because they weren’t asking for help.
It looks like Brussels is not going to take any more of this over-the-top insolence – though really desperation – from their junior partner either. On March 4, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Frenchman Thierry Breton, reminded the Kiev regime that military aid is not entirely gratuitous. In other words, they are telling the Kiev regime that everything the West has provided them with must be paid for eventually. What is Ukraine to pay with? The country no longer exists.
Do you think the EU, NATO, the US or UK will rebuild housing for Ukrainian civilians? Rebuild infrastructure? Maybe open schools for free? They will charge money upfront for it, on top of the debt that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people owe them now. A debt they never asked for, but the Westerners imposed it on them anyway. This is what they always do, with every country they view as their colony.
Zelensky’s regime will have to buy a part of the 1 million shells promised in 2023 with its own money. Spending Ukraine’s funds. At the moment, the EU has supplied the Ukrainian army with a little more than one-third of the total. How many the Kiev regime can really count on is a big question. The problem is that it does not have the funds to buy weapons; this much is clear to everyone. Ukraine lives on credit and is mired in astronomical foreign debts.
I would like to find out this figure. I just don’t think anyone has considered yet how much they have borrowed overall, how much the Ukrainian people will have to pay to the West in the future for their ruined lives.
There are more and more cases of Western humanitarian aid being plundered in Ukraine. Some details recently surfaced in Denmark regarding a 2022 case where the authorities in Nikolayev received 350 generators as a gift from Copenhagen (the Danish government paid $23 million for the equipment), but never said a word to anyone, instead telling the residents a completely different story. They said the mayor’s office had found the money to purchase the generators, at a clearly inflated price. Chairperson of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee Michael Aastrup actually had to acknowledge the rampant corruption in Ukraine. Even the West is opening its eyes to reality. Hopefully, Copenhagen and other European capitals will eventually realise this, and share the information with their citizens, so that they are aware of the kind of embezzlers, fraudsters and corrupt officials they’re dealing with, and draw proper conclusions.
The glorification of Nazi criminals is underway in Ukraine. Recently, the authorities of Nikopol, the Dnepropetrovsk Region, renamed Pavlogradskaya Street after Nazi criminal Petr Dyachenko, a battalion commander of the SS Galicia Division who took part in the mass executions of Jews, Poles, Russians and Ukrainians. He received an Iron Cross from Hitler for these “services” to the Third Reich.
Do you understand what this means? A man who received the Iron Cross from Hitler – and he was not the fictional Soviet spy Max Otto von Stierlitz but a man who personally took part in executions, who pledged loyalty to the Third Reich and kept that commitment all his life – has been made a hero of what was once Ukraine.
Incidentally, why is Israel keeping silent again? Why hasn’t the Israeli Foreign Ministry said anything on this score? Why are the Israeli public and the anti-fascist organisations of Israel, Europe, America and Canada silent? What more do they need to start acting? Isn’t the Iron Cross personally presented to Dyachenko by Hitler enough? Isn’t it enough that a street has been named after him? The children who will walk in that street will know that he is the new hero of Ukraine. They will grow up getting used to that. In the past, children in Ukraine saw monuments to the heroes who fought against Nazism and rebuilt Europe that Nazis had destroyed. What will children see now?
The explanations by the Nikopol mayor that he and City Council members didn’t know who Dyachenko was sound exceedingly cynical. Do you believe them? How couldn’t they not know? They did know, and they acted consciously. It is because of them and other members of Zelensky’s officials that monuments to Red Army soldiers are being removed (don’t they know who these monuments are dedicated to?), their memory is being slandered and history is being rewritten. They are not only removing monuments to fighters against Nazism but also monuments to figures of culture, art and science.
We believe that they will have to answer for these crimes. Those who nurtured and promoted neo-Nazism in Ukraine will ultimately be called to account.
This only confirms our goals in the special military operation. I don’t need to remind you of President Putin and the Russian leadership’s words, who said on numerous occasions that all these goals would be achieved. No, I don’t need to remind you of that. The nation stands united regarding these goals. We understand who stands against us, and we know that the matter does not only concern Russia. In fact, the future of the world is at stake.
The Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol
I would like to remind you about an upcoming event. On March 11, 2014, the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. It was the first step towards Crimea returning home.
Viktor Yanukovych, the legitimate president of Ukraine, was overthrown in an anti-constitutional coup. Power was seized by Ukrainian nationalists, contrary to the guarantees issued by Germany, France and Poland. They used force to seize power, and they were extremely hostile towards Russia and everything Russian. We remember how the radicals prepared “friendship trains” for departure to Crimea. In that situation, the people of Crimea made a choice, and they chose their own future.
I would like to point out that the declaration was based on the provisions of the UN Charter and other fundamental international documents, which stipulate the right of nations to self-determination. However, neither this fact nor the July 22, 2010, decision of the UN International Court of Justice on Kosovo (not to be confused with the International Criminal Court, which is a completely different organisation) convinced the collective West of the legitimacy of the Crimean residents’ expression of their will.
Like it or not, Crimea’s future is inseparably connected with Russia. For us, the matter is closed absolutely and irrevocably. No efforts by the United States and its satellites, who still regard themselves as the masters of the world, will change this. It is a position we share with the people of Crimea.
Over the past ten years, Crimea has changed radically, getting a new lease on life and a new pace of life. The Kiev regime is being used now to destroy this. But they won’t succeed, as millions of visitors from all over Russia and foreign countries can see for themselves. Interest in developing multifaceted ties with Crimea is growing around the world.
All these years, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has been making diplomatic, international legal and information efforts to win international recognition for the right of the people of Crimea to choose their own future.
The unfriendly regimes have been doing everything they can, intimidating other countries, blocking information about Crimea, preventing residents of Crimea from traveling to Western countries, denying visas to them, and preventing Crimean journalists from attending information events, news conferences and meetings on Crimea. Despite this, if you ask people’s opinion, the overwhelming majority of them will tell you that Crimea is Russia.
We congratulate the people of Crimea on this anniversary and give them our good wishes, new achievements, peace and prosperity. We give these wishes to the people of Crimea and so to ourselves.
22nd Spirit of Fire International Debut Film Festival
On March 11, 2024, Moscow will host a retrospective of the Spirit of Fire International Film Festival.
This annual international debut film festival was founded in 2002 by prominent Russian filmmaker Sergey Solovyov. The festival aims to find new talent in cinematography and develop the art of filmmaking, as well as interregional and international cooperation in the creative industries.
This year, the 22nd Spirit of Fire festival is included in the programme of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, marking a highlight of the event. From March 11 to March 13, free screenings will take place in Moscow, St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Krasnodar, with films including festival-winning classics of Russian cinema as well as new discoveries from the Spirit of Fire in recent years.
The festival itself is scheduled to take place in Khanty-Mansiysk from March 23 to 26, with 24 countries having already submitted applications to take part. The festival continues to expand, introducing new talent, broadening its programme, and extending its reach. In 2024, the Spirit of Fire will adopt a special theme – the language of national cinematography. This topic will serve as the focal point of the festival, which will also become a business platform for intensive international film dialogue. As part of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, the Spirit of Fire emerges as an effective, engaging, and appealing platform for strengthening cultural relations among the association’s member states.
We invite all film lovers, international journalists, experts and mass media to take part and cover this event.
I cannot help but say a few words about Moldova. About 300 people from this country came to the World Youth Festival in Sochi. Many of them asked to record short videos with words addressed to Moldova and the people of this country. What could we tell them? I said one thing: we love you, we will develop friendly relations. The main thing is for the residents of Moldova to remember that there is a Moldovan language.
I understand that it is strange to hear this fact in the 21st century. On the other hand, we now have to prove that there are two genders – men and women. It’s in the same category. President of Moldova Maia Sandu is trying to say that there is no Moldovan language, and wants to replace it with Romanian, to “rename” or “rewire” it. Some people believe that there are 80 genders. But in fact, there are two genders, there is no middle one. But there is a Moldovan language.
We are closely monitoring the unfolding situation in Moldova, where the leadership is making frantic efforts to bolster its fragile ratings by launching attacks against Russia and vilifying the Soviet past.
In an article published in The Wall Street Journal on February 28, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, in addition to the familiar anti-Russian rhetoric, claimed to have been born and “raised under the pressure of the totalitarian Soviet empire” and asserted that her childhood contrasted sharply with a free and peaceful future. Furthermore, she accused the USSR of prohibiting the use of the Moldovan language. Make up your mind, what language do you speak, Moldovan or Romanian? First, you call the Moldovan language Romanian and then you claim that the USSR forbade the use of the Moldovan language. This is absurd.
We all remember, even I remember from my childhood that there were numerous artists who lived and worked in Moldova when it was a part of the Soviet Union. They gained popularity throughout the entire Soviet Union, as well as in Eastern Europe, among the countries of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation and beyond. These performers took part in international festivals, travelled abroad, and they sang in the Moldovan language. Alongside them, the entire vast country – the USSR – sang songs in Moldovan. Why is the Chisinau regime spreading so many falsehoods now? If they persist in their deception, we will provide more clarification.
We have repeatedly commented on Moldova’s period as a Soviet republic. I will continue.
- A network of motorways and railways was built from the ground up in the republic. Over the Soviet period, the total length of the railways reached 1,328 km, and a modern airport was built in Chisinau. The country, including President Maia Sandu, still use this entire infrastructure.
