Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 24, 2024
- The fate of Russian citizens on the crew of the capsized boat Argos Georgia
- Sergey Lavrov’s participation in the ASEAN, EAS and ARF
- The Ukraine crisis
- Moldova update
- The Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity
- Pentagon’s updated Arctic strategy
- 30th anniversary of the Association of Caribbean States
- Tenth BRICS Youth Summit
- The 80th anniversary of liberation of Brest from Nazi invaders
- World Day against Trafficking in Persons
- Statements by the Foreign Minister of Germany
- Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election
- Russian journalists denied accreditation for the Olympics in France
- Drafting the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Statements by UN High Commissioner for Refugees
- China’s initiative on international nuclear safety
- Using the anti-Russia agenda in US political infighting
- EU allocates $10 million to Armenia
- Forums on combating misinformation
- Russia’s position on the Western military activity in South Caucasus
- NATO’s aggressive actions
- Russia to open a consulate general in Bali
- Obstacles faced by Russian diplomats during the Olympics in France
- Statements by the Kiev regime
- The political situation in Georgia
- The United States’ bloc-related initiatives in the Asia-Pacific
- Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov’s official visit to the DPRK
- Civic engagement by Russian citizens
- Journalists from Western media outlets working in Russia
The fate of Russian citizens on the crew of the capsized boat Argos Georgia
I would like to begin with an emergency about which we have received many questions. The media have reported that the fishing vessel FV Argos Georgia with an international crew, reportedly including Russians, sank off the Falkland Islands.
According to preliminary information, the Russian crew members have not been hurt.
We will keep you informed.*
*The latest news about the fishing boat Argos Georgia, which sank in the South Atlantic, says, citing the Falklands Coast Guard and the shipowner, that there were eight Russians on board. Four of them are alive, three are dead and one is missing.
Sergey Lavrov’s participation in the ASEAN, EAS and ARF
We have reported during the previous briefing that on July 26−27 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be in Vientiane for the regular ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in different formats, including Russia-ASEAN, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
During these meetings, we will present our views on the regional situation, in particular, the growth of the conflict potential in Asia Pacific due to the Western policy of militarising the region, NATO military potential build-up, and the expansion of the network of bloc mechanisms. We will continue to advocate the idea of creating a just and equal world order where ASEAN is a natural partner for the SCO and the EAEU. These three organisations are working in a common system of coordinates for positive cooperation and stronger interaction in various areas.
We hope to use the Russia-ASEAN ministerial meetings for holding a substantive dialogue on the full scope of cooperation with the Association in politics, security, trade, the economy, social and cultural spheres.
We will use ASEAN support to promote practical initiatives on international information security, which is among Russia’s priorities on this platform.
The agenda of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Vientiane includes many bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the ASEAN events. We will keep you updated.
On July 27, the Donetsk People’s Republic will mark a tragic date, Day of Remembrance for Child Victims of the War, established on July 11, 2022 by an executive order of the Head of the Republic.
In 2014, the Kiev regime declared a real war to exterminate civilians in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics. Since then, over 300 children were killed, and about 1,000 more wounded. These statistics are horrendous.
Unfortunately, the number of underage children, killed by Kiev-controlled military formations, continues to increase in Donbass and elsewhere. On this day, we also remember innocent victims from the Belgorod, Kursk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, including those killed or wounded by militants of the Kiev regime.
On June 23, 2024, militants from the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched ATACMS missiles against the Uchkuyevka municipal beach in Sevastopol. Many holidaymakers with children were staying there on that Sunday. In all, there were 153 civilian casualties, including 27 children. The attack killed four people, including two children aged two and nine years.
On June 28, 2024, a Ukrainian drone deliberately hit a residential building in the village of Gorodishche in the Kursk Region and killed an entire family of five, including two little children.
On July 5, 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched drones against residential areas in Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Krasnodar Territory, killing a six-year-old girl and wounding a seven-year-old boy.
On July 11, 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted a barbaric attack against children at a playground in the village of Shebekino in the Belgorod Region. A drone deliberately dropped an explosive device on them. Five minors were wounded, and one of them later died in a hospital.
These recent crimes highlight the inhuman nature of the terrorist Kiev regime, which is fighting defenceless children without a twinge of conscience.
Apart from direct perpetrators and those who issued criminal orders, countries of the collective West that are providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and demanding that the Kiev regime fight until the last Ukrainian are also involved in crimes against children. The demise of Russian and Ukrainian children weighs heavily on their conscience.
This is confirmed by a July 8, 2024 attack involving a Norwegian-made NASAMS guided surface-to-air missile system against the Okhmatdet hospital for children in Kiev. Despite cynical manipulations and video-graphic compilations by Ukraine’s Centre of Information and Psychological Operations, it is quite easy to distinguish between a Russian-made Kh-101 missile and a Western-made AIM-120 missile. On July 17, a Russian representative at the talks on military security and arms control in Vienna described these differences in great detail at the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation No 1084. The text and a detailed presentation are posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to bring back the deceased children and to provide closure for their parents and relatives. However, it is necessary to expose their murderers who will be severely punished. Russian investigative agencies will take care of this. There cannot be, nor will there be, any statute of limitations for these barbaric crimes.
One of the aims of the special military operation is demilitarisation – that is, depriving the neo-Nazi regime of any chance to deliver strikes at peaceful cities, strikes that kill or injure civilians, including underage children.
This objective will be reached for the sake of children’s future. We do not divide children along ethnic lines.
Based on evidence provided by the Investigative Committee of Russia, Russian courts continue passing sentences on Ukrainian nationalists, who have committed grave crimes against civilians.
Igor Filin, a militant from the neo-Nazi organisation known as Azov, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for having obeyed the criminal order to kill two civilians in Mariupol in April 2022.
The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic sentenced Sergey Averyanov, an AFU militant, to 20 years’ imprisonment in absentia. In February 2022, he ordered his subordinates to fire mortars at the village of Tryokhizbyonka. An international arrest warrant has been issued for him.
The same sentence, 20 years, has been passed in absentia on Ukraine’s Andranik Gasparyan, who ordered his artillery brigade to fire at civilian facilities in Stakhanov, Lugansk People’s Republic, in July 2020. An international arrest warrant has been issued for him.
The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic has sentenced Ukrainian Nazis Sergey Nebeshchyuk and Nikolay Drandalush to 20 years imprisonment for having obeyed the criminal order to fire at a residential house from their tank in Mariupol in March 2022.
We have to refer to them as “people,” but they have all the basic attributes of non-humans. Just think of it: we are living in the 21st century. The 20th century saw the approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the principles of warfare have been outlined; there are outlines of humanitarian law that protects civilians, including during hostilities. But they run a tank into a settlement and it starts firing at a house. Do they persist in calling residents in those cities “their” residents and “their” citizens, and the cities themselves and their infrastructure “their” territories? Let me remind you that we are speaking about Mariupol, which is no longer a Ukrainian city, nor is it associated in any way with the state of Ukraine. But Bankovaya Street is still making affirmative statements to this effect.
Now let’s talk about what is happening in the lives of those people who have made their conscious and legitimate, albeit hard won choice, because they had to survive under the relentless shelling by the Ukrainian regular forces and the nationalist battalions of the Kiev regime. Let’s talk about Russia’s new regions.
Despite the Kiev neo-Nazis tenaciously attacking those regions of Russia, large-scale development is in full swing in the DPR and LPR, and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The Russian builders’ ambition is to bring the basic socio-economic development indicators in those regions up to the national average by the end of the decade.
To date, nearly every region in Russia has committed to support certain areas in the new regions. According to the latest data, their assistance has already enabled restoration works on a total of 3,516 different facilities destroyed by the Bandera regime. As many as 1,300 educational institutions have been repaired, including more than 400 schools and kindergartens. This means the new regions will be absolutely prepared for the new school year.
