Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Interview with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for 'Bridges to the East' documentary (Moscow, August 31, 2024)
Key talking points
#Syria
• In 2011, the United States decided to send the Syrian people along the same path as Iraq and Libya which countries they had devastated by their aggressive policies. We were strongly against seeing this scenario replay. In 2015, by President Putin’s decision, we sent a contingent of our armed forces to defend the Syrian Arab Republic against direct aggression.
❗️ The US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein gave rise to ISIS, which posed a real threat to Syria’s existence.
• When the Russian armed forces moved into Syria, ISIS was on the outskirts of Damascus, and Western countries, led by the United States, were attempting to assert their dominance in eastern Syria. We stabilised the situation and since then most of Syria’s territory has been controlled by the legitimate government.
#Iraq
• In 2003, led by the United States, NATO invaded Iraq under a false pretext, a false flag. Later, the Westerners admitted there was no reason for an invasion. No need to eliminate weapons of mass destruction whatsoever. They broadcasted to the whole world the hanging of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, allegedly for possessing weapons of mass destruction. This is a disgusting turn of events.
#MiddleEast #Libya
• Western Jerusalem is ramping up military actions against the entities that they believe support the Palestinians and do so with an extremist slant, namely, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine. Israel wants to destroy the latter which is an exercise in futility. The sides must come to terms instead. Hamas is part of the Palestinian people, just as Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese people.
• Lebanon remains in a situation where it is facing new challenges largely due to the crisis in the Gaza Strip and, more broadly, the Palestinian territories.
• We remain in contact with our Israeli colleagues through the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the respective security councils from both countries. We are trying to drive home the futility of the attempts to address issues by force without considering alternative paths.
• Washington stands behind every decision made by Israel. The US blocks all agreements at the UN Security Council that would lead to a full and permanent ceasefire. The Americans continue to supply weapons to Western Jerusalem, which are then used to commit even more violence against the Palestinian people. Over 40,000 civilians (!) have died in the ten months of hostilities since October 7, 2023 which is a horrifying number.
#Iran
• Iran is outright unwilling to fall for a provocation or to get embroiled into any kind of large-scale hostilities. Iran is facing provocations. The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during the inauguration ceremony of the new president is, without a doubt, a provocation.
Read in full
Key talking points
#Syria
• In 2011, the United States decided to send the Syrian people along the same path as Iraq and Libya which countries they had devastated by their aggressive policies. We were strongly against seeing this scenario replay. In 2015, by President Putin’s decision, we sent a contingent of our armed forces to defend the Syrian Arab Republic against direct aggression.
❗️ The US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein gave rise to ISIS, which posed a real threat to Syria’s existence.
• When the Russian armed forces moved into Syria, ISIS was on the outskirts of Damascus, and Western countries, led by the United States, were attempting to assert their dominance in eastern Syria. We stabilised the situation and since then most of Syria’s territory has been controlled by the legitimate government.
#Iraq
• In 2003, led by the United States, NATO invaded Iraq under a false pretext, a false flag. Later, the Westerners admitted there was no reason for an invasion. No need to eliminate weapons of mass destruction whatsoever. They broadcasted to the whole world the hanging of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, allegedly for possessing weapons of mass destruction. This is a disgusting turn of events.
#MiddleEast #Libya
• Western Jerusalem is ramping up military actions against the entities that they believe support the Palestinians and do so with an extremist slant, namely, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine. Israel wants to destroy the latter which is an exercise in futility. The sides must come to terms instead. Hamas is part of the Palestinian people, just as Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese people.
• Lebanon remains in a situation where it is facing new challenges largely due to the crisis in the Gaza Strip and, more broadly, the Palestinian territories.
• We remain in contact with our Israeli colleagues through the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the respective security councils from both countries. We are trying to drive home the futility of the attempts to address issues by force without considering alternative paths.
• Washington stands behind every decision made by Israel. The US blocks all agreements at the UN Security Council that would lead to a full and permanent ceasefire. The Americans continue to supply weapons to Western Jerusalem, which are then used to commit even more violence against the Palestinian people. Over 40,000 civilians (!) have died in the ten months of hostilities since October 7, 2023 which is a horrifying number.
#Iran
• Iran is outright unwilling to fall for a provocation or to get embroiled into any kind of large-scale hostilities. Iran is facing provocations. The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during the inauguration ceremony of the new president is, without a doubt, a provocation.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Excerpts and key points from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answers to media questions during a news conference following the 7th Russia-GCC Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue (Riyadh, September 9, 2024)
#Ukraine
• We have never taken the “Zelensky formula” seriously and only marvelled that there are still people ready to buy it. Of course, this happens under the West’s pressure.
• But territories are neither here nor there. We just wanted the people, who are an inalienable part of the Russian world and the Russian culture, language, history, and religion, to be treated as human beings as required under international law, numerous conventions on human rights and minority rights, and primarily the UN Charter.
• No success will be achieved unless we get to the root of this problem. In this context, we appreciate the global security initiative announced by PRC President Xi Jinping, which says that it is necessary to start analysing any conflict from its prime causes.