- The living standards in the Moldavian SSR was higher than in many other Soviet republics. This is neither good nor bad; it is just a fact. The funding of the country’s economic development increased ten times between 1960 and 1985 (the average growth across the USSR was 280 percent); the national income grew by 170 percent and social expenditure by 580 percent.
- In 1946, immediately after the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Academy of Sciences established its research base in Chisinau. By 1949, it had been transformed into the Moldavian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences and in 1961, the Academy of Sciences of the Moldavian SSR was established. Did it achieve results? Yes. One result was publishing the Moldavian Soviet Encyclopedia in eight volumes. I wonder if anybody in Chisinau can boast a similar achievement these days? Has it achieved anything apart from renaming the Moldovan language Romanian?
- According to Moldovan government bodies, more than 70 percent of buildings in the republic were built between 1951 and 1990. It was then that Moldovan cities acquired their modern developed look. There is one telling quote: “I was charmed. Chisinau was strikingly different from other cities. There were cafes with the most delicious ice cream, museums, cinemas, theatres and numerous parks.” Can you guess who is remembering Chisinau? These are President of Moldova Maia Sandu’s childhood memories from 1976. She said that in her greetings on Chisinau City Day on October 14, 2023. It is her memory of visiting the capital of the Moldavian SSR.
I have fewer questions for her (after all, we all understand what she is like) but I have more questions for The Wall Street Journal where Maia Sandu talks about the “horrors” of her Soviet childhood. The Wall Street Journal correspondents worked in Russia and we have contacts at this media outlet. We will contact them directly but I still have a request: if you prefer not to issue a refutation, perhaps you could publish a note on your website that you were talking to a clearly unreasonable person or a liar? Either Maia Sandu suffers from dichotomy, where her point of view changes every day, or she is deliberately misleading others.
We will not let this story slide. We will certainly contact The Wall Street Journal and send them all the documents we have. After all, Maia Sandu said this when she was already the President of Moldova. These are not just childhood memories or a journal entry about a summer holiday. She wrote it on her official account. It does not work this way. There is a lie somewhere.
This policy of double standards has become a keynote of the anti-Russia statements by the country’s leadership. Speaking on television on February 29, President of Moldova Maia Sandu claimed that she had nothing against Russians. Well, thanks, at least she did not openly declare her Russophobia. Maia Sandu said that she stood exclusively against Russian tanks. However, it is unclear how this correlates to the discrimination that Russians are subjected to when they enter Moldova. They are entering via airports, not on tanks. Although, considering the Moldovan President’s lying, you can imagine that in her next interview for another US media outlet, she will claim that Russians are landing at the airport in Chisinau on tanks.
Russians are put through hours of humiliating searches at Chisinau airport, often followed by an unmotivated refusal to allow a border crossing.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s article in The Wall Street Journal I mentioned deserves attention because it essentially spells out Chisinau’s official foreign policy very frankly. Without a doubt, she writes that, in case of a Russia victory, America’s voice will become weaker and its interests will be harmed, and the principles cherished by America and its allies will be jeopardised. What principles? Wreaking havoc? Would this be questioned? Indeed, we are seeing to it that this terrible practice of causing conflict and destroying independent nations at will that the United States, Britain and the entire collective West uses, will fade into oblivion.
[The article] makes no mention of Moldovans’ rights or their social welfare, freedom or democracy. The
Fortunately, the Moldovan people understand this and value friendly relations with our country. Again, this could be seen when a large Moldovan delegation, over 300 people from both banks of the
We are pleased to welcome our Moldovan friends. We will continue to develop equal and mutually respectful cooperation in the interests of the people on both sides of the border.
We have taken note of the increasing calls from the global minority states to prevent the expansion of agricultural cooperation and trade with our country. We regard this as another manifestation of this hybrid warfare, which now includes the trade war unleashed against
Despite the rampant sanctions harassment by the Western countries,
The
In addition to food supplies, we have also funded WFP projects at the intersection of humanitarian aid and development assistance for years. WFP school meal programmes have become a tool to fight hunger, ensure healthy diets, and improve the general level of education and, consequently, make young people more competitive in the labour market. In addition, these projects contribute to alleviating poverty, reducing child morbidity and mortality, and reducing child labour. In this format, we are successfully working with the WFP in
We are working both to expand our cooperation with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and to improve its quality. In recent years, we have helped to strengthen the WFP's transportation capabilities by supplying Russian KamAZ lorries as a donation in kind. Additionally, we have implemented innovative funding models. For example, the WFP project in Mozambique was based on Moscow writing off part of Maputo's public debt to Russia. Our intention is to continue collaborating with the WFP in the future.
Negative trends in global food security have been recorded for several years. According to UN statistics, the number of undernourished people in the world ranged between 691 and 783 million in 2022. Significant contributing factors include the Covid-19 pandemic, uncontrolled money printing ($38 billion), and a hasty transition to a green economy in response to adverse climate change.
In the context of the special military operation in Ukraine, the West is attempting to play the food card as a ploy to exploit the needs of vulnerable countries in the Global South, while doing nothing to alleviate their situation. They accuse Russia of weaponising hunger, which is highly immoral of them. At the same time, they remain silent about the detrimental effects of their own illegitimate unilateral sanctions. It is due to them that financial and logistics chains were disrupted and the insurance system started malfunctioning.
The West claims that its restrictions do not apply to Russian fertilisers and agricultural products, but in reality, they are withholding legally binding exemptions. On the contrary, they continue to impose new sanction packages (the EU has approved 13 packages of this sort since February 2022). To date, about 18,000 items of sanctions have been imposed against Russia. Currently, the US Congress is discussing a bill with a telling name: the No Russia Agriculture Act. If enacted, it will contribute to the exclusion of Russian products from international markets.
Despite the Western restrictions, we are fulfilling our commitments regarding food and fertiliser supplies in a responsible and conscientious manner.
As for fertilisers, there has been no response from the US, the UK, the EU, and NATO to the Ukrainian authorities' act of sabotaging a Russian ammonia pipeline. How will this affect food security? They remain silent. It is, after all, related to fertilisers.
Russia also provides purely humanitarian shipments. At the Russia-Africa Summit in 2023, where the majority of attendees were African country representatives, President Vladimir Putin received applause when he announced that we would supply food as humanitarian assistance to several African countries.
In February 2024, the final shipment of the promised 200,000 tonnes of free wheat reached six African countries: Somalia, the Central African Republic, Burkina-Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, and Eritrea. The selection of aid recipients was based on the UN's ranking of the poorest countries.
Additionally, we are working with the WFP to implement Russia's September 2022 initiative for the free transfer of Russian mineral fertilisers that were seized in EU ports. These fertilisers are intended for the poorest African countries. In March and May 2023, two shipments of fertilisers arrived in Malawi (23,000 tonnes) and Kenya (34,000 tonnes), respectively. Early in 2024, fertilisers were delivered to Zimbabwe (23,000 tonnes) and Nigeria (34,000 tonnes). We hope that the Asian Majesty, carrying 55,000 tonnes of potassium fertiliser, which has been illegally seized in the port of Riga for over two years in violation of international law and obligations, will finally depart for Sri Lanka without further delays. Additionally, there are 96,000 tonnes of products stored at European ports, which will be distributed to other needy countries as part of the Russia-UN joint effort.
Next time you hear someone from the West discussing food security, ask them why these Western countries (including Latvia, which is a NATO and EU country under the direct control of the US and the UK) are withholding goods that are necessary to ensure food security. They will likely stay silent, but we can respond for them. We will explain that they have little regard for international food security and use it as a tool in their geopolitical struggle.
Question: I was among the participants of the 1985 festival, and I worked at the 2017 festival. Now, I’m here today. The festivals that I attended were called festivals for youth and students. They took place under the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the International Students Union and other international organisations.
The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs is holding this current festival, and the Directorate of the World Youth Festival is dealing with organisational issues. Does this current festival indicate that, from now on, Russia will plan its own international youth policy? This seems evident with the work of the Association of Young Diplomats. What relations will Russia maintain with the organisations I mentioned, that have remained loyal until now?
Maria Zakharova: Your question and its wording are rather interesting. I agree with one of your points, but there are some stumbling blocks.
As to whether Russia will plan its own global youth policy, we have to divide these things. We will never tell any state or nation how they should interact with their own young people or any other social group. This is our basic principle.
At the same time, we are ready to make a contribution to supporting young people all over the world. This implies specific forms and formats based on mutual respect, a friendly message and constructive, rather than destructive, work. We work to expand our international relations in this area, and we are open to dialogue between civil societies.
Certainly, we respect and pay attention to everything that is considered important by another country, at the state level or the public level, and at the NGO and government agency level. At the same time, we are ready to make our own contribution. Instead of just being ready, we are contributing, without dictating or imposing anything on anyone.
As you can see, this results in a tremendous and constructive contribution. There is not a single destructive idea here (that you may have heard elsewhere). Nobody is pitting anyone against each other or putting them at loggerheads. Everyone is only talking about specific opportunities for interaction and cooperation.
I see young people (whose countries are experiencing hard times in their bilateral relations) interacting on the sidelines. They realise that there is a good opportunity to hear and understand each other, without betraying their own national interests, and to accomplish something in the future for overcoming these disagreements.
I will have to clarify the issue of interaction with other agencies. We will be happy to answer you personally.
