💬 🚀 Highlights from Konstantin #Gavrilov’s comments for Russian media on the outcomes of the Conference of States Parties on the consequences of Russia's withdrawal for the OST:

🔸 🇷🇺’s decision to withdraw from the OST is final and currently not subject to revision.

🔸 It is common sense that we could not leave the territory of our country open for observation flights while realizing that that information obtained during these flights is being shared with Washington. It is unacceptable.

🔸 Despite the declared readiness of some States Parties to continue participation in the OST, the Treaty's future without the key states - 🇺🇸 and 🇷🇺 - seems vague.

🔸 Dismantlement of the Treaty will greately increase the inpredictability of military activities in the Euro-Atlantic region. But Russia, just as the U.S. has a group of satellites that can control any movements of the armed forces both in Europe and accross the ocean.

#RussiaUS #OpenSkiesTreaty #EuropeanSecurity

🎙 Head of the Delegation Konstantin #Gavrilov was live on #Russia24 news channel:

💬 It‘s necessary to talk closely with the Americans. Whether they want it or not, they‘ll have to enter into a dialogue and discuss our proposals.

📺 Watch here: youtu.be/aBqQAtGOwdQ #RussiaUS

⬆️ 📺 In an interview with Russia Today TV channel (English-language broadcast), Head of the Russian Delegation Konstantin #Gavrilov commented on the Russian response to #Kiev’s barbaric attempts to carry out terrorist attacks against Russian strategic airfields.

#Russia #RussiaUS #Ukraine #OSCE

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to Tucker Carlson (Moscow, December 6, 2024)

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Key talking points

#RussiaUS

• We would like to have normal relations with all countries especially with the United States. We don't see any reason why Russia and the United States cannot cooperate for the sake of the universe.

• The Ukrainians would not be able to do what they're doing with long-range modern weapons without direct participation of the American servicemen. We don't want to aggravate the situation, but since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used against mainland Russia as it were, we are sending signals. <...>

[The US and its allies] must understand that we would be ready to use any means not to allow them to succeed in what they call strategic defeat of Russia. They fight for keeping the hegemony over the world on any country, any region, any continent. We fight for our legitimate security interests.

• We don't want to aggravate the situation, but since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used against mainland Russia, we are sending signals. We hope that the last one, a couple of weeks ago, the signal with the new weapon system called #Oreshnik was taken seriously.

• When the United States and other Western countries recognized unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, they said this is the self-determination being implemented. There was no referendum in Kosovo — unilateral declaration of independence. <...> And when a few years later, Crimeans were holding referendum with invitation of many international observers, not from international organizations, but from parliamentarians in Europe, in Asia, in post-Soviet space, they said that they cannot accept this because this is violation of territorial integrity 🤷‍♂️

The UN Charter is not a menu. You have to respect it in all its entirety 👉 #UNCharterIsOurRules

• I think [Donald Trump] is a very strong person. A person who wants results. Who doesn't like procrastination on anything. But this does not mean that he's pro-Russian as some people try to present him. The amount of sanctions we received under the Trump administration was very big.

#Ukraine

• We strongly prefer peaceful solution through negotiations on the basis of respecting legitimate security interest of Russia, and on the basis of respecting the people who live in Ukraine, who still live in Ukraine being Russians. <...>

No military bases, no military exercises on the Ukrainian soil with participation of foreign troops. <...> We cannot tolerate a deal which would keep the legislation which are prohibiting Russian language, Russian media, Russian culture, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, because it is a violation of the obligations of Ukraine under the UN Charter.

• We are not talking about exterminating anybody's population. We don't have any intention to exterminate Ukrainian people. They are brothers and sisters to the Russian people.

• It is becoming clear that there is a fatigue in some capitals, and there are talks every now and then that the Americans would like to leave [Ukraine] with the Europeans and to concentrate on something more important.

#Syria

• The Americans in the east of Syria groom some Kurdish separatists using the profits from oil and grain sold, the resources which they occupy. <...> The information [on who's backing Islamist groups] which is being floated and it's in the public domain mentions among others the Americans, the Brits. Some people say that Israel is interested in making this situation aggravate. So that Gaza is not under very close scrutiny.

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Press release on Russia-US consultations (February 18, 2025)

⚡️ In accordance with the agreement between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump to step up contacts to discuss international issues and bilateral agenda, on February 18, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov held talks in Riyadh with a US delegation represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

The participants discussed a broad range of issues, including prospects for normalising bilateral relations. The sides agreed to appoint respective ambassadors as soon as possible, and to start consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers to remove restrictions on activities of the diplomatic missions of the two countries.

The Sides agreed to establish a dialogue to identify ways to resume cooperation in the economy, including energy, outer space exploration, and other areas of mutual interest.

The Sides exchanged views on the situation surrounding Ukraine and reiterated their mutual commitment to settle the conflict.

❗️ The Russian side emphasised the importance of eliminating the root causes of the conflict, creating proper conditions for achieving a lasting and enduring peace, and ensuring security and legitimate interests of all countries in the region. An agreement was reached to continue joint work in this area through special envoys to be appointed in the near future.

The Sides agreed to resume communication channels to discuss other international issues, being mindful of Russia and the United States’ special responsibility in matters of peace and security as nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council. The interest in continuing joint work to prepare the meeting between the Russian and American presidents was confirmed.

During their stay in Riyadh, Sergey Lavrov and Yury Ushakov were received by Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. They expressed gratitude for the excellent organisation of #RussiaUS talks. The participants discussed matters related to implementing the agreements on comprehensive expansion of bilateral relations reached by President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.