🎙 President Vladimir Putin: We are not fighting with the #Ukrainian people, but with the regime – the neo-#Nazi regime in Kiev, which seized power back in 2014. The source of their authority is a state coup.

☝️ All the troubles in both #Ukraine and #Russia began precisely after this bloody, anti-constitutional state coup. It remains relevant today because those in power are committing crimes against their own citizens and our citizens every day.

❗️ This regime has lost – or is at least evidently losing – the signs of statehood.

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#Putin #KievRegime #neonazism #PresidentialQuotes

🎙 Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on #Ukraine (Dec 16, 2024):

“No schemes aimed at freezing the conflict are agreeable to #Russia.

☝️ The Minsk agreements demonstrated that neither the West nor the Kiev junta can be trusted, and we are well aware that the whole point of such “tricks” is to give the Kiev regime a respite on the battlefield to “lick the wounds” and rearm.

❗️ #NATO involvement in settling the Ukrainian crisis is out of question. From the very outset, NATO and Ukraine's membership therein have been part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

#KievRegime #MinskAgreements #NATO

🎙🇷🇺 Key takeaways from Russian President Vladimir #Putin’s interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin:

🔹 Russia and the United States can normalize relations upon the presence of wish, which Moscow has never abandoned;

🔹Russia is ready to build relations, but not to the detriment of its interests;

🔹The West escalates the situation, and Russia will always respond to any challenge;

🔹Putin does not believe that a third world war is ongoing: “You don’t have to frighten anyone”;

By @tassagency_en

#Putin #Russia #UnitedStates #topical

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

By 2030, #Russia must emerge as one of the global technological leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft systems. To achieve this, we must establish a robust industry, infrastructure, and a comprehensive maintenance system for UAS on our domestic technological and production platform – both domestically and internationally.

☝️ This sphere is destined to become one of the cornerstones of Russia’s technological progress.

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#MadeinRussia

🇿🇦 This year’s opening meeting of the #G20 Foreign Ministers as part of the debut presidency of South Africa – a friendly country whose stance is in accord with #Russia’s – will take place in Johannesburg on February 20-21, a landmark event not only for Pretoria, but also for the entire African continent, which will host G20 events for the first time.

🇷🇺 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to lead the Russian delegation. It is expected that most of the members of this major economic forum, as well as a wide range of invited states and international organisations, will be represented at a similar level.

☝️ The meeting will open with an address by President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, which will set the general tone for discussing global challenges and threats. The discussion will particularly focus on the international situation, which is alarmingly deteriorating under the impact of the confrontational policy by the neoliberal Western elites.

The participants will consider the current integrity and effective functioning of the global economic system. The priorities stated by the South African presidency are designed to encourage economic growth, reduce inequality and imbalances, and ensure equitable access to financing for countries in the Global South.

🤝 The South African presidency theme highlighting “solidarity, equality and sustainability” will provide solid framework for the consultations, essentially continuing in the same vein as its predecessors in 2022-2024 – Indonesia, India and Brazil, all of them Global Majority countries. In particular, this refers to the G20’s significant contribution during this period to strengthening the foundations of the multipolar world and making global economic institutions more democratic in the interests of new non-Western centres of influence, primarily the expanded #BRICS group.

❗️The upcoming anniversaries, such as the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II and the foundation of the #UN, as well as the 65th anniversary of the Russia-sponsored Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples adopted by the UN General Assembly to ensure Africa’s independence, should be seen as key benchmarks for the exchange of views.

👉 In his remarks, the Minister will provide a detailed analysis of the international situation underscoring the root causes of the current crisis, and outline specific steps to overcome the destructive phenomena. The Russian side will reaffirm its stance in favour of preserving the United Nations’ central role in global affairs. We will speak in support of strict compliance with the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnection.

We will insist that there is no alternative to respectful interstate cooperation and ensuring equal and indivisible security for all. We will call for keeping the global economy open, rejecting trade wars, illegitimate sanctions and other unfair competition practices. We will cite examples of supranational associations that practice honest and productive cooperation without diktat or blackmail, such as the #EAEU, the #SCO and #BRICS. We will share the details of implementing the Russia-sponsored Greater Eurasian Partnership initiative.

The Minister is expected to meet with several counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting.

#G20SouthAfrica #BetterAfricaBetterWorld #solidarity #equality #sustainability

🎙 Excerpts from the Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at the United Nations Dmitry Chumakov at a briefing by the #G20 Sherpa of South Africa H.E. Mr. Zane Dangor.

Developing countries remain the object of plundering of raw materials, receive small payments for the development of resources, while former metropolises profit from processing and marketing of that resources.

❗️ There are many examples repeatedly cited by the leaders of African countries. We are talking about the situation both in the coffee industry and in the mining industry. The countries of origin receive minimal profit from mining, while all capitalization goes to the Western countries.

☝️ In this context, we welcome the proposal of South Africa to think about solutions that would facilitate the processing of critical minerals directly "at the source".