Question: President of Finland Alexander Stubb said the other day that the country needed nuclear deterrence forces. In fact, he said that Finland’s nuclear deterrence forces should become a reality. Can you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: On one hand, these statements highlight inner satisfaction with the fact that Finland is entering the club of countries shielded by NATO’s “nuclear umbrella.” At the same time, they do not completely understand what this means.
US nuclear potential is deployed in several countries in the European Union. There is only one important nuance (just like the joke): the United States deploys nuclear weapons in other states (we are talking about the EU countries). However, the United States does not allow them to control these weapons.
This is probably one of Helsinki’s priorities. In this case, they should have explained this to their voters, in detail and step by step. For example, these nuclear weapons are deployed in Italy and other EU countries. They could have inquired in what format Italy is not even allowed to discuss strategic issues related to US nuclear weapons in their own country. Instead of discussing whether Italy is allowed or may be allowed, they should discuss that the Americans have never allowed this control, and that they never will.
We are concerned about President Alexander Stubb’s reasoning that implies that Finnish legislation could be revised. Their current laws ban the deployment of nuclear weapons on Finnish territory, including transiting these weapons. If the United States deploys its nuclear weapons in the northern European countries, it would obviously impair, rather than strengthen, the security of these countries. Considering today’s technological development levels on this continent and in other regions, other countries, their neighbours and other continental states would have to take this into account.
You do not have to be a military strategist to realise that such facilities will pose a direct threat and will inevitably be listed among legitimate targets in certain scenarios of a direct Russia-NATO military clash. We realise that the United States and its satellites are purposefully steering towards this scenario. We also see that President Alexander Stubb is not informing his country’s citizens about these military-strategic consequences. I have noted this before, and I will likely repeat it again. What is this? Well, this is basically absolute irresponsibility and insincerity in his relations with his constituency.
Being at the forefront of the environmental and universal human rights agenda, to what extent do the Finnish people understand the specific risks they will face? This is a good question. It would be nice if the people in this country prioritised this issue. Indeed, this would change a lot in terms of security and other vital issues in Finland.
Question: The Latin American presence is especially vivid and powerful at this festival. You can hear Spanish at all events, particularly those on Russia’s relations with Latin America. How would you comment on this?
Our Latin American friends say that they support Russia’s agenda of fighting against neocolonialism and rejecting unilateral sanctions and restrictions. What can you say about this Latin American focus?
Maria Zakharova: I believe you have said everything there was to say. You simply need to rephrase your questions as answers.
First, even though I have not held any specialised meetings on regional matters, I have talked at other events with delegates from Mexico, Argentina (they are very active), Cuba and many other countries and regions. Incidentally, besides Spanish, Portuguese is another popular language here.
Second, you have said correctly that the history of these countries and regions includes periods of struggle for independence and sovereignty, against colonialism, and for a fair use of national resources. All this resonates with Russia’s initiatives on the international stage. This is important to them, and they want to know more about it.
Besides, Russia directly offers certain opportunities to these countries in the context of regional and international associations, namely within the framework of bilateral cooperation and at the organisations we have co-founded, first of all BRICS.
The Argentinean delegation told us yesterday that they would like to convey what ordinary people in their country have to say about their interest in BRICS and a desire to join it. I replied that this matter was for the Argentinians themselves to decide, but primarily based on the requirements of that group. It has a positive attitude to all the applications it receives and keeps its doors open, on the condition that new members respect the requirements and criteria accepted at the group. The applicants want to know more about the opportunities it offers.
Third, these countries’ specific cultural features mean that their people are open and easy to talk with; they don’t try to force their views on life on others and are willing to learn more about other nations if communication is based on equality. They have a great interest [in Russia]. Over the past years, they have heard many anti-Russia statements, and so coming here to see everything for themselves was a chance not to be missed.
Another important element is equality, which we discussed several times during this briefing. Many countries fought for their independence when they were colonies or semi-colonies and continue to fight for their sovereignty and national identity. They have a clear understanding of the word equality, which is why they feel attracted to those who have made equality part of their national and international policy. They see that they have met like-minded people who have a thorough understanding of the essence of this word.
What was the Great Patriotic War and WWII waged for? It was not a war of aggression; it was waged to eliminate everyone whom the instigators of that war did not regard as their equals. But for us it was a war against the ideology of dividing people into those who have more rights and those who have no rights. “Rights” is a crucial word. When they come here, they see that they really have equal rights and that it is part of our cultural code.
Question: Would you comment on the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Viktor Sokolov, Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, and Sergey Kobylash, Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation?
Maria Zakharova: Our attitude to the so-called International Criminal Court is not a secret. I don’t think there is any need to comment on this again. I would like to remind you that Russia and many other countries are not parties to the court’s Rome Statute. We regard all decisions and opinions of that body as legally void.
I would like to remind you that the ICC prosecutor and judges who signed these arrest warrants have been placed on the international wanted list. This decision has been taken by the Russian law enforcement authorities. We call on other countries to work together with Russia to have these persons brought to account.
It is our position of principle, and it will not change. It is from this position that we will react to all the new decisions and provocations of this court we are bound to see.
Question: How would you comment on the Polish government initiating a parliamentary appeal to the European Commission to introduce an embargo on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products?
Maria Zakharova: This is just beautiful. Exactly what we were just talking about. The countries of the European Union and NATO (which includes Poland) have been talking about food security and about the need to feed the poorest for two years. Now they demand exactly the opposite: that production be slowed down, not allowed in, blocked. Moreover, they do not allow Ukrainian products into their stores, and now they have taken on Russian ones. For balance or what? So that President Vladimir Zelensky would not be so offended that his food is not allowed into Poland? This is no longer even hypocrisy, stupidity or a lie. This is a perversion. Moreover, in the medical sense of the word.
On March 4, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk said at a news conference following the talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Ingrida Šimonytė in Vilnius that he would appeal to Speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament Szymon Hołownia with a proposal to accept an appeal to the European Commission calling for the introduction of blocking sanctions on Russian and Belarusian food products. And the parliamentarians immediately answered: “Yes.” There is also “democracy” and “separation of powers” there. So, naturally, they answered that way.
There is no doubt that this is how Warsaw is trying to divert the attention of the European public from the acute conflict that broke out on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Let me remind you that Polish farmers have been blocking border crossings for a long time and still continue to do so. They want to disrupt the import of agricultural products from Ukraine into the country. This is happening amid Polish politicians’ loud statements about the need to provide all possible support to Kiev.
The same is happening with weapons: first pushing the Kiev regime, and then the whole of Ukraine, onto the battlefield, and then saying that there is a problem with resources. That is not even the issue. “Vladimir Zelensky wants to fight himself.” The same thing can be applied here: talking about food security and assistance that needs to be provided to the poorest countries, the Kiev regime and Ukrainian citizens, and at the same time block food from the territory of Ukraine.
It is an interesting situation. After all, there are different points of view, the media, and educated people who have access to information in Poland. They and Ukraine are not only neighbours on the continent, but also have a common border. They must understand this and ask their “democratic leaders” what they are doing and how it all relates. In fact, Poland has already entered into a tough confrontation with Vladimir Zelensky’s regime on economic issues. It seeks to limit losses from Ukrainian dumping, while at the same time shifting the burden of financing the Kiev regime onto other partners in its “NATO misfortune.” In order to somehow cover up their unseemly role in this matter, the Polish authorities are turning to a tried and tested method: once again presenting themselves as fighters against our country. So, here is proof that it is necessary to block the products of the Union State.
These proposals have already voiced by separate countries, including EU members. The Baltics have been the main drivers of this topic at the EU Council so far. Let me remind you that Latvia has already started unilateral activities. On February 22, its parliament approved a ban on agricultural products and feeds from Russia and Belarus at the national level. This is also Latvia’s contribution to global food security.
It is clear that these steps are aimed not only against Russia and the Russian agricultural sector, but also to divert attention from the pressing problems of European farmers. Everything that is happening to the European Union farmers was provoked by none other than these countries’ regimes, but they cannot admit it, or they will have to admit that not only the policy was wrong, but that it was malicious.
Anyone can make a mistake. How is an error different from an intentional action? First, they knew what they were getting into, as opposed to some kind of spontaneity. Second, they do not consider it necessary to admit these mistakes. This is the case.
These same “malicious” mistakes include creating conditions for the uncontrolled import of low-quality, cheap agricultural products from Ukraine. Farmers understand that they will not be able to reach the authorities either through their own media in Poland, or through political parties, or through NGOs. Everything is blocked. So, they got on their farming vehicles and drove. This is how they are trying to convey information, as well as awaken their population, zombified by these pro-Ukrainian slogans.
Losing access to Russian diesel fuel and fertilisers due to anti-Russian sanction has impacted European farmers hard. Apparently, this is not enough for the EU political elite; they are moving on. For the sake of serving the interests of Washington and supporting the Kiev regime, they are ready to continue destabilising their own food market and conduct geopolitical experiments on their citizens.
I will ask them one question. What about food security? Is it no longer relevant, or do they just need to admit that it was just another scam in order to be able to influence our country?
Question: After Crimea returned home, you visited the Artek international children’s centre and even worked there as a camp leader. Next year, Artek will mark its 100th anniversary. The festival has a large programme for children where Artek is represented. Regrettably, there are many obstacles, in particular, in the countries of the collective West, which prevent children from spending time at Artek. What can the Foreign Ministry do to help as many children from foreign countries as possible take part in its centenary celebrations?