Serious emphasis has been placed on building and improving roads this year. Work is underway to implement one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Russia – the construction of an over 1,400 km long ring road around the Sea of Azov. Since the beginning of this year, Russian specialists have laid more than 550 kilometres of the bottom layer of asphalt for these projects ahead of schedule, with this year’s target at 640 kilometres. About 70 percent of roads are ready for use in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
Russia continues to bring peace and prosperity to every community liberated from the misanthropic gang of terrorists sitting in Kiev.
You can certainly see what is happening on the Ukrainian side every day. Any proposals for joint steps towards a peaceful resolution of this terrible situation are being blocked. In particular, I am referring to the efforts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who came under a barrage of criticism (or should I say under the EU and NATO “bombing”) for taking steps to promote a peaceful settlement and peacekeeping activity.
On July 17, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Hungarian Prime Minister’s visits to Moscow and Beijing. The document says that such behaviour should have “serious consequences” for Hungary. At the same time, even before the resolution was passed, the European Commission announced plans to boycott the European Council meetings held in Hungary, and some of the members demanded stripping the country of its right to vote in the European Union. The very idea that peace talks were possible seems to have been enough to make European officials go ballistic. These same officials continue to accuse Russia of allegedly not wanting peace and stepping up aggressive rhetoric. The only explanation for this reaction on the part of the European bureaucracy is that they need this war literally like air, that they cannot live without it. To get what they want, they are ready to put pressure even on their own partners.
Following the recent NATO summit, Vladimir Zelensky with his trademark reaching out hand was seen at the European Political Community Summit held in Woodstock, UK, on July 18. As expected, the theme of the meeting boiled down to the support for the Kiev regime. It is the only agenda that evokes least contradictions between the UK and the EU. However, the real outcome of that futile get together is rather scarce for Ukraine. With a view to somehow justify his visit, Zelensky brought to Kiev two new (earlier, I would have said useless scraps of paper) Zelensky’s scraps of paper (that’s how such papers should essentially be called) – security agreements with the Czech Republic and Slovenia. These assurances of security will not bring back and will not stop the death of the Ukrainian people, whom Zelensky destroys and sacrifices to please his Western masters.
The issue is not about the paper and the agreements that Zelensky signs, but about the fact that he is obsessed with keeping himself in power and willing to do anything for the sake of it.
Noteworthy are the revelations of the newly appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. After a lot of hardship, the newly minted ambassador, former head of the Ukrainian armed forces Valery Zaluzhny, has arrived to London. He started fulfilling his duties with a presentation at the Royal United Services Institute. In front of a British audience, the former Ukrainian military leader (maybe he still is, who knows?) was quite candid, saying that “thanks to the lives of ordinary Ukrainians they were able to win a chance for themselves,” as the ex-chief commander vividly described the first days of the special military operation. Why such modesty? Basically, Vladimir Zelensky drew a chance, a “lucky ticket” only thanks to the lives of ordinary Ukrainians, as Valery Zaluzhny said. He went on to say that it was time for Europeans to “give up certain freedoms for the sake of survival.” This is a bold theory, considering that contrary to the theory of survival, it was Western Europeans who brought freedoms to Ukraine, of which both were extremely proud.
Whose survival was Zaluzhny talking about? After all, no one threatens Europeans, and Ukrainians will stop dying as soon as their own authorities, as well as Washington, London and the collective Brussels stop sending them to meat storms. From Zaluzhny’s further remarks, it becomes apparent that all this is being done for the survival of the Kiev gang; this is their priority. And obviously, it is indicative that the ‘pocket dictator’ rushed to call Donald Trump after the assassination attempt: this also shows the Kiev regime’s “fidelity to principle” and “non-opportunistic” nature. As they say, nothing personal, just the fear of losing their permanent position in the Ukrainian power. There are no moral, ethical or deterrent reasons: they are ready to do anything to keep their grip on power.
In return for restricting the rights of Western citizens, Valery Zaluzhny has offered Ukraine’s “partners,” who have the technology and resources but “no applied and practical field to test them” to use Ukraine as the testing ground. I remember how it began. Vladimir Zelensky urged Western and also other countries that have new weapons to test them on Ukrainians, as it turned out. Such statements were made a year ago. Since then, many new Western weapons have been tested on Ukrainians. It appears that the potential for experiments has not been exhausted, because the Kiev thugs intend to continue to sacrifice Ukrainian citizens to their mercenary interests.
In his situation, Ukrainians will continue to go through many other horrors created and perpetrated by the Kiev regime for the sole purpose of prolonging the agony of Zelensky and his gang.
I am referring to the situation in Ukraine, but there are also the Western handers who have been robbing Ukraine jointly with Zelensky and for years before him, lining their pockets and inventing various schemes to withdraw capital moving through Ukraine. I am referring to the Western leaders who the Kiev regime is expected to protect now. The matter concerns billions or even tens or hundreds of billions of dollars, in particular, in the form of the uncontrollable supply of weapons.
These facts are fresh proof of the topical essence of the special military operation launched for denazifying and demilitarising Ukraine and eliminating the threats coming from its territory. All these goals will be achieved without fail.
The Moldovan authorities, or more precisely the regime of Maia Sandu continues trying – in vain, as it turns out – to whip up anti-Russia hysteria in the hope of remaining afloat.
On July 15, 2024, President Sandu said that “Russia’s goal is to bring to power in Moldova those… who are selling their country.” Moldovans themselves regard such statements ironically. Local political analysts point out that these statements sound ridiculous when uttered by politicians who are consistently pursuing the line for the destruction of Moldovan sovereignty and independence, statehood and, ultimately, the Moldovan language. These statements sound ridiculous because they are made by Moldovan politicians and Sandu’s ruling team who are turning their country into an EU colony. Facts are facts.
The process of surrendering Moldova’s strategic resources to external control is ongoing. On July 17, 2024, Foreign Minister of Moldova Mihai Popsoi welcomed the good news of Romania’s interest in buying RED-Nord, a state distributor of energy in the north of Moldova.
On July 11, 2024, the Moldovan Parliament adopted in the first reading amendments to the Law on Management and Privatisation of Public Property. Experts pointed out that over 50 major enterprises, including in the field of transport infrastructure, had been removed from the initial list of companies to be exempt from privatisation. It is feared, with good reason, that they could be sold for a pittance to Romanian operators.
The demographic situation in Moldova has become disastrous because of the pro-Western regime. According to the initial results of a recent census, the population of some regions has decreased by 25−30 percent. Expert estimates say that the country’s population has decreased by over 200,000 during Sandu’s rule and the birth rate is the lowest in the past two centuries.
The socioeconomic situation continues to deteriorate. According to official data, industrial production slumped by 5.2 percent in May 2024 year on year.
Foreign trade is stagnating. In January to May, Moldova’s exports decreased by 13.5 percent and imports by 2.3 percent compared to the first five months of 2023.
The “Ukrainisation” of Moldova’s policy is proceeding apace. The government of Maia Sandu is actively using the experience of Kiev’s struggle against dissent. Last week, an anonymous analogue of the far-right Ukrainian website Mirotvorets was established in Moldova. It is publishing the personal data of Moldovan politicians and public figures who are accused of “activities damaging the national interests of the Republic of Moldova.”
I would like to say that this should be the responsibility of law enforcement bodies, which have their own sites, in particular, the interior ministry, the prosecutor’s office, investigative authorities and, possibly, courts. Creating and running such sites by “active citizens” amounts to the abuse of power, at the very least. In reality this is extremism, and the national authorities, in this case the government of Moldova, are pandering to it. They are not simply legitimising abuse of power but extremism.