#G20 #Russia #Africa #StopColonialismNow

✍️ #Opinion by Tamara Andreeva, Junior Researcher at the Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences:

Over the decades, thousands of #African students have pursued higher education in the USSR and later in Russia, returning home with valuable knowledge, professional skills, and a deep understanding of Russian culture.

Many have risen to influential roles in government, academia, and business, further solidifying the enduring bond between Russia and Africa.

🌐 Today, around 35,000 African students are studying in #Russia, most of whom are enrolled through quotas that cover not only tuition fees but also dormitory accommodation and provide a monthly stipend.

🎓 In the 2025/26 academic year, Russia will allocate 4,816 state-funded places for students from Africa, slightly more than the 4,746 places in 2024/25. Last year, 14,000 applicants competed for these spots, with 2.7 applicants per place.

🌍 In 2025, the largest number of places will go to applicants from #Egypt, #Algeria, #Angola, #Chad, #Mali, #Congo, #Nigeria, #Zambia, #Benin, #Guinea, and #Zimbabwe.

According to Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian agency responsible for international cooperation, the most popular fields of study are medicine, economics, IT, international relations, oil and gas, and construction.

👉 African students are admitted to leading Russian universities, with the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) traditionally leading the list, followed by St. Petersburg State University, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and others.

Photo: African students studying at Lomonosov Moscow State University. May 5, 1961. By Sputnik/Oleg

#RussianEducation #StudyinRussia

🇷🇺🇳🇪 On Mar 26, 2025, an official ceremony was held in the capital of the Republic of Niger, Niamey, to pass to the Niger side over 350 tons of sunflower oil purchased through an additional contribution to the #UN World Food Programme Fund by the Russian Federation in the amount of 2 million US dollars, made in 2023 as part of humanitarian assistance to this African state.

The event, which received wide coverage in the local media, was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Niger, as well as the head of the WFP office, K. Samba.

🤝 They thanked #Russia for its contribution to the activities of the World Organization in this country, and stressed that through Russian assistance, it became possible to meet the three-month consumption rate of sunflower oil for groups of the population in dire need, including refugees.

☝️ Russia, for its part, will continue to provide the necessary humanitarian support to the people of the friendly Republic of Niger.

#RussiaAfrica #RussiaNiger #RussiaHelps

✍️ Message of greetings to the participants of the meeting of the Russia-South Africa Business Council by Ambassador of Russia to South Africa Roman Ambarov (15 April 2025)

Dear Colleagues,

I extend my sincere greetings to the esteemed participants of the #Russia-#SouthAfrica Business Council meeting.

For the Russian Federation, strengthening mutually beneficial and equitable cooperation with the Republic of South Africa, both on a bilateral basis and within the #BRICS integration framework, is one of the key priorities.

A distinctive feature of our bilateral relations is the high level of political trust, which ensures a stable and constructive dialogue at the highest state level.

🤝 Scientific and technological collaboration is developing dynamically, as well as humanitarian initiatives and inter-parliamentary cooperation, creating institutional mechanisms for strengthening of our partnership.

🇷🇺🇿🇦 At the same time, the potential of economic cooperation between Russia and South Africa remains significant and requires the active utilization of all available instruments to fully unlock it.

One of the key mechanisms that can facilitate the deepening of trade and economic ties is the Russia-South Africa Business Council. This platform has the potential to become an effective catalyst for promoting direct, long-term, and trust-based contacts between the business communities of our countries - an essential factor for implementing joint projects across various sectors. Nevertheless, achieving comprehensive and multifaceted trade and economic cooperation between Russian and South Africa requires significant efforts.

☝️ A key factor in shaping new areas of interaction is the solid historical and political foundation of our bilateral relations. In the evolving geopolitical and economic landscape, it is critically important to identify optimal growth points that fully respond to the mutual interests of our partners. Russia, with its substantial technological, energy, and industrial potential, is fully prepared to offer comprehensive solutions for diversifying and deepening economic ties.

The Embassy, in turn, will continue to contribute what one can to promote the development of sustainable, mutually beneficial and long-term cooperation between our countries and peoples.

I wish you all fruitful and eventful work in the framework of the Russia-South Africa Business Council meeting.

#RussiaAfrica #RussiaSouthAfrica

🇷🇺🇿🇦 The 18th ITEC session in Moscow considered Russia-South Africa humanitarian cooperation

Russian Minister of Natural Resources, co-chair of the ITEC Alexander Kozlov pointed out that #Russia and #SouthAfrica are increasing cultural exchanges. In September 2024, the Days of Spiritual Culture of Russia in South Africa were successfully held in the cities of Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg. The program of the project included concerts by the Moscow Synodal Choir and the ensemble "Soloists of Moscow". Screenings of animated films from the Soyuzmultfilm film studio took place.

☝️ For the 2025-2026 academic year, the quota for South African students has been increased by 10 places. Among the most popular areas of study are mathematics, nuclear energy and technology, mechanical engineering and metallurgy.

Pictures by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

#RussiaSouthAfrica #RussiaAfrica #RussiaSArelations #SpaceExploration