Maria Zakharova: I believe everyone should do their best.
The absence of some guests must not mar our festival spirit. It must be our basic precept. At the same time, we will do our best so that as many countries as possible learn about this possibility. We hope that those who would like to send children here but have run into obstacles in their home countries, obstacles that are illegal and can even be termed as harassment, evidence of cancel culture or political persecution, will nevertheless be able to achieve their goal.
How can you do this? Please, write a letter explaining the relevant facts on behalf of the Artek management to the Foreign Ministry. We will work on this matter together. I hope that you don’t doubt, because there can be no doubt, that we will support all international initiatives of the Artek centre.
Question: You have mentioned that EU ambassadors refused to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. What consequences can such behaviour have?
Maria Zakharova: The consequences will be horrible for them. The loss of face is an irremediable blunder for a professional diplomat because everyone will see that he or she has no professionalism or skills to speak of. They have brought it onto themselves.
I really feel sorry for them, for a simple reason. They have fallen hostage to their regimes. Many of them went to great lengths to become the ambassador of an EU state to the Russian Federation. It is experienced diplomats who are sent as ambassadors to large countries that have permanent seats at the UN Security Council, not to mention nuclear weapons. Considering Russia’s scale, top-notch professionals with years of experience should come here as ambassadors. It took all of them years of hard work to become ambassadors. But their own states – not their people but their regimes – have made fools of them, much to our pity. I believe this is the only possible explanation. It doesn’t even matter if they themselves have lost heart or their regimes have made fools of them; ultimately, they have shown that they don’t represent their countries.
What does it mean to be an ambassador? An ambassador does not represent an organisation but the whole of the country in its entirety. This is extremely important. An ambassador is not someone who represents a political party or public movement or the ideology or a ruling or opposition party. An ambassador represents the people of his or her country in their entirety. Who do they represent if they refuse to meet with their counterparty? The Foreign Ministry of Russia is above all the source of information about bilateral relations and the host country’s position at multilateral formats. But this is what they have done, and they have brought the inevitable consequences on themselves.
Second, it would not be so bad if they barricaded themselves off from everyone here. This would be strange, revealing and unprofessional. But it would at least be logical, like extending a covid self-quarantine. But they regularly attend various events of minor significance, making themselves a laughingstock in this country.
We respect all representatives of foreign countries as people representing their countries in their entirety. It was in the context of respect for their nations that they were invited to that meeting. Our people and NGOs are ridiculing them for what they did. They have spawned numerous memes and performances. Go online, type “US ambassador in Moscow,” and you will see what I mean. Who is making the memes? It’s not the work of the government or special agencies. It’s the doing of ordinary people. They are laughing at the ambassadors of the countries of the collective West who have gone from diplomats to outcasts for participating in disgraceful actions that have nothing to do with interstate relations.
They are conducting propaganda campaigns in our society, interfering in our internal affairs and otherwise acting like rodeo clowns whose role is to provide comic relief for the audience. Just like rodeo clowns, they are trying to attract public attention, do performances and make statements that look strange to our people. They lay flowers where they are not usually laid and raise rainbow flags on their embassy buildings and at other unusual places. They have made people laugh at them, but they don’t understand that they look silly. Many of them don’t know Russia or know it poorly. They probably don’t understand what people really think of them.
The US ambassador is posting information on her official accounts urging Russians to fearlessly attend the “humanitarian actions” staged by the US administration, saying that this won’t undermine their patriotism. How is this possible? American weapons are being used to kill our brothers and sisters, our citizens. Terrorist attacks are targeting civilian infrastructure in Russian regions. Children are dying, yet you invite our citizens to take part in US government programmes, saying that this will not undermine their patriotism. We will ourselves decide what to do about all this and about our patriotism, how to demonstrate it and our attitude to your programmes.
It is regrettable but not surprising, considering the degradation of diplomacy in the collective West which we saw over the past decades. The brightest star is, of course, Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. All the 27 EU countries have delegated to him the right to speak on foreign affairs on their behalf. It has turned out that even EU officials don’t understand what he has been saying. Moreover, somebody else is writing his statements. I’m not even sure that he reads what they write. How can this be? What disgusting performance is this?
Is he a diplomat? Have you ever heard a true diplomat say that there is no place for diplomacy and the battle will be won on the battlefield? We have always emphasised that we stand for peace, talks and a peaceful solution even though the United States is waging a hybrid war against us. But the chief European diplomat says something directly opposite, which is killing diplomacy.
Does Ursula von der Leyen, who is also responsible for the EU’s international relations, really represent the union? No, she is implementing US diplomacy through the EU. This is anti-diplomacy.
Or take Liz Truss, who was Britain’s prime minister for 45 days and the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary for a year before that. She also held various high posts in the British government, although for a short time. Is she a diplomat? She came to Russia for extremely important talks at a fateful moment, and it turned out she didn’t know that the Rostov and Voronezh regions are parts of the Russian Federation. Is this normal? This happened while discussing the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she would not talk with us until Russia turned 360 degrees and radically changed its policy. So, we have turned 360 degrees, and what now? We are waiting for Berlin to act. What’s keeping it?
Worse still, she has repeated her blunder several times. Can nobody muster up the courage to tell her that she is talking nonsense? Or does she think she must keep going because all those mentioning her mistakes are enemies? I really can’t say, but this is the standard of their diplomacy, which is not surprising.
It is evidence of the wholesale degeneration of Western diplomacy. What are they doing at the UN Security Council? They are killing it by blocking logical resolutions and replacing them with sanctions. It looks like the only thing they can do is adopt ever more sanctions, which are destroying diplomacy. Moreover, these are not mere sanctions but part of a hybrid trade war against Russia.
Question: What is the likelihood of a direct clash between NATO and
Maria Zakharova: First of all, I would like to stress that
What does it all mean? It means that aggression is at the core of their vision of
For example, yet another large-scale exercise, Nordic Response 2024, has got under way in
I think that this question should be addressed to those who profess aggression as their basic approach rather than to us, who have repeatedly expressed our views. NATO, for its part, must know that any threat to our country’s security will not be left without a response. Look at what they will do. I assure you that they will take what I have just said out of context, dropping the first part (that we are not pursuing confrontation or aggression). Their comment will be as follows: Russian spokespersons are again talking about aggression and military-political tensions in
Today, I was asked about Artek. This happened in
First, the then head of Artek, Alexei Kasparzhak, had done a huge amount of work. He literally revived Artek, doing it in a matter of one year. There was even an exhibition showing the state of affairs at the camp in 2014 (under
We said that we were ready to go to
All of a sudden, a long-time Russia correspondent from Le Figaro called and asked to organise a visit to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This was outside our purview and within the Defence Ministry’s jurisdiction. We called the Defence Ministry (let me remind you that this was in 2015) and said that a French correspondent had expressed such and such wish and if it was possible to take all journalists over there, let us know so that we make offers. A few days later, the Defence Ministry said they were ready. We put together a fine programme. The journalists were taken, not just to the port to see things from the shore, but directly to ships of the Black Sea Fleet. They were shown around, treated to meals and drinks… Interviews, photographs… They could touch whatever they wanted with their hands. Then they returned home. Can you imagine what an interesting programme it was? Civilian, educational, political, military facilities… All included!
A week passed. We check who wrote what. Some wrote about this, others about that. We open Le Figaro (this is one of the most striking memories of my work with foreign correspondents) and read that
But this does not mean that we must not say that a relevant response and countermeasures will follow each step taken against our country. The range of our capabilities is very broad. I think everyone is cognizant of that.
To quote what President of Russia Vladimir Putin said while delivering his recent Address to the Federal Assembly, “We remember what happened to those who sent their contingents to the territory of our country once before. Today, any potential aggressors will face far graver consequences. They must grasp that we also have weapons …capable of striking targets on their territory.”
Question: A question about the leaked conversation between four top German Air Force officers published by RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan. The public reaction in Germany was interesting indeed. The Federal Press Office and right-wing politicians appeared mainly concerned about the leak proper, not the content of that odious conversation (the plans to bomb the Crimean Bridge and civilian targets in Russia). Germany has released a cartoon for children where bombs have human faces and talk. This promotes the idea of making more weapons, a bit reminiscent of the Third Reich. Can you comment on that?
Maria Zakharova: What is there to comment on? You have said it all yourself. I can only repeat it. Although we always knew who we were dealing with, we were still shocked by the cynicism and bluntness of the German Air Force top brass discussing the war they were waging against Russia.
Not only that, not just a war against the Russian Armed Forces, but specifically, against Russia as a country and people. As you correctly noted, they referred to the combat experience of the “good old Luftwaffe.” But think about it, what kind of combat experience has the Luftwaffe had in recent years? Any at all? What they meant was the WWII experience, the Great Patriotic War for us. Is that what they’re guided by? On the other hand, let them use it. It was a valuable experience. Tragic, because a lot of people died. I wish it had never happened. But we’re okay with the result.
The second thing that struck me was the reaction in German society. Look what they are trying to investigate. They aren’t asking why their top brass want to destroy civilian targets, referring to the Third Reich experience, or why they are basically discussing plans to destroy our country on behalf of the people of Germany, who have certainly not delegated this to them. The announced probe is to explain how this audio got into the public domain in the first place, how the leak was allowed to happen, the level of technological security, things like that. This is what they need to establish immediately. Literally, immediately.