The media have reported that a draft project for the first multimodal logistics terminal on the border with Romania was presented in Chisinau on July 19, 2024. According to an official press release, the terminal should increase the effectiveness of trade and economic transactions with neighbouring countries. However, Moldovan experts believe that the logistics hub estimated at 30 million euros will most likely be used to transport cargo, including military cargo, from Romania to Ukraine. This view is shared by the former Prime Minister and the current presidential candidate, Ion Chicu, who said that Moldova would be turned into a transhipment point for the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine. When this project is implemented, Moldovan citizens, who still believe Sandu, will see that they have been cruelly deceived.
On July 22, 2024, speaking on television the Ambassador of Ukraine to Moldova Mark Shevchenko threatened Moldovan citizens supporting the local opposition. In his opinion, their voice is tantamount to “buying a ticket to the war.” Is the Ambassador of Ukraine saying this? Quite possibly, he has forgotten that he is sending his own citizens to the war as stowaways, by distributing these “tickets” free of charge at military enlistment offices and by forcing people to take part in this tour without a return ticket.
Official Chisinau does not miss an opportunity to baselessly accuse Russia of interfering in Moldova’s domestic political processes. Moldovan authorities have failed to respond to this outrageous attack by the Ukrainian Ambassador.
The people of Moldova realise that the republic’s hybrid Romanisation and Ukrainisation, promoted by the authorities under European integration slogans, have pernicious consequences for their country. Opinion polls unequivocally confirm public discontent with the unpopular policy of Maia Sandu’s regime. A recent survey, conducted by the Intellect Group agency, only 40 percent of Moldovan citizens agree with the idea of including a provision on Moldova’s European track into the Constitution. At the same time, 80 percent suggest preserving traditional family values. Despite active official anti-Russia propaganda, most Moldovans do not see Russia as a threat and suggest expanding bilateral relations.
We completely share this mood. The people of Moldova have always been and still are our friends. I believe that they are well aware of this.
Reprisals against Moldovan citizens who support ties with Russia and call for expanded bilateral relations in all spheres have already broken all world records in terms of their dynamics in Moldova under the regime of Maia Sandu.
The Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity
We welcome the agreements on ending Palestinian division reached between representatives of 14 Palestinian factions at a meeting organised with China’s assistance in Beijing on July 23, 2024.
Before that, Russia hosted several intra-Palestinian consultations. The latest round, held in Moscow on February 29 and March 1, 2024, was attended by all the leading Palestinian forces, including Fatah and Hamas. The statement adopted following that meeting set out a number of fundamental consensus solutions. In particular, it reaffirmed the sides’ desire to consolidate their positions on the political platform of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and to create a sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank of the River Jordan and the Gaza Strip. We note with satisfaction that the Beijing Declaration is fully in line with the keynotes that were set on paper in Moscow.
We hope that these agreements will be implemented. It is our consistent belief that Palestinian unity and the administrative and political integrity of the Palestinian territories within the 1967 borders are the indispensable prerequisite for consistent peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
We reaffirm our readiness to continue energetically support Palestinians on this track, including in close coordination with our Chinese colleagues and regional partners.
Pentagon’s updated Arctic strategy
We have read the updated Arctic strategy, which has been recently published by the US Department of Defence. The document is obviously intended to escalate military and political tension in that region, as if it is not enough for Washington what it has already done.
Adopted soon after the Washington NATO summit, the Pentagon’s updated Arctic strategy shows that use-of-force scenarios dominate the US approaches to the Arctic for securing its interests that area, which until recently was the territory of peaceful and constructive cooperation. This cooperation was effective and mutually beneficial. Meanwhile, the United States regards deeper interaction with its North Atlantic allies and increasing their capabilities above the Arctic Circle as a priority instrument for ensuring security and stability in the polar latitudes.
The blatant interference by the US Defence Department, as set forth in the strategy, in cooperation between other countries in the Arctic, specifically between Russia and China (which stems from Washington’s recent ideological tenets) deserves special attention. It should be noted that unlike non-arctic NATO members, including Great Britain and Germany, China is following the policy of military restraint in high latitudes, abstaining from bringing additional tension to the region. However, the US strategy fails to take this into account.
We would like to remind everyone that in itself, Russian-Chinese cooperation is not aimed against any third countries in contrast to the goals outlined in the American military strategy which implies drawing US allies in efforts to counter Russia and China.
30th anniversary of the Association of Caribbean States
The Convention Establishing the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) was signed exactly 30 years ago, on July 24, 1994, in Cartagena, Colombia. In addition to the 13 island states of the Caribbean Basin, the ACS includes seven Central American countries, as well as Mexico and countries with access to the northern coast of South America, for a total of 25 member countries.
For Russia, the Association of Caribbean States is an important subregional mechanism that contributes to the development of dialogue in the Western hemisphere, promotes inter-American understanding and cooperation, and the consolidation of peace diplomacy in the Caribbean countries which have freed themselves from the colonial dependence.
For a quarter of a century Russia has been consistently developing constructive cooperation with the Association of Caribbean States, having been a permanent observer in the organisation since 1997. The Foreign Ministry and the General Secretariat of the Association are working on a memorandum on their cooperation. We believe that engaging in joint efforts to counter neocolonial practices could be one of the priority domains in our relations.
We can see that our Caribbean partners are committed to continuing the dialogue and enhancing their multifaceted cooperation with Russia, including in trade, economics and on humanitarian affairs, while also placing a special emphasis on natural disaster prevention and relief, which has special importance for the Caribbeans and Central America.
As for our citizens, they are well aware of the Caribbean hospitality. The region enjoys great popularity with Russian tourists, who can benefit from visa-free travel arrangements to make their travel-related dreams come true. We are open to signing documents of this kind with all members of the Association of Caribbean States.
The BRICS Youth Summit, a traditional event held for the 10th time, opened in Ulyanovsk on July 22 and will last until July 26.
The summit is held in accordance with the Action Plan of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship and will be the key event on our agenda in line with Russia’s main position which is to “strengthen multilateralism for equitable global growth and security.”
The event will serve to foster youth cooperation among the participating countries, to share experiences and to propose initiatives for joint implementation. More than 200 young people and 20 experts from the BRICS countries are expected to speak on five different subjects, including “Education, Science and Training,” “Youth Entrepreneurship,” “Science, Technology and Innovation,” “Youth Civil Society Service and Volunteering,” as well as “Sport and Healthy Lifestyle.” Each issue was developed by a separate country. Russia, in particular, addressed education and science.
The BRICS Youth Media Platform, BRICS Radio and the BRICS Universe project, which is a series of exhibitions, will be presented during the summit. The exhibits include 40 images by photographers from the participating countries and works by cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Ivan Vagner who captured views of the Earth from the International Space Station. The project will last through October and will cover Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; Mumbai, India; Cape Town, South Africa; and Kazan, Russia.
On July 25, BRICS ministers and heads of youth affairs agencies will meet to discuss proposals for lining up youth cooperation and the World Youth Festival’s legacy.
The 80th anniversary of liberation of Brest from Nazi invaders
July 28 will mark the 80th anniversary of liberating Hero City Brest from Nazi invaders, which completed the cleansing of Byelorussia from the “brown plague.”
In the first half of July 1944, as a result of the successful advance of the Soviet troops across Belarus, proper conditions were created for encircling the enemy’s Brest grouping. Nazis made thorough preparations for the battles for Brest. They built entrenchments with a large number of pillboxes and minefields. Their defence system included the Brest fortress as well. Hitler issued an order prohibiting retreat from these positions. Despite this, the Soviet troops liberated Brest in less than two days.