• You should understand that it is not about the meeting location and participants, but about issues to be discussed. Meeting to talk about calls for a ceasefire and then territorial exchanges simply doesn’t cut it. Once again, the problem is not about territories but people’s rights.
As soon as we see the determination to protect human rights, a policy that the West always boasts about when addressing any issue (except this particular one), I am confident we will easily agree on the location and time of the meeting. But first we need to understand what exactly we are going to discuss.
#GEP
• At today’s meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council, we discussed this Eurasia-based organisation’s promising potential for promoting the continent-wide processes and contributing to what President Vladimir Putin referred to as the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
• We want the nations of the Eurasian continent – the largest, fastest-growing, and most resource-rich part of the world – to decide their fate on their own.
#MiddleEast
• Washington wants to preserve its monopoly over any processes in the Middle East. We know many cases when this position has resulted in failure. Today’s discussion with our colleagues from the Persian Gulf’s Arab countries has fully confirmed us in this belief.
• An immediate ceasefire is necessary. Meanwhile, it is important to remember that the problem stems from the fact that the Palestinian state issue has not been resolved for almost 80 years.
#BRICS
• BRICS has doubled its membership from five to ten. It has already received more than 30 applications requesting either membership or special relations. This process is the main driving force behind the formation of a multipolar world order.
• BRICS is following an upward trajectory in its development, and this trend will only grow stronger. The Russian BRICS Chairmanship is greatly contributing to this.
Read in full
#Ukraine
• We have never taken the “Zelensky formula” seriously and only marvelled that there are still people ready to buy it. Of course, this happens under the West’s pressure.
• But territories are neither here nor there. We just wanted the people, who are an inalienable part of the Russian world and the Russian culture, language, history, and religion, to be treated as human beings as required under international law, numerous conventions on human rights and minority rights, and primarily the UN Charter.
• No success will be achieved unless we get to the root of this problem. In this context, we appreciate the global security initiative announced by PRC President Xi Jinping, which says that it is necessary to start analysing any conflict from its prime causes.
• You should understand that it is not about the meeting location and participants, but about issues to be discussed. Meeting to talk about calls for a ceasefire and then territorial exchanges simply doesn’t cut it. Once again, the problem is not about territories but people’s rights.
As soon as we see the determination to protect human rights, a policy that the West always boasts about when addressing any issue (except this particular one), I am confident we will easily agree on the location and time of the meeting. But first we need to understand what exactly we are going to discuss.
#GEP
• At today’s meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council, we discussed this Eurasia-based organisation’s promising potential for promoting the continent-wide processes and contributing to what President Vladimir Putin referred to as the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
• We want the nations of the Eurasian continent – the largest, fastest-growing, and most resource-rich part of the world – to decide their fate on their own.
#MiddleEast
• Washington wants to preserve its monopoly over any processes in the Middle East. We know many cases when this position has resulted in failure. Today’s discussion with our colleagues from the Persian Gulf’s Arab countries has fully confirmed us in this belief.
• An immediate ceasefire is necessary. Meanwhile, it is important to remember that the problem stems from the fact that the Palestinian state issue has not been resolved for almost 80 years.
#BRICS
• BRICS has doubled its membership from five to ten. It has already received more than 30 applications requesting either membership or special relations. This process is the main driving force behind the formation of a multipolar world order.
• BRICS is following an upward trajectory in its development, and this trend will only grow stronger. The Russian BRICS Chairmanship is greatly contributing to this.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (October 9, 2024)
🔹 Developments in the Middle East
🔹 Israeli air strike on Damascus
🔹 Kiev regime crimes
🔹 Violations of the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine
🔹 Honouring Nazi collaborators in Canada
🔹 British investigation into the Skripal case
🔹 Situation in Moldova
🔹 Investigation into Nord Stream terrorist attacks
🔹 EU’s new sanctions regime against Russia
📰 Read
📺 Watch
#MiddleEast
• On October 7, 2023, Israeli citizens suffered a bloody terrorist attack, resulting in civilian casualties. It was followed by a chain of horrific, monstrous and bloody developments across the Middle East. Over the past year, dozens or even hundreds of people have died there.
• All this has been taking place against the backdrop of the unrelenting efforts by the West to add even more fuel to the fire in its determination to block any attempts to settle the conflict that is currently raging there through political and diplomatic means.
❗️ We consider the Lebanese operation as a component of the current unprecedented escalation in the Middle East. We strongly condemn any hostilities that aim to inflame tensions across the entire region. <...> We stand for an immediate ceasefire.
#Ukraine #KievRegimeCrimes
• Russia referred the materials on reprisals by the Ukrainian Nazis against civilians in the Kursk Region to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This and other specialised international agencies will have to provide their substantive responses regarding the Ukrainian neo-Nazis atrocities.
• Both the Ukrainian neo-Nazis and the foreign mercenaries have been hunting down civilians intentionally and knowingly. They clearly understood what they were doing and fully realised who their targets were. It did not matter for them if they targeted a child, a woman or an elderly person. These people are terrorists who are intent on killing civilians, which reveals the very essence of Zelensky’s regime.
❗️ These crimes lie on the Kiev clique’s conscience, if