Can we also have an immediate and urgent investigation into what happened to the Nord Stream pipelines? Or can that be postponed? That was a terrorist attack on civilian infrastructure that entailed enormous financial damage. Forget the financial damage; it has undermined Germany’s economic security for years to come, not to mention the environmental damage.
This is just amazing. This is not even double standards. It’s either a dichotomy or plain stupidity. Or maybe both. But what it really is, in diplomatic or political terms, is Germany’s inability to pursue a sovereign policy, reflecting its national interests and implemented through democratic procedures.
What was that about, exactly? Have the people of Germany delegated any of this to their government? No. Neither German Chancellor Olaf Scholz nor German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock have ever offered anything of the kind to their voters. Accordingly, German agencies and ministries are in no position to implement any of this. The people of Germany did not vote for this.
Second, everything those officers discussed is being done in the interests of the Western community, the US and UK. Germans as German citizens are not the beneficiaries of severing relations (I am referring to broader ties, not just diplomatic relations), or of the conflict between Russia and Germany; these steps will only benefit Washington and London. German companies are relocating to the US, starting to pay taxes there, seeing no prospects in their own country.
Further, if Germany is pushed towards a self-destructive policy regarding Russia, it will be even worse, and it won’t be our doing. It will happen because Germany is now entirely ruled by pro-American politicians.
Question: You said recently that Leningrad siege survivors would receive compensation from Germany only if they were ethnic Jews. Is it still valid? Will you take this to court and raise it to the international level? This is racism pure and simple. Russians, Georgians and Armenians will not receive anything as distinct from Jews.
Maria Zakharova: You are perfectly right. Nothing has changed. The German government will not compensate gentiles.
As for courts, I think, as you said, public organisations and citizens themselves can take the matter to court. This is exactly what segregation on ethnic grounds is.
I would like to say a few words in the context of the discussion on blowing up the Crimean Bridge by high-ranking German military officials. I want everyone abroad to know this. They don’t know yet. The city of Kerch is the point of entry to Crimean territory and the Crimean Bridge. I want to recall what the Germans did in Kerch 80 years ago. God forbid it ever happens again. This is an eternal disgrace. It’s like Babi Yar or Khatyn.
Maybe not everyone is familiar with Kerch but I would like everyone to know this story. This is the story of a Kerch school. When the German Nazis came to Kerch, they cancelled classes at this school. Then the Nazi Commander's office announced the resumption of classes. Parents brought 245 children to this school. They were told that their children would go to some picnic and they were taken out of the city. Then the hungry children were given food, pies and hot drinks poisoned with cyanide. In 10-15 minutes, they were dead. For children who didn’t eat, “doctors” were called. But these people cannot be called doctors. Doctors treat their patients, but these were murderers in white robes. They put cyanide on the upper lip of the surviving children and they also died. What happened with the children later? People who hear this story for the first time find it hard to believe. The bodies of these schoolchildren were driven several kilometres away from the city and thrown into a ditch with about 7,000 other dead bodies, people from Kerch.
When these (pardon my language) creatures discuss how they will blow up the Kerch Bridge (as the residents of Kerch call it), they should remember the atrocities committed by their own country. We see that it has not been fully de-Nazified yet. The Nazi bacillus is still alive there. They should repent and repent for these old crimes and pray in memory of those whom they had killed until the end of their lives.
Read this story. You don’t believe it? There is a monument to a mother and child there. And not just children were killed in this incident. I dread to think what their parents felt. And here, what I want to say to the entire international community, primarily to Germany: we have never reproached anyone for this past, never made it central in our relations. We remembered the past but we talked about the need to move on without the mistakes of the past.
What was their response? They replied with the same kind of nationalist and aggressive logic – to blow up a civilian bridge. Meanwhile, they know well (as is clear from the audio recording) that this is not a military facility and that it has tremendous social and political significance. It has inspired people with the hope that they will overcome this nationalist bacillus that has been imposed on them for the past few decades, this time by the Kiev regime. The bridge has symbolised their hope to develop freely, and have a chance for a peaceful future and normal life.
These German people (yes, I have to call them “people” even though their philosophy is inhuman) are discussing openly the best way of destroying the Crimean Bridge. I will ask our Embassy in Berlin to publicise in Germany the story of the Korolenko School in Kerch, something we never reproached the current German political leaders for. I want them to understand what Crimeans had to go through. The same is true of the Krasnodar Territory that is now warmly receiving foreigners, including Germans. And what about the Kerch Height with the monument to those who were killed defending Crimea? They could have surrendered it and drunk Chablis like in Paris or whatever the Germans would have brought with them.
But no! They were upholding their culture, their Motherland, defending themselves because they knew how others went back and forth on our land for centuries. There are still bones of soldiers in this area. I’d like to emphasise again that these German people with their inhuman logic and philosophy discussed how they could blow up the Crimean Bridge that is a bridge to the future. They don’t want this future, they want to return to the past, to this nationalist morass. They want to divide people into worthy and unworthy, to decide who is better by right of birth, skin colour and nose shape. How did they talk about this in the Third Reich? The shape of the skull and the ears? They will never have it their way. Never! This is really important. They cannot even imagine what we have gone through. They are limited and poorly educated. They don’t understand why we are going through all these trials, what motivates us and the values we are fighting for.
When they so freely discuss these ideas… I was stunned when some talked about the need to verify whether the audio recording was authentic. This is what I can say: when the German Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Smolenskaya Square and issued a demarche, he did not deny or call into doubt the authenticity of this recording. Here we go.
Question: Leningrad and the Gulf of Finland. You talked about the bomb that hit there, about President Vladimir Putin and his brother Viktor Putin who is buried in a common grave. Are Finland and Estonia suspected of this? Ukraine is far away. The Gulf of Finland is 600 kilometres long.
Maria Zakharova: I will find out. As you know, this is within the competence of our military.
Question: In Russia, the Chinese language is now being studied both at universities and at schools. Is something being done to make sure that the Russian language is equally widespread in China, including in schools? Is it possible to introduce the study of Russian culture in Chinese schools to deepen the knowledge of Chinese young people about Russia, its people and culture?
Maria Zakharova: We attach particular significance to the promotion of Russian-Chinese humanitarian cooperation, including in education and language training. The development of cooperation in this area is based on the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the study of the Russian language in the People's Republic of China and the Chinese language in the Russian Federation of November 3, 2005, which now is being implemented.
Ties in this area are developing both through common educational programmes and the creation of joint education institutions, and the expansion of specialised university associations (there are 13 associations like this now), and also pre-university institution associations in Russia and China. The flagship of bilateral cooperation in this area is the Russian-Chinese university in Shenzhen, under both Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Polytechnic Institute.
In recent years, interest among Chinese schoolchildren and students in learning Russian has been steadily increasing. In addition, there are bilingual children from joint marriages who want to learn Russian grammar at the professional level. According to the Chinese Association of Russian Language and Literature Teachers, today Russian is studied by more than 80,000 students throughout China. It is taught in 125 secondary schools and as a major at 180 universities, and the number of Russian language students is about 35,000. The Pushkin State Russian Language Institute and the Russkiy Mir Foundation partner centres operate under Chinese education institutions.
China has always had a lot of interest not only in the Russian language, but also in the culture of our country. In order to make the citizens of our countries more familiar with each other's customs and traditions the Years of Culture between Russia and China will be held by decision of President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in 2024-2025. They will be held over two consecutive years. Now Moscow, as a region, has prepared a great programme to introduce our audience to Chinese traditions, in particular, the traditional Chinese New Year has received a wide, colourful programme in Moscow.
This is already the ninth interstate themed exchange programme. In 2009-2010, we and our partners organised the Year of the Russian Language in China and the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia, which gave a significant impetus to the study of the Russian language in China and the Chinese language in our country and became the starting point for a number of new initiatives. For example, in September 2009, China Central Television launched 24-hour broadcasting in Russian (CCTV-Russian, now called CGTN-Russian).
I think this is just the beginning. An interesting future awaits us on the humanitarian track.
Question: The desecration of Soviet war memorials continues in Moldova. Another act of vandalism recently took place against a monument in the village of Bilicenii Vechi, Singerei District. Can you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: We are aware of this. We understand that there is no reaction from the Moldovan authorities. This is an act of vandalism. It can only be qualified as such.
The Moldovan authorities are pursuing a deliberate policy of destroying historical memory. But there is a subtlety. This is not only about us, but also about the Moldovan people. With the connivance of the authorities, cases of desecration of monuments to Soviet soldiers are becoming more frequent. Again reincarnation begins through the voices of “fighters” against Soviet and Russian toponyms. At the end of February, they put forward an initiative to rename a street in the city of Balti, which was named after Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev. He simply won’t allow NATO to rest; now they have reached Moldova. It's all because of one thing: he played a decisive role in the liberation of Europe from Nazism. They're taking revenge on him decades later. Then they could not deal with him. He played a tremendous role in defeating fascism in Europe. Now after all these years they are taking revenge. We would like to remind them that it was under his command that the soldiers of the 2nd Ukrainian Front of the Red Army liberated Balti from the fascist invaders on March 26, 1944. They propose to rename the street in honour of the Moldovan poet Grigore Vieru. I wonder, do they build so little in Moldova that it is impossible to name a new street after a “worthy” person? Let's go back to the previous information that 70 percent of the no less outstanding people who saved Moldova from Nazism and fascism.