I was in Brest not long ago. It has a lot to offer to anyone who wants to know the history of our countries, our forefathers, and the Union State and pass it on to future generations. I was struck by what I heard form a museum guide: “Brest Fortress and the battle that started the Great Patriotic War are known internationally. Details transpired many years later thanks to the efforts of opinion writers, journalists, and researchers, domestic and otherwise. However, Brest Fortress survived and was the battlefield twice. Once, when the Nazis attacked our country, and then when they were retreating. So, the Brest Fortress Battle should be glorified in history twice, as well.”
The liberation of Brest contributed to the success of the Lublin-Brest Offensive, which swept the enemy away from Soviet Belarus. The Red Army advanced westward up to 260 km deep and, having seized bridgeheads on the Vistula River, created favourable conditions for the subsequent defeat of the enemy in the direction of Warsaw and complete liberation of Poland.
The victory at Brest had a great symbolic, moral and political meaning. Forty-seven units and formations of the 1st Byelorussian Front which distinguished themselves for selfless valour in the battles were awarded the honorary name of “Brest.” A 20 artillery volley salute from 224 guns was fired in Moscow on the occasion of victory. In 1971, a memorial complex was built in Brest featuring giant sculptures “Courage” and “Thirst,” a pantheon of glory, Ceremonial Square, mothballed ruins, restored barracks of the Brest Fortress, and a museum.
The immortal feat of the heroes who defended the Brest Fortress, who were the first to bear the brunt of the Nazi invasion and became another example of courage and fortitude for all Soviet people, will remain forever seared in our memory. In this connection, it is symbolic that Brest was the final point in more than three years of Nazi occupation of Belarus.
As we noted earlier in our congratulations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of liberation of Minsk on July 3, which is marked in Belarus as Independence Day of the Republic, the spiritual unity of our fraternal peoples, faith in the power of truth and our own strength, as well as a reverent attitude to the preservation of historical memory allow us today to successfully overcome any trials and to give a firm rebuff to the heirs of Napoleon and Hitler who are trying to rear their heads.
Allow me to extend heartfelt congratulations to the fraternal Belarusian people on this remarkable date. I wish you happiness, well-being and peaceful skies. You have my deepest respect for preserving our common memory.
World Day against Trafficking in Persons
July 30 is the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, established by the UN General Assembly resolution on December 18, 2013, to “raise awareness of trafficking in persons and the situation of the victims of this crime and for the promotion and protection of their rights.” The relevance of this concept, as well as of the need to build up international cooperation in this area, is beyond doubt.
We are confident that significant results in the fight against this global scourge can only be achieved with strong political will, and through combined efforts of governments, businesses and civil society. We stand for the preservation of the United Nations’ leading role in bringing together national and international agencies involved in combating human trafficking.
In this regard, we place great emphasis on implementing the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2010. We hope that these initiatives will contribute to a wider awareness of this problem in the world and a qualitative improvement in the interaction of all the interested parties in the fight against this criminal business.
With a view to the practical implementation of the Global Plan of Action, Russia participates in the work of the Group of Friends United in the Fight against Trafficking in Persons, established at the initiative of Belarus. Also, Russia has long been one of the co-sponsors of the resolution on Improving the Coordination of Efforts against Trafficking in Persons, as submitted by our Belarusian partners to the UN General Assembly.
Russia is a party to the fundamental international legal documents on human trafficking. We think it essential to improve and enhance international efforts to combat human trafficking and expand interstate cooperation in this area. At the same time, we are interested in a wide-ranging and comprehensive consideration of this issue and the promotion of a balanced approach covering human trafficking in all its aspects.
In the same context, I cannot fail to mention the situation in Ukraine, where human trafficking crimes have become widespread and have reached a truly horrifying scale, which is simply impossible not to notice.
The Kiev regime blatantly lies about “thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia,” creating an “international platform” to “rescue” them, while cynically turning a blind eye to the fate of children taken to European countries, where they disappeared without a trace. According to reports, in some cases entire orphanages went missing.
We have paid attention to the journalism investigation by French reporter Robert Schmidt on the involvement of the Yelena Zelensky’s foundation in child trafficking in Europe.
We recommend reading the final report by the State Duma Parliamentary Commission on the investigation in the criminal actions by the Kiev regime regarding minors, which was presented on June 19, 2024. The Commission worked for a year to collect information about multiple crimes against children, including killings and wounds, kidnappings and organ trafficking and other business by which the Kiev junta has been besmirched, while the Western governments cover this activity.
Ukraine has gone to great lengths to make it easier for illegal transplant surgeons to operate in the country. It has streamlined procedures for the removal of organs from deceased persons who did not give their lifetime consent to donate their organs after death. However, the Office of the Ukrainian President decided to deal with this matter post facto. Such permission can be obtained from an authorised person who undertakes to make arrangements for burying the donor. For example, this can be the head doctor of a hospital or head of a military unit. The right to carry out transplants has been granted not only to public, but also to private clinics. According to publicly available information, a number of units in the Ukrainian army have formed squads of potential “a la carte” donors, selected based on the criteria required by clients. They send these troops to the deadliest hotspots, in other words for slaughter, in order to prey on their remains. It is frightening.
People are examined for physiological criteria. In other words, if a forcibly mobilised man is found healthy, the medics check his body organs against the list of organs required for transplantation. The next thing to do is to send him to the battlefield, where life turns into a horror movie. They do everything to create a situation where that man’s organs can be removed. It sounds horrible, and it is difficult to believe. When you read such materials for the first time, you refuse to believe that this is happening in this reality, in the 21st century. And then you see this happening again and again. It is not a coincidence but a system.
It will become clear to everyone later, as it happened with the US reckless gambits in Iraq and Kosovo, as well as the Libyan tragedy created by Western counties, which resulted in the country’s dismemberment. Everyone will eventually become aware of the real reasons behind the Americans’ illegal deployment in Syria (aimed at plundering it and removing its energy resources or profitably selling them to “moderate” terrorist groups), and the horrible scope of disaster in Afghanistan after 20 years of the NATO forces’ deployment (the world watched people chasing after and clinging to US Air Force planes to escape the problems they created in Kabul). All these facts will become public knowledge and will be added to the body of evidence of crimes committed by the Kiev regime and those who created, financed and protected it, as well as used it for their anti-Russia purposes.
In June 2024, Ukrainian media reported the exposure of a group that was involved in illegal organ harvesting, which included doctors from the Kiev Central Hospital and other Ukrainian clinics. The man in charge was a former deputy health minister of Ukraine. The criminals illegally removed body organs from disabled patients for sale abroad.
Moreover, these horribly immoral activities were carried out above all to meet the demand in the West, whose “patronage” has turned Ukraine into a grey zone for all manner of criminals. For Zelensky’s anti-national gang, Ukrainians are disposable material, the spare parts used to pay for weapons, money, loans, grants, and the like.
Question: Would you comment on a statement by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that Russia is the biggest threat in Europe?
Maria Zakharova: First, it is a cliché used in many NATO documents.
Second, we are not surprised by yet another anti-Russia statement made by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is poorly educated and doesn’t know much about international affairs and even German history. I would recommend her to read over the materials of the Nuremberg Trials.
So far, it looks as if she draws inspiration from the practice of the Third Reich’s Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, who believed that a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth. Why is she doing this? It has become a norm for Annalena Baerbock to make unbelievably stupid statements. We are sorry for the people of Germany who have such a foreign minister. It is more than just a matter of feeling sorry or feeling embarrassment or sympathy, because her statements are damaging the people of Germany. It is notable that the idea of the “Russian threat” has been formalised in the National Security Strategy of modern Germany.
The German authorities, using the services of Annalena Baerbock and other politicians, are regularly and deliberately manipulating public opinion. I don’t know if they are doing this on Washington’s orders, or because they don’t know their own history, or worse still – it is a frightful thought but there are numerous facts proving it – because they draw inspiration in the most horrible periods in their history, including the Third Reich. A part of this new mentality is the recent decision to deploy US long-range systems in Germany.
As for the facts, our only concern is to prevent threats to Russia from the West. We would like to think that German politicians, including even Annalena Baerbock, will see that their anti-Russia policy is misguided, counterproductive and dangerous to Germany.
Question: The other day, Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, notorious for her bellicose anti-Russian views, was re-elected to the presidency of the European Commission, the main EU body. What are your thoughts on the EU’s future development and its position in the multipolar world order?
Maria Zakharova: The Permanent Mission of Russia to the European Union has already commented on this tragic page in the history of Western Europe. I invite you to read the comments (1, 2) dated July 18 of this year. In summary, I can only say that, regrettably, we should not expect anything good from Ms von der Leyen’s confrontational approach, neither for the stability and wellbeing of the EU member countries, nor for democracy, freedom, and security in this part of the world.
It is well known that the former Defence Minister of Germany is a convinced advocate of policies designed to maximise US control over Europe and the main proponent of a Russophobic agenda in the EU. This aligns with her calls to invest increasingly more in EU defence and security and create a “defence alliance,” which implies further subordination to NATO and support for the Nazi regime in Ukraine. Pursuing these objectives is bleeding the EU white. Its prospects are vague as well. As a result, the EU has no time to consider the desires of its citizens or define its own geopolitical interests, aims and objectives, as distinct from those imposed from overseas.
In a situation where the EU is rapidly becoming militarised and puts its economy on a war footing, it will continue its slide into a political and economic decline. The figures and dynamics speak for themselves. The European Commission will insist that member countries show absolute obedience and increase their defence spending to benefit the US military-industrial complex. We are witnessing an attempt to take control of the EU’s entire defence industry, which poses a risk of prolonged confrontation for the European region.
As the current EU leaders create an alternative reality on orders from Washington, they are seeking to keep EU residents in constant fear of a non-existent, imaginary “threat from the East.” This argument is also used to enforce strict Euro-Atlantic discipline among EU and NATO member countries and popularise the idea that the European Commission needs increased powers, an idea promulgated in order to further restrict the sovereignty of European states. What does the “threat from the East” mean? What exactly do the Brussels officials mean by that? Are they referring to Russia?
Our country has dedicated years to implementing various infrastructure projects in order to deliver energy resources to consumers in Western Europe. It is difficult to understand how Russia’s own investment in those mutually beneficial projects can be considered a threat? Speaking about China, it is clear that the PRC is doing everything it can to foster cooperation despite the anti-Chinese sentiments in Western Europe, and actively striving to keep markets open, which meets their interests.
Historically, it has been the West that has always regarded the East as its domain and a testing ground for geopolitical experiments. Look at the number of wars that have been brought by the West to our country over the centuries. Recall the Western attempts to subdue China, which Western countries have always regarded as their semi-colony. What specific “threat from the East” is Brussels referring to? We would like to have the facts.
As a result, the EU is left without equality, freedom of opinion, and the right to choose its own development path. It is using all its resources to oppose Russia and the East as a whole, which, according to European officials, includes Russia as a prime component.
The “cancel non-culture” is immediately activated with regard to those who deviate from this paradigm. They are cut off from audiences, denied access to microphones and screens, and subjected to political pressure, boycotts, financial blackmail, and smear campaigns. Everything is fair game for Brussels.
Ideology-driven, authoritarian and dictatorial administrative methods are gaining prominence in the EU today. Regrettably, they will become even tougher following Ursula von der Leyen’s “second coming” and the establishment of the police and censorship bodies she has proposed.
Question: French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin recently stated in an interview with a local newspaper that Paris had refused to accredit certain Russian journalists for covering the Olympic Games, fearing “potential spies.” How would you comment on these statements?
Maria Zakharova: It is truly paranoid to exclude certain journalists from attending events where thousands of their colleagues are present.
In this case, Paris is following the example set by Washington. Let me give you an example. Several years ago, a delegation led by Sergey Lavrov visited the White House for talks. Several photo journalists, including a Russian photographer, were invited to cover the talks. Our correspondent had worked at a news agency for many years in this capacity, and anyone can access his photos. However, two days later, the US “deep state” launched a campaign involving media outlets and the social media, accusing the photographer of being a Russian spy. They claimed he had brought secret equipment to the talks (perhaps the “death ray of Engineer Garin”) and was attempting to gather intelligence in the Oval Office. This is nothing but paranoia.
There are two possible explanations for the French government’s attitude towards the issue of “ejecting” the Russian media.
First, the Elysee Palace and the numerous French officials who have claimed to support freedom of speech, human rights and the safety of journalists are being hypocritical. We remember the numerous events and summits held to discuss these issues. We have not forgotten how Paris pretended to spearhead the movement for upholding freedom of speech, protecting journalists and journalism. In reality, everything proved completely different. Although Russian journalists were invited to official events, they were being prevented from attending them. The French media baited them and conducted information campaigns to discredit them. Russian media outlets broadcasting in France faced harassment and pressure. This shows that Paris sees its obligations (to which it is seemingly committed) as null and void.
The second aspect is Russophobia and the nationalist attitude towards representatives of various states. Western Europe has repeatedly travelled down this dark road before. In the 1930s, for example, journalists, publishing houses and media outlets were segregated along ethnic lines.
Question: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that the peace treaty with Armenia has been 80-90 percent approved. What is Moscow’s opinion on the progress in the talks between the parties? Is Russia ready to provide a platform for signing if they reach an agreement?
Maria Zakharova: I would like to note that the Statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of October 31, 2022, specifically stressed the importance of active preparation for signing a peace treaty between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia in order to achieve a stable and long-term peace in the region. It was also at that time that the parties agreed to continue searching for mutually beneficial solutions based on the existing prerequisites, while the Russian Federation committed to providing all necessary assistance. Our approach is not only consistent but is also recorded in this document, signed by the President of Russia. It goes without saying that the scope and forms of such assistance must be acceptable to each party.
In keeping with the agreements reached so far, Moscow has repeatedly hosted rounds of Azerbaijan-Armenia talks on drafting the peace treaty. I want to stress that we are ready to continue hosting the talks. We guarantee the creation of as comfortable conditions as possible for both delegations in a bilateral format of their choosing. We also welcome the efforts of our Kazakhstani partners, who initiated and organised a productive meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on May 10-11 in Almaty.
We consider the conclusion of a balanced peace treaty between our allies as an indispensable condition for building an architecture of indivisible security in the region, as well as for steady socioeconomic development. We hope that the parties will soon overcome any remaining disagreements and make progress on other aspects of normalising Azerbaijan-Armenia relations in line with the trilateral agreements at the highest level.
The destiny and future of the South Caucasus should be determined solely by the countries in the region and their neighbouring partner countries. Nobody from outside can bring peace and prosperity to our common home.
Question: During his last visit to Ukraine, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed solidarity with the victims of daily attacks by Russia and claimed that the Okhmatdet children’s hospital had been struck on July 8. Could you comment on these statements?
Maria Zakharova: Indeed, we have taken note of a press release by the UNHCR and Filippo Grandi’s statements posted on social media about his recent visit to Ukraine and the Okhmatdet hospital.
We would like to clarify once again that on July 8, the children’s hospital was struck by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft defence missile launched by a Norwegian NASAMS system. Two people were killed and about 20 sustained injuries of different severity.
However, the Western community and the UN representatives who have joined their ranks turn a blind eye to the fact that Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defence systems are deliberately installed in close proximity to residential buildings and social infrastructure in violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits using civilian facilities for military purposes. Does the UN High Commissioner for Refugees know this? I hope that he is familiar with international law.
It is also regrettable that we see double standards being applied. Allow me to remind you that when the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza was attacked on October 17, 2023, resulting, according to different sources, in the deaths of 500 people and injuries to hundreds, we did not hear any clear and definitive positions from the collective West on who carried out the attack and why. We did not hear anything from the UN Secretariat or competent UN bodies.
We call on the UNHCR to adhere to the generally recognised humanitarian standards and the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence, as prescribed by its mandate. It is how this office is supposed to operate.
Question: On July 22, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released its No-first-use of Nuclear Weapons Initiative Working Paper. What is your assessment of its contents and the document’s significance at this stage? In addition, according to Japanese media reports, the United States will include using its nuclear weapons to protect Japan in their first joint document on ‘extended deterrence.’ How will Russia respond to this?
Maria Zakharova: We would like to reiterate that Russia and China, as strategic partners, always show respect and consideration for each other’s initiatives. This level of partnership between our countries enables a systematic, effective and trust-based dialogue on international security issues. We also closely coordinate our approaches to a wide range of relevant issues. The mutual focus on deepening bilateral ties, defined as a comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, was reaffirmed during the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May 2024.
Regarding the substance of the issue, the initiative put forward by our Chinese partners is one of those ideas that should be considered in the broader military and political context and in conjunction with other significant factors affecting international security and strategic stability. This comprehensive approach is warranted by the continuing deterioration of the global situation, including the rapidly mounting tensions between nuclear-weapon states.
We are guided by these considerations when assessing and discussing any initiatives aiming to reduce nuclear danger, regardless of the platform they are being promoted on.
For our part, we give unconditional priority to any measures that would actually be instrumental in reducing the confrontational potential between nuclear-weapon states by eliminating fundamental security disagreements between them.
Regarding the reports in the Japanese media that you have mentioned, we do not currently have specific comments on the subject.
Question: US President Biden has withdrawn from the presidential race, endorsing his Vice-President Kamala Harris as his replacement. Which candidate would be more favourable for Russia – Kamala Harris or her Republican rival Donald Trump? The US constantly accuses Russia of trying to interfere in the elections. How would you comment on these attacks?
Maria Zakharova: Thank you for your trust. The United States is in a predicament where all we can do is hope they will survive this year without the situation spiralling out of control. It is a thankless job to comment on the vicissitudes of the US presidential campaign.
The recent developments in the US have been anything but democratic. Suffice it to mention the attempt on Donald Trump’s life or the ongoing racket over a lack of transparency in President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race, opening the door to Kamala Harris, clearly under pressure from the vice-president’s entourage. This speaks volumes about the vaunted American democracy.
Whatever the dramatic plot twists in the US elections – and believe me, there will be drama, given the deep divisions in society and a very real civic conflict – Russophobia and the perception of Russia as an existential enemy of the United States are woven into its doctrinal documents.
From this perspective, it is essential that we harbour no illusions about the characters of the American political theatre that you mentioned. And that is just how we perceive them. Naturally, political infighting and squabbles among the ruling elites in the United States are good because at least they force America to focus on its own snowballing problems, instead of pursuing exterritorial schemes.
Blaming Russia for its own mistakes, problems and troubles are symptomatic of the disease plaguing American democracy. We wish it a speedy recovery. We reaffirm that we never interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states, nor do we manipulate or influence electoral processes. The upcoming elections in the United States are no exception. We have never interfered, we are not interfering, and we do not intend to interfere in the future – unlike the United States, which cannot resist meddling in other countries’ internal affairs, or, to put it simply, sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. It would be beneficial if they put an end to this and concentrated on addressing their own numerous problems, which the American people are now beginning to see.
Question: The European Union foreign ministers have decided to provide military assistance to Armenia worth 10 million euros. How would you comment on this decision to allocate military aid to Armenia while the peace process with Azerbaijan is ongoing?
Maria Zakharova: We have repeatedly pointed out that the EU has lost its peaceful foundation. It lacks the potential for peace that it could tap into. Perhaps there is something left in the depths, but we don’t see anything that could be brought into working condition and applied. There were times when the European Union, at least in words, strived for a peaceful, stable environment and tried to strengthen it through negotiations. Now it is clear what is happening, what decisions are being made, and what documents are being signed. The European Union has taken a course towards militarisation and confrontation, serving the interests of the United States and NATO.
Our warnings have turned out to be justified: the entire “Western company” is working to impose widespread confrontation and turn the post-Soviet space into an arena of geopolitical confrontation. Statements made yesterday by representatives of the US Congress, suggesting that efforts should be organised in the post-Soviet space to prevent good relations between Central Asian countries and Russia, speak volumes. The European Union’s aim to exacerbate existing contradictions, including between Baku and Yerevan, aligns with their objectives of containing Russia and other nations that pursue sovereign policies independent of the West.
How can the collective West tolerate the possibility of one fewer conflict zone on the map? How can they accept the idea of another region of instability becoming more stable, marked by peace, security, cooperation, humanitarian ties, mutual benefit, and mutual respect? This would mean fewer opportunities for the West to fish in troubled waters, which is not in their interest.
The European Union’s plan to send 10 million euros to support Armenia’s armed forces is undoubtedly driven by geopolitical ambitions to extend its destabilising influence in the South Caucasus. We are sure that there is no need to explain anything to anyone. The example of Ukraine clearly illustrates that the European Peace Facility is not about peace, stability, or security, but rather about war, provocation, and bloodshed. Such Western approaches, based on the principles of “divide and rule” and “push and play off”, and flooding the South Caucasus with weapons, will not bring any benefits to the region’s security and stability.
Question: The 2nd Global Media Forum on “Exposing False Information: Combatting Disinformation” took place in Shusha, Azerbaijan, with notable political scientists and journalists from Russia in attendance. How effective do you think such dialogues between the media and experts are in addressing misinformation? Are there any plans to organise a similar high-profile international event in Russia?
Maria Zakharova: Russia hosts numerous international and regional forums. While their titles may not explicitly use terms like “anti-fake” or “combatting disinformation,” these topics have long been integral to their agendas. It would be redundant to replicate the exact names of other events, as the substance of these issues is already well represented in our discussions.
Similar sessions were held at the SPIEF 2024, and the topic is frequently addressed at the Eastern Economic Forum as well. Numerous meetings between our country’s leadership and the media are dedicated to discussing these issues.
Additionally, specialised platforms like the Caspian Media Forum have consistently prioritised this subject. Our country regularly hosts both regular and special events where these discussions are a key focus.
This issue is crucial as it represents a significant challenge for all of humanity today. New technologies, such as deepfakes, are emerging from the use of artificial intelligence and lack of both international legal regulation and sometimes even national legislation. These technologies can cause confusion and lead people to make misguided decisions that could escalate conflict potential. Addressing these concerns demands not only ongoing monitoring and discussions on reputable international platforms but also a thorough examination of the latest innovations in this field.
Question: You have already commented on this issue, but perhaps you can add something. The EU will provide Armenia with 10 million euros from the European Peace Facility to enhance the material and technical capabilities of the Armenian Armed Forces. What is Moscow’s opinion on Western military activities in the South Caucasus?
Maria Zakharova: One might wonder what can be achieved in terms of boosting defence capabilities with 10 million euros in this complex region that has seen multiple large-scale conflicts. It is the prerogative of a sovereign state to decide how to implement its policies and defence projects, as well as where to obtain funding.
We have concerns about certain issues that are linked with our country. The so-called European Peace Facility, as it is officially known, is not actually promoting peace. In reality, this war fund sponsors hostilities and the escalation of conflicts. If you tell me and your audience that the “peace fund” has accomplished something peaceful, and if you find evidence showing that the funding it provided facilitated a peace settlement, then we would acknowledge that, provided that such evidence exists. The problem is that there is none.
All the money spent and allocated by them to support the Kiev regime has only served to fuel and escalate the conflict, further worsening the situation. This is widely known, and I believe that everyone is already aware of this. One can juggle with words and divert public attention from the actual situation, but this is unlikely to be effective, especially considering that the situation in Ukraine has exposed the truth to everyone.
Question: NATO has put over 500,000 service personnel on red alert. Is open confrontation possible? Dmitry Peskov said the other day that NATO threatens Russia.
Maria Zakharova: The 500,000 NATO service personnel have been put on red alert in accordance with decisions made at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius. I would like to emphasise that they were put on red alert a long time ago, and it is not related to any recent developments. On the contrary, this is now part of the standard NATO military doctrine.
Considering that the alliance has proclaimed Russia as the most significant and direct threat to the security of the Euro-Atlantic region, it is clear that we should take these military preparations seriously. I would like to remind you once again that Russia does not have any aggressive plans with regard to NATO.
The problem is that the alliance perceives our defensive capabilities and security concerns as aggression. In fact, they would only be satisfied if Russia fully submitted to NATO’s plans. As soon as Russia prioritises its own national interests over NATO’s plans, the alliance immediately sees this as a security threat. This is a philosophical issue. NATO is characterised by dualism, and it should deal with this dualism by itself.
Question: Several days ago, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin issued instructions to open a new Consulate General in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, which is extremely popular with Russian tourists. When will it start working?
Maria Zakharova: On July 18, 2024, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin signed an instruction on opening a Russian Consulate General in Denpasar, Republic of Indonesia.
The Foreign Ministry is working to implement that instruction, in particular, to find premises for our new representative office abroad. Information about the start of its operation will be duly published on the ministry’s official internet resources.
We are doing our best to implement that instruction. As you pointed out, this decision will serve the interests of our citizens who often travel to that tourist destination.
Question: According to Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov, Russian diplomats have not received access to the Olympic facilities in Paris. The Russian consular staff will be unable to provide assistance to Russian fans or athletes, who have been left unprotected, and Russia will be unable to help them in case of need. Isn’t this a violation of international norms and rules?
Maria Zakharova: In this particular case, Paris, France and the International Olympic Committee have violated everything that could be violated. There are elements of open violation of the Olympic Charter and other documents regulating sports, including UN ones. There are also elements of open nationalism in the form of Russophobia, discrimination and double standards. You can find all kinds of violations in the organisation of the Olympic Games in Paris in the context of the Russophobic decisions.
On the other hand, we would like to remind everyone that before travelling to France Russian fans and tourists should carefully read information about the current situation in that country. Recommendations for our citizens are available on the website of the Russian Embassy in France .
It is important to understand that there are serious risks to personal safety in France, meaning the high level of the terrorist threat, an unfavourable crime situation, and a large-scale anti-Russia campaign waged by the French authorities in the media. In case of emergencies, Russian citizens will be unable to use Russian bank cards, and there are numerous restrictions on the use of large amounts of cash in France. All this information is available in our recommendations.
Of course, Russian diplomats in France will take all the necessary measures to protect the rights and interests of our citizens in case of accidents.
In case of emergencies, our citizens will be able to contact the Russian diplomatic office by phoning round-the-clock emergency numbers.
I would like to reiterate that people should carefully consider all the pros and cons before traveling to France because Russian diplomats might be unable to quicky provide consular assistance to them because of restrictions on their movement around Paris.
We urge Russian citizens and compatriots to remain alert and careful at all times, including in light of the Olympics organisers’ discriminatory attitude to Russian athletes, journalists and fans.
Judging by the latest statements made by French officials, they see “spies and Kremlin’s agents of influence” everywhere, as well as those who would like to wreck their “wonderful Olympic event.” It is all a lie, of course. We can see that the spy mania is gathering momentum and has reached the stage of a paranoia. At the same time, Russian citizens should remember that they voluntarily come within the jurisdiction of France when they enter it and must comply with its laws. This goes without saying.
As per the Olympic Charter, responsibility for organising the Olympic Games is entrusted to the National Olympic Committee of France and the authorities of the host city, that is, Paris. We hope that France will honour its obligations to create safe conditions for all visitors, fans and tourists regardless of their citizenship. More specifically, we hope that it will stop violating them.
Question: What was the Foreign Ministry’s reaction to Kiev’s statements about its readiness to resume a dialogue with Moscow? President Zelensky has also allowed for the possibility of talks with Russia, including with President Putin. Zelensky expects to have a new peace plan in autumn that Moscow would be willing to discuss.
Maria Zakharova: First, we have no faith in him. No faith whatsoever. No faith at all. No one has. No one believes him. Everyone is well aware that he is a man who is capable of turning everything on its head, heap lies upon lies, and eventually abandon everything, considering that he has abandoned his own nation, throwing the Ukrainian people upon a sacrificial altar.
Second, this might be a result of the pre-election situation in the United States. Just look at how he frantically tried to call Donald Trump after the assassination attempt, especially after a number of experts said that they did not rule out attempts by the Kiev regime’s extremists to influence the US election.
Third, this might be yet another attempt to promote the notorious “peace formula” that they are unsuccessfully trying to impose on everyone, hoping to involve as many countries as possible in its discussions based on false pretexts.
Or perhaps it is a combination of all these factors. Our attitude is precisely this. There is nothing new in the intentions of the Kiev regime and its overseas sponsors to make up for the failed “peace summit.” We understand that these attempts will continue as they conceal the desire to impose Zelensky’s futile “peace formula” on a wide range of countries. Neither Zelensky and his administration, nor his overseas sponsors have taken any action to repeal the law prohibiting Ukraine from holding talks with Russia. So, what we are hearing are just words, many words that contradict what was said previously. But we see no action at all, except for the fact that Zelensky continues to make short work of his fellow Ukrainians.
Question: The Georgian security services are investigating a plot to assassinate the leader of the ruling party. In light of this, the Federation Council of Russia has suggested that Georgia should join the CSTO and has promised to support the ruling party in Georgia in case of a coup attempt. What do you think is the likelihood of this scenario?
Maria Zakharova: This might be a private opinion or an expert view. I cannot say that this is Russia’s official position.
Every state has the sovereign right to join international organisations based on their national interests and to ensure their security using their own capabilities. Given that security must be indivisible, we always emphasise that no one should ensure their security at the expense of the security of others. It is my duty to reiterate this point, since we are discussing this topic.
It will undoubtedly be Georgia’s sovereign right to make decisions of this nature and on such a scale.
Question: On July 8, Japan and the Philippines signed a defence deal known as the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which provides for deeper military cooperation between the two countries. Will this agreement affect the balance of forces within the US-Japan-Philippines triangle? Is there a risk that the Americans will use this agreement as a tool to tighten control over maritime trade routes and, as a consequence, impose new trade restrictions against China?
Maria Zakharova: We observe a growing trend towards creating exclusive limited membership military blocs in the Asia-Pacific region. We have been pointing this out for a long time. Such trends are prompted by the West. They do not stem from the regional countries’ aspirations, current or potential. These ideas are clearly brought in from the outside. Individual ASEAN countries are gradually being dragged into these groups, which originally comprised the United States and its Western allies. I don’t know how best to put it. Either ASEAN countries are being drawn into these groups, or these groups are infiltrating the region. Maybe both would be correct.
Such actions confirm once again that the creators of such “selective” formats could not care less about the future of cooperation within the ASEAN space or the association’s goals and aspirations in the context of forming a security community working to ensure sustainable development in the region.
At the same time, we are closely following Japan’s progressive re-militarisation pursued by the Kishida administration, including its policy to cater to Washington’s strategy of consistently consolidating US-centric bloc initiatives of anti-Russia and anti-China orientation in Asia under the banner of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept. But how can it be “free” or “open” with military-political blocs with command and administrative systems in place? Freedom, openness and transparency are ruled out by the underlying concepts enshrined in the bloc’s doctrinal documents.