Earlier we drew attention to the initiative of Romanian-Unionists to rename one of the central streets in Chisinau, which is named after Alexander Pushkin, to honour (I understand that it sounds moronic, but it is a fact) Queen Maria of Romania. All this is part of a policy aimed at “blurring” the national identity of the Moldovan people. This is exactly Maia Sandu’s objective, to deprive Moldovans of national history, memory and identity. And to make the case for forced Romanisation.
But it will not work. I can see it even from my communication with representatives of civil society on the sidelines of the World Youth Festival. Moldovans remember and honour the achievements of their ancestors, educate their children in the spirit of respect for the heroic past of their country. We should acknowledge the large number of volunteer initiatives to maintain and preserve the monuments of Soviet heritage. I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude, and I do it with great joy, to the volunteers who are not allowing our common historical memory be destroyed in Moldova. Thank you very much.
Question: It has been six years since March 4, 2018, when the UK began spreading the false story about Sergei and Yulia Skripal in an attempt to isolate Russia from the world. I especially remember your briefings (1, 2) where you told the whole story and provided evidence that it was a fake. Six years later, the situation has changed. How do you see the situation now? Don’t you think it is time for the collective West to atone for its sins, correct its mistakes, and restore relations with Russia?
Maria Zakharova: A good question. But not exactly for us.
As for Sergei and Yulia Skripal, time confirmed that we were right, that this was a scam that they concocted, because they did not provide any evidence against Russia. Nothing. There were no results from the Scotland Yard investigation, which, I think was framed by politicians in London. Innocent British police officers were forced to investigate an obviously false story. British Prime Minister Theresa May at the time had already made appropriate accusatory, and false statements regarding Russia, our country, and they had no choice but to “take on the show” and, apparently, pretend that some investigation was underway.
You were correct; six years have passed. So what? You can say that the case is complicated, there are many nuances. But they handed down a verdict on our country literally within a few days. They accused us and expelled our diplomats, demanding that others do the same.
They managed to prove to themselves that Russia is guilty. Why then did the official investigation not produce any clear evidence in six years? You have to decide that either this is such a complex, confusing case that it takes many years to collect at least some information, meaning the political sentence must be cancelled, or admit that the case was initially fabricated and there is nothing to investigate. They found only themselves in this investigation.
All incidents involving Russian citizens or compatriots who were engaged in economic or political activities and living in Britain not only remain uninvestigated, but it remained a “purely English murder,” which became the “mystery of the Loch Ness monster,” because no one understands what happened to Alexander Litvinenko. Once again, there is only a political verdict and a PR campaign based on his fate.
They do not want to share details about what happened to Boris Berezovsky. A huge number of people died there. Nobody is going to investigate anything. Our conclusion is clear: this was an English scam concocted for political reasons, because they were already in conflict with Russia. Our diplomats were in their way. They had to start a systematic slander campaign against us. Then they did the same thing again, but with the participation of Germany. Novichok. The theme was repeated. There was a deliberate theatrical performance. There is no evidence or information available on either the London incident or the German patient. We received nothing from them, and nor did their allies.
Now, onto the second part of the question. Is it time? Let their citizens pose this question to their authorities. You can also give it a try. For centuries, this has been their ideology: to divide people into groups. Who is deserving and who is not, who is exceptional and who is not. This is the foundation on which the world is divided, as Josep Borrell stated, into a “beautiful garden” and a “jungle.” They consider themselves part of the “beautiful garden” and everyone else as part of the “jungle.” This is their reasoning. They are exerting all efforts to prevent the entire world from becoming a “beautiful garden” and instead to live by certain laws, including those that are not based on equality, respect for international law and bilateral agreements.
They are striving to hinder the inevitable: the emergence of a multipolar, polycentric world. They believe that the ideology of colonialists and colonies, colonial powers and their satellites, sovereigns and vassals, should endure for a while longer. They are indifferent to the number of countries, peoples or individuals they sacrifice for their pernicious ideology. They keep moving along this path.
Our agenda is evident. We stand for peace, cooperation and fair competition. This is our fundamental approach.
Question: A large delegation from Pakistan came to the festival. Russia possesses extensive experience in fostering cultural exchanges and advancing bilateral relations. How can Russia share this experience with Pakistan?
Maria Zakharova: We have excellent relations with our Pakistani colleagues at the level of foreign ministries and embassies. We always welcome the Pakistani general public, tourists and businesspeople. Please come. We are open and ready to share our experience in all fields.
Question: Social media is disseminating information that you were presented with a brooch shaped like a khari bulbul flower at the festival. This flower is also recognized as a symbol of Azerbaijan's triumph in the second Karabakh war. How would you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: Like with any other hyped story, there is a simple reason for this. Those who did not attend the festival probably do not know this, but I will explain. All the participants brought gifts. The Palestinians brought souvenirs with the word “Palestine” inscribed on them, the Argentinians brought badges, and the Chinese brought emblems featuring pandas.
Participants from Yekaterinburg gave me a heart with the region's coat of arms and an essential item for women: a mirror made up of two halves. Belgorod presented a badge featuring its coat of arms. It seems that I will be going home with a box full of badges, brooches, key rings, pens, magnets, and more. I will try to provide a photo review of the gifts, indicating who brought each one and from which country.
However, this does not mean that everything should be politicised. People discuss what is important to them. I appreciate some things and learn about others for the first time. I may not agree with everything, but everyone talks about what concerns them. It is completely normal for people to give symbolically significant presents. Through these gifts, they share their stories. I will return to Moscow over the weekend, organise the gifts, and share my impressions.
We should not be swayed by provocations. They will likely always exist. Life without them would not be the life we experience on earth. It would be some sort of idyllic heavenly life, but we are on earth. The key is to look for the positive aspects in everything. There is plenty more of them.
Question: The US government has initiated an investigation into potential national security risks associated with smart vehicles made using Chinese technology. This investigation will be led by the Department of Commerce and will focus on vehicles with internet access. Moreover, during a conversation with journalists, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said that the investigation will begin even before Chinese-made cars become popular in the United States. How would you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: This is a trade war. I have repeatedly commented on this. Everyone believes that only Russia is the target of sanctions pressure. The collective West is intent on framing this as dissatisfaction with Russian policies.
We always pay attention to the fact that the same thing (perhaps under a different scheme, with a different ideological content) is happening to many countries. Cuba has suffered from the blockade for decades and has had to survive. It is developing and moving forward only thanks to its allies and loyal friends. How many sanctions have been imposed on the long-suffering people of Syria? Even those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have been given no mercy: medicines were not allowed into Syria. Is the situation any better in Venezuela?
China has achieved unprecedented success in science and technology through hard work, the diligence of its people and the planning of the country's leadership. But it is facing restrictions, outright blackmail and threats. Chinese companies are being pushed out of the market, Chinese manufacturers are being banned or stigmatised under absolutely far-fetched pretexts.
This is part of a trade war. We believe it is important to talk about these issues and present them in this way, without hesitation. The West first began to talk to Russia from the position of supposedly containing our state. Then it turned out that they switched to the policy of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. The word “containment” is now being applied to Beijing. I am sure that this ideology is based on the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on China, suppress its economic development, and prevent it from entering new markets. The same applies to Chinese mobile communications, computers, electronics and so on. The West takes only what it needs but ignores, discards and disregards the needs of others.
What should be done in this regard? We must move forward, employing a range of approaches, from negotiations and arbitration to politically condemning such actions are unacceptable.
Question: Two sessions of China’s main political events have started and are currently underway. Chinese President Xi Jinping has already delivered a keynote speech. The Chinese government has outlined its main goals and directions for 2024. One of them is to expand high-level openness in order to "promote mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation." How do you assess this approach? How much does it resonate with the Russian side?
Maria Zakharova: As a rule, we do not comment on domestic political events in other countries. But since a Chinese media corporation requests it…
We do have a special relationship with China. Our Chinese friends are aware that we never interfere in the affairs of others, and we greatly respect their achievements on various tracks.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Beijing on the opening sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and to wish success to all participants in these highly important domestic political events.
There is not only an emotionally coloured part to this, but also a pragmatic one. The prosperity and stability of the People's Republic of China, our largest neighbour and closest partner, are a source of new opportunities for mutual cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in all fields.
In recent years, thanks to the guiding role and personal attention of the two countries' leaders – President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping – the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China have entered a new era, reaching an unprecedented level in their history and continuing to strengthen dynamically.
Over the past decades, while our political relations have thrived, they often lacked tangible economic substance. Now economic cooperation has also gained momentum and is set to continue growing at a rapid pace. Both sides firmly support each other in defending their core interests, while also continuously deepening practical cooperation and fostering humanitarian exchanges for the benefit of both nations.
We are confident that the decisions made during the two sessions will not only contribute to China's ongoing socioeconomic progress, but also to the expansion of mutually beneficial ties with the outside world, including our country. I liked the term "win-win cooperation." It should become a trend for the entire planet.
Question: Some participants of the forum, who are very enthusiastic about Russia and the event programme, complained that it was inconvenient for them to travel from Malawi to Zimbabwe to obtain a Russian visa. Much is being done. As far as I know, Russia has already opened an embassy in Burkina Faso. However, we do not have embassies in many countries (Somalia, Niger and Malawi, to name a few). Can we hope that the consular diplomatic representation of our foreign offices in Africa will increase and eventually include all 54 African countries? Could you specify the timeframe, please?
Maria Zakharova: You not only could but should hope for that. Later today I will give you a more specific answer regarding our plans and the time frame in this respect. We do have such plans.
Question: You have already partially commented on our question. We spoke about the refusal of EU ambassadors to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. You said that ambassadors of Western countries are interfering in Russia’s domestic affairs. You also said that their refusal to meet with the minister who invited them to provide explanations before the presidential elections raises questions about their activities in the Russian Federation. What consequences will they face, aside from loss of face due to their refusal to meet with the minister? Could you specify which countries’ ambassadors you referred to? Who among them is interfering in Russia’s internal affairs?
Maria Zakharova: They are the heads of diplomatic missions from EU countries and the EU representative in Russia. They refused to take part in a working meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. The conclusion is obvious. They are not interested in contacts with the Russian official authorities in general. This is not just an isolated case. We have a perspective in this matter.
I heard a comment from the EU that this is supposedly normal diplomatic practice. No, this is abnormal and illogical practice that undermines the principles for sending ambassadors. It calls into question the mission of these countries’ diplomatic offices. This is the issue on the agenda. What do they think about the purpose of their own presence in our country?
I know, you are media-active and watch Solovyov Live. That’s great. We were wondering why the channel has such high ratings. Now we understand – because Reuters is watching it. Ask these ambassadors, what is the purpose of their presence in Russia? This is the most important question.
We have been patient for a long time, watching them take part in various events that do not involve foreign diplomatic presence and are exclusively our domestic affairs. I can recall how representatives of NATO countries attended rallies. What is this? Is this within their competence?
Has it been forgotten how just a few years ago they were engaged in spying? This applies, in part, to “diplomats” from the British Embassy. London denied this, claiming that Russia had fabricated it all. Later, this fact was confirmed. They had dead drops in rocks in Moscow. They talked with students without disclosing their home countries and without explaining why their countries pursued Russophobic policies. They were trying to influence the stance of our young people for their own benefit.
They are sponsoring our NGOs. The money to our NGOs is being funnelled through them. The British documents, which are now accessible on a dedicated website, describe the instructions sent by the Foreign Office to the British Embassy in Moscow. These instructions explained how to fund the Russian opposition, Russian media and NGOs. This is what they are doing on a permanent basis.
They attend our courts collectively, walking hand in hand. This is our domestic affair. If these Western ambassadors attend a court hearing on a case that involves citizens of our country, and these courts are situated on Russian territory, they should be qualified as accomplices. How can they provide support to a citizen of another country in court? This is clearly a case of foreigners being involved in his or her destiny? What is this all about? Meanwhile, this has become standard practice.
We await their responses to our questions regarding what they are doing in our country, what they think their functions are and how they will plan their work. Let them tell us about all this. I don’t think they will get away with letting just one Brussels representative speak for all of them.
Question: Would you comment on the resignation of US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland? Is there any possibility that the United States will change its foreign policy concepts?
Maria Zakharova: I did not assign her. But those who did made a big strategic mistake. I am sure she had and still has all the necessary talents and education. Unfortunately, she did not use them the way she should have.
Over many years, she has not been engaged in diplomacy but interference in other countries’ internal affairs (above all Russia, Ukraine, Eastern and Western Europe), as well as in implementing and forming a destructive course, not only for other countries, but also for the US, because it led to a failure of American foreign policy. The stakes were very high. Democrats (starting with Barack Obama) put everything at stake. They lost their bet. An absolute fiasco: raging Vladimir Zelensky, begging for at least something, the White House rejecting his requests; complete discord within NATO.
It was Nuland who implemented this US foreign policy, including towards its NATO allies: President of France Emmanuel Macron says one thing, and all along the perimeter, they say another. Nobody has a clear vision of what to do. From the statement about Russia’s strategic defeat, they switched to mumbling that under no circumstances should Russia be allowed to win. As if it depends on their words and statements. A complete fiasco. I do not want to elaborate on why.
I liked today’s comment by senator Alexei Pushkov, who made a good analysis of this situation. This is the case when talented, educated people who have good knowledge of Russia use their skills and capabilities not as intended, but with exactly with the opposite “charge.” Her knowledge about Russia should have been used for creation, but it was used to destroy bilateral relations. I think that her personal contribution to undermining trust between our countries was colossal.
She is probably not the only one or the main one, but she has become the face of everything that is happening around Ukraine. As you remember, she personally came during the Maidan events and not only led not Ukrainian citizens, political figures and parties, but also lined up the Western allies of the United States. However, after that she told them to go to hell in English. You know what she said about the EU. It was she who handed out those notorious “cookies” and asked the Russian delegation at the talks to correct what had been said because it was buns she had been handing out. Of course, this changes things 360 degrees.
Victoria Nuland became the face of the anti-Russia policy and the murder of Ukraine by the United States. She will be historically associated with this. But I repeat: she is not alone.
Question: In April, Beijing will host the 30th China Content Broadcasting Network. You have received an invitation from China to attend the conference. What measures can be taken, regarding young media journalists, to strengthen communication and interaction between China and Russia? What impact will media exchange have on Russia and China?
Maria Zakharova: A lot of agreements on cooperation and information exchange have been signed between Russian and Chinese media holdings. They do not remain on paper only, but are implemented. Wonderful films about China are released in Russia, and in China, there are many shows about Russia. There needs to be more of this. This does not mean that we should not be interested in other countries and isolate ourselves.
We are natural neighbours in terms of geography; we have a long history of relations and a great future. All this requires large-scale information work so that the people of our countries understand each other. We have different languages, different cultural and civilisational foundations. Therefore, we need to do everything we can to help people understand each other better.
People in China and Russia have characteristics, traditions, and habits that are incomprehensible unless you live in the country. We must explain this, talk about history, and not sidestep the difficult times. They happened, but we overcame them. They must be remembered. There is nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to have a mutually respectful dialogue aimed at the future.
Several days ago, Gazprom-Media Holding, via the Foreign Ministry of Russia, sent the Chinese side a proposal for mutual partnership. In particular, it was related to Gazprom-Media inviting and welcoming the participation of their Chinese friends in the joint project, Challenge. This is a sports and intellectual show in which celebrities and talented people from the world of science and art come together to win a prize. We sent this proposal to both the Chinese embassy and our embassy in the PRC. It was sent to Beijing in order to inform our Chinese partners and the audience about this.
This is an interesting project. Filming is planned for the summer of 2024 and will take place at the heart of the Great Golden Ring of Russia: in the Vologda Region. We are waiting for Chinese participants and Chinese media corporations who may be interested in this. It will be interesting.
Through such informational, cultural and sports events, people can really get to know each other and show the audience how to communicate and implement these projects. This is just one example of this.
Question: What does the Foreign Ministry think about PACE’s decision to reject the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation’s credentials? How can such decisions impact the Council of Europe?
Maria Zakharova: We would like to remind you that a group of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe challenged the credentials of the Milli Majlis delegates on January 22, 2024. The stated reason was Azerbaijan’s alleged non-compliance with its commitments regarding democracy, human rights and the rule of law that the country signed off on when it joined the Council of Europe in 2001.
I have a question for those overly active deputies who initiated this: is Ukraine making good on everything? Upholding human rights and humanitarian standards, and ensuring the rule of law? Shouldn’t PACE consider suspending some Ukrainian delegates or the entire delegation? What a joke.
For decades, the Kiev regime has been trampling on human rights, killing its own citizens, imprisoning journalists and public figures, and carrying out bomb attacks on them. Then Kiev started targeting our regions. The Mirotvorets website published lists of Russian citizens with their personal data – and citizens of Western countries, too, for that matter – ticking the respective boxes whenever someone from that list (politicians, public figures, journalists, bloggers, representatives of ministries and state agencies) was killed (“eliminated”).
Does PACE find anything wrong with that? Is everything all right? What is this all about? When it comes to reprimanding other countries, it all seems rather petty considering that the PACE has never assessed the Kiev regime’s actions. But they did not stop there.
During the plenary session on January 24, 2024, the PACE refused to ratify Azerbaijan’s credentials until the country fully complied with its “accession commitments.”
I don’t want to talk about Azerbaijan or any other country here. I have just one question. Is PACE satisfied with Ukraine? No complaints? Have all “accession commitments” been fulfilled?
It is our view that everything PACE does these days is highly politicised. Unfortunately, this is not only the case with this organisation, but also with many related agencies.
The OSCE, which was discussed today in the context of the presidential election, remains silent as well. Its focus on humanitarian and human rights issues has become highly imbalanced due to Western policies.
Azerbaijan has already commented on this. I don’t need to quote their comment. They don’t need advocates. At the same time, we all need to provide objective assessments of PACE’s actions, particularly its double standards, arrogance, and religious intolerance, primarily Islamophobia.
I represent a country where the majority of the population are Orthodox Christian. But here I am talking about Islamophobia within PACE. They are also attacking Christian values, but Islamophobia has reached unprecedented levels. It’s just out of bounds. This is a form of neocolonial chauvinism. All of this is the result of the destructive activities of the West, the same activities that has pushed the Council of Europe to the brink of a serious institutional crisis. I would even say beyond the brink. The crisis is already there.
Question: Let us talk about the European Union once again and let us go back to the South Caucasus. Last week, Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan discussed plans for diversifying Armenia’s foreign policy in one of his interviews. According to Mr Grigoryan, Russia’s failure to fulfil its obligations and to take part in overhauling the Armenian army and supplying weapons worth $250 million (as claimed by the Armenian side) highlights the need for a pro-Western approach. Mr Grigoryan believes that this is one of the reasons for Armenia-EU rapprochement. Later, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan accused the Collective Security Treaty Organisation of failing to fulfil its obligations and noted that his country aimed to join the European Union. According to Mr Simonyan, “our security implies that we should be a democratic country, and that we should cooperate closely with the democratic system.” Yesterday, the Armenian press carried multiple stories saying that Armenia would apply for EU membership by autumn. I would like to hear your comments.
Maria Zakharova: We are impressed that Azerbaijani media outlets are so interested in Armenian developments, and that Armenian media outlets are paying attention to Azerbaijani issues. It would be great if everyone reached a consensus and started asking questions in the context of Russian-Azerbaijani or Russian-Armenian relations, taking into account the interests of our countries and resisting a temptation to discuss someone in absentia or issues not related to the agenda of the country in question.
I understand that you are a journalist. You have a wide range of interests. However, it would be appropriate to harmonise the relevant approach in this regard. Let us try to do so in the future.
I have called for this many times. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already provided a comprehensive and in-depth answer to this question at a news conference on the results of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 2, 2024.
I can add a few more words on the issue of the Armenia-EU rapprochement. Today, we have talked extensively about the experience of the Kiev regime and Ukraine, which were lured into the Western net. They were promised magnificent prospects, and everything was described in the best possible way. In the end, the West double-crossed and abandoned them. This could happen again, but I hope that it does not. This should not happen. I really don’t want Armenia to face this prospect.
Armenia has traversed an extremely difficult historical path that included genocides, defending national sovereignty, struggling for its culture, and dealing with highly complicated territorial disputes, issues and conflicts.
Armenia and its citizens deserve to live in peace and should never be manipulated as a bargaining chip by unscrupulous Western politicians.
You represent Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani media. Russia sincerely desires that Armenia live in peace. Armenia is our neighbour and an ally with whom we share long-standing historical ties.
Our sincere wish for Armenia to have peace, stability and prosperity is driven both by our warm feelings for that country and its people and by pragmatic considerations. The overall well-being of the region depends on Armenia’s prosperity. Regrettably, we see that the West, having played a disruptive role and leaving Ukraine in a crippled state like a dingy old doll without an arm and a leg, is now looking for a new victim.
We hope that Armenia does not become this next victim. Otherwise, it will be lured and deceived. Armenia has historical experience and knows which nation always came to its aid, not in order to play to someone’s narrow interests but in pursuit of peace in the region and essential stability crucial for the lives and prosperity of its people. Judging by all appearances, certain politicians in Yerevan regard the EU’s suddenly increased attention to their republic as a cure-all solution or an enticement. But it is crucial to look beyond surface appearances. History has shown a pattern where the “white man” arrived, showed a small mirror, and exchanged it for the most valuable possessions of the indigenous population. This ideology must become a thing of the past, and no one should fall prey to it or be deceived again.
Unfortunately, a number of political figures in Armenia are not even aware that their country is being turned into yet another Western geopolitical tool, a “plaything” of the West.
We observe numerous cases where the collective West cynically exploits a nation for its selfish aims and later leaves it to its own devices after playing to its heart’s content in a country, or its people, or individual politicians. The things they promised to all sorts of people!
The European Union has ceased to be a reliable partner to anyone. The EU is now dominated by adherents of a confrontational ideology, who are fulfilling a direct US order and regarding Armenia as merely a gateway to the region.
A striking example is Serbia, which, a few years ago, received promises of financial support and unprecedented investments that failed to materialise. The West is generally a source of unprecedented things – sanctions, investments... They have promised everything. Where is it now? They even signed some declarations, but the result is nil. This is not our targeted information effort but an undeniable fact. Ask the Serbs what they have gotten. Even promises made by none other than the US President, a responsible man, are left unfulfilled.
We see that in addition to ignoring its partners’ opinions, the EU leadership also acts against the interests of its own citizens, whose unending protests reveal the degradation of the European Union and the multiple political, financial and economic failures of EU politicians. Do you really expect them to care about Armenia and Armenian citizens?
Under the circumstances, it is absolutely irresponsible to present the push for rapprochement with the aggressive and incapable EU as a way to ensure anyone’s security. There are no examples to support such claims. Please tell me if you think of any, and we can certainly discuss them.
The EU has lost its true purpose and original objective. It was created as an economic union, but it has morphed into an appendage, an external supplement, and a satellite of NATO. No strategic decision can be made without first running it by the alliance.
Question: Minister Lavrov recently offered his assessment of Armenia’s revising of its policy towards Russia. Reports indicate that Armenia has effectively suspended its CSTO membership and is considering the suspension of its participation in law. Additionally, Armenia is now saying the CSTO has “obligations” towards Yerevan. What do you know about these “obligations?” How might these changes affect the functioning of the EAEU, which Armenia is chairing this year?
Maria Zakharova: We have repeatedly commented on all sorts of “suspensions” and “withdrawals.” Let me remind you of just one thing. We reached out to our Armenian allies earlier with a proposal to hold interagency consultations in order to discuss and address their concerns in a substantive manner. We have not received a response yet. Perhaps we will receive it soon. Send them your questions, too. They have not yet responded to this initiative.
The EAEU is an international organisation for economic integration that focuses on stable economic development and improving the welfare of the citizens of its member states. Political issues are not discussed on this platform.
As we have emphasised many times, the relations between Union members are built on a mutually beneficial and equitable basis, taking into account the interests of all member states.
Without a doubt, this interaction brings good results, including for Armenia, which, over the last several years, has become the EAEU leader in terms of GDP growth rates and investment in fixed capital, to name a few. Much of this success can be attributed to the Union’s concerted efforts. The single EAEU market, the freedom of movement of labour, the simple procedure for incorporating businesses and low-cost energy supplies have all played pivotal roles in fostering progress.
As a reminder, this year Armenia is chairing the EAEU bodies. We continue to work as a team on implementing our goals, including in the interest of implementing the priorities of the Armenian chairmanship, which we share.
Question: Could you provide insight into the term “multipolar world,” which is often used in juxtaposition with “colonialism” and “Nazism.” Is there an established term for this concept in international law or has it yet to be developed?
Maria Zakharova: There are numerous references in statements made by country leaders and in declarations issued by various associations. I think it is already considered a part of international law. There are examples of how commonly understood phenomena lack standardised terminology in international law.
Not to draw a parallel, but just as an example, everyone knows what terrorism is. There are references to it and descriptions in a number of documents, but even within the UN there is no single, established description, formula or qualification of this concept. Different countries may have their own interpretations.
True, we have yet to define the concepts of “polycentricity” or “multipolarity” and to determine whether one or the other is more fitting. However, the essence of what we are talking about is widely understood. These terms signify a stance against the dominance of a single centre, colonial thinking and segregation. They represent a reality where equality is inherent in international relations. Of course, not everywhere; we are still a long way from full equanimity. But it is already a discernible trend, a vector.
Russia’s Foreign Policy Concept approved on March 31, 2023, has a paragraph about it.
Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting on October 5, 2023, President Putin made a number of statements describing our approach to multipolarity and polycentricity:
“We want to live in an open, interconnected world, where no one will ever try to put artificial barriers in the way of people’s communication, their creative fulfilment and prosperity.
We want the world’s diversity to be preserved and serve as the foundation for universal development.
Russia stands for maximum representation. No one has the right or ability to rule the world for others and on behalf of others.
Russia stands for universal security and lasting peace built on respect for the interests of everyone: from large countries to small ones.
We stand for justice for all. The era of exploitation, as I said twice, is in the past.
We stand for equality, for the diverse potential of all countries. This is a completely objective factor.
Russia was, is and will be one of the foundations of this new world system, ready for constructive interaction with everyone who strives for peace and prosperity, but ready for tough opposition against those who profess the principles of dictatorship and violence. We believe that pragmatism and common sense will prevail, and a multipolar world will be established.”
Question: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the deteriorating situation not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. In this regard, is Russia continuing its push to improve this situation and stop the bloodshed?
Maria Zakharova: Absolutely. You are aware of our efforts at the UN Security Council, our contacts with the Palestinian movements and our diplomatic engagements with Israel. We maintain close dialogue with the countries of the region on these matters.
Question:The Belgian prime minister said “dozens” of Russian diplomats had been expelled in recent months. Do you confirm this information? There has been no information in the media about such mass expulsions in recent months.
He also said that aid to Ukraine is being financed using funds from Russia’s frozen assets in Belgium. Could you provide clarity on this matter? Do you have any information about this? Has Brussels notified Moscow about this? Perhaps Russia can track the status of its assets?
Maria Zakharova: Frankly, I’m not entirely sure what he is talking about and why the last few months. He is being too modest. There have been hundreds, if not thousands in recent years. Perhaps, he is referring to some different figures. They send them out, we send in new ones. They either send them back or they just don’t issue visas. I think it’s more than a thousand now. You may recall that the United States was expelling them by the dozens, sometimes 50, 60, 70 people at a time. There are so many NATO countries and each one will expel someone with an unenviable regularity worthy of better use.
I’m not sure what he was talking about. But over the last few years, the West has treated our diplomats literally as a target. Apparently, they are doing a good job.
Question: What about the assets?
Maria Zakharova: As for the assets, they will get our response. We have discussed this on multiple occasions.
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