This irresponsible policy is propelling Tokyo towards a dangerous escalation of tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and thereby creating direct threats to the Russian Federation’s security. We warn them about our countermeasures aimed at strengthening Russia’s defence capabilities and protecting national sovereignty. The last such step was taken pre-emptively (and we take such steps on a regular basis) in connection with Japan’s military exercise, which is now underway near our Far Eastern borders and which includes forces from extra-regional countries, NATO members.
Regarding the expansion of military industrial cooperation between Tokyo and Manila, we would like to note the following. If this is the Kishida administration’s way of making humanity forget about the numerous crimes committed by the Japanese military before and during World War II, as part of its expansionist policy in Asia, including the Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942, such revisionist attempts are doomed to failure. Those events are well remembered not only by us, but also by the Filipino people. This was confirmed, among other things, by the participation of Philippine representatives in the international conference hosted by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy in 2022, Crimes of Militarist Japan: Historical and Modern Aspects.
Once again, Tokyo needs to learn the lessons of Japan’s defeat in World War II, to reflect on its aggressive rhetoric and foreign and domestic policies before World War II, and recall what it all led to. We call on Tokyo to fully acknowledge the outcomes of World War II, and to abandon plans for the total militarisation of the country, because this ended in a disaster for Japan and the Japanese people once before, bringing sorrow and suffering on an unprecedented scale to the nation.
Question: Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov has paid an official visit to the DPRK. Does this visit involve the Foreign Ministry’s diplomats, and what is the bilateral agenda?
Maria Zakharova: Under Presidential Executive Order No 1478 of November 8, 2011, the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation plays a coordinating role in implementing Russia’s holistic foreign policy . The Foreign Ministry is the main entity in the system of federal executive agencies responsible for relations with foreign states and international organisations. It coordinates the activities of federal executive agencies in the sphere of international relations and international cooperation. Regarding practical aspects, the Foreign Ministry’s staff always accompanies visits involving official Russian delegations to other countries. This does not mean that they accompany members of these delegations all the way. This implies the work of our headquarters, efforts to draft the relevant documents and to coordinate specific issues with the relevant agencies, as well as the work of our embassies to receive the delegations.
On July 22, 2024, the Prosecutor-General’s Office provided detailed comments on Russian Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov’s working visit to Pyongyang and its agenda. They are posted on social media accounts of the Prosecutor-General’s Office.
Question: At one of your briefings, you suggested organising a roundtable discussion on the events of 1991 and promised to take part in it. When will this discussion take place?
Maria Zakharova: No, this is not so. I did not suggest organising this discussion. I received a question. As far as I remember, it was about 1945, rather than 1991. Replying to this question, I said that they could organise a roundtable discussion, and that we would talk about various issues at this event.
This is all. I did not suggest holding this discussion. I said that you can invite us if you want to. Do not distort specific statements and please use quotations.
A proposal to act as an organiser was addressed to a representative of media outlets. We received no proposals during this period, and we will examine them if they are forthcoming.
Question: People rallying outside the US Embassy in Moscow demand that the nuclear doctrine be changed back, and nuclear missiles are targeted at US cities again. Other demands are being made as well. Could you share with us whether such expressions of popular will have a bearing on the decision-making process?
Maria Zakharova: They are certainly taken into account. People have had enough of it. We see it. People understand everything very well. This is not a public relations event that took place just because someone out there doesn’t have anything better to do. Moscow has so much to offer and there’s no need to come up with fancy ideas. People just had enough of it.
People keep hearing aggressive rhetoric coming from official Washington. They see what the US politicians are doing. They understand perfectly well who is behind the Ukraine crisis. They see fabricated stories peddled by the Western media, because the information space is one today. Our audiences have access to the news that are broadcast overseas and in Western Europe. People are trying to express their opinions and to react to statements made by Washington, London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels that allegedly this is not Russia’s policy that relies on the principles of democracy and accurately captures the voice of the people, but Russian propaganda.
People rally in front of embassies, not only the US embassy, but embassies of other Western countries as well, on different occasions in order to, I think, back up with their lawful actions (which is important) and without resorting to unlawful actions, the messages conveyed by our country’s officials. This was clearly reflected during the Russian presidential election campaign. The points that President Putin made were accepted and supported by our people. You have seen the figures.
There are civil society initiatives as well. Some people engage in providing material and moral support to our frontline military. Others take care of the families that had their breadwinners and relatives go to the front line. Still others engage in civic activities and show empathy as they conduct humanitarian and charitable events. Some people consider it necessary to make their point of view known by the collective West and accuse it of outright complicity, in particular, of committing terrorist attacks, ratcheting up tensions, escalating the crisis, and militarising Europe, by showing their indignation in front of embassies.
We see the logic behind such rallies. We call on everyone and emphasise the importance of holding them exclusively within legal bounds and in compliance with regulations. We are committed to ensuring the security of diplomatic and consular buildings of foreign countries and want them to comply with the same requirements. At times, unfortunately, this is not enforced with regard to Russian diplomats by representatives of the collective West.
To reiterate, we see perfectly well the logic behind such events and the logic that drives the people who organise such events.
Question: Russia-related issues are making headlines in the Western media around the world every day and even every hour. I have a question in this regard. Where do the Western media get their information from? Does the Foreign Ministry deny them accreditation? Are they isolated from official information? How many Western correspondents are accredited with the Foreign Ministry? Why are they not present at official briefings? Are they not interested in Russia’s official position? Are they deliberately avoiding opportunities to learn things about Russia’s position? Perhaps, your answers scared them so much that they are now afraid to show up at briefings, let alone ask questions?
Maria Zakharova: Different journalists attend our briefings. Even today, we have here representatives from different countries and mass media, including those who sometimes feature in our website section with a “Fake” stamp. Reporters like that attend our briefings as well.
We are open to everyone. If someone is a journalist, a correspondent and has an ID to prove that, or, if the issue is about a foreign correspondent, accreditation by the Foreign Ministry, or if he or she is a journalist in their own country, a reporter can join the briefing in any of the above cases. All they need to do is submit an application in advance, confirming their status as journalists and receive a link to the briefing. We are not segregating anyone. On the contrary, our goal is to provide exhaustive information. Sometimes it pains me to see or hear those who are constantly involved in unscrupulous interpretation of information and fake news. Sometimes, I need to get over it to make sure this information reaches the end user.
With regard to the number of journalists accredited by the Foreign Ministry, over 100 media bureaus from unfriendly countries are accredited with the Foreign Ministry. We are talking solely about unfriendly countries and bureaus. That is, the issue is not about the number of correspondents, but the number of bureaus. We are not limiting them in their activities. They can join briefings and take part in news conferences organised by the Foreign Minister and his deputies. Notably, our information work is not limited to in-person or virtual briefings. Every day, we take dozens and even hundreds of questions and requests from media members, including from unfriendly countries.
I’m aware that it’s illegal for many of them to appear in the Russian government buildings in person, or they need to coordinate this with their higher authorities. Obviously, after 2022, they received a corresponding order, a directive, a narrative (as they say) to make it look as if they had left our information field. Remember the demarches and cheap shows staged by Bloomberg and many others. They said they were leaving the Russian Federation to make it look like they had left Russia for good. They all came back. Bloomberg is the only one who didn’t. But Bloomberg did something more ingenious. This agency is located not far from our country. Having retained its Russian-speaking staff, it reaches out from abroad trying to find sources of information here, and have its questions answered. This cheap trick fell through, too. I repeat, we regularly receive questions from the Western media and respond to them.
Among other things, we have a format of individual in-person, online and written interviews, in other words, a complete set of possibilities. Do I need to say anything more about this? I think not.
You meet your colleagues (maybe you do not consider them colleagues after so many fakes, but one way or another, they formally remain journalists from unfriendly countries) during our online briefings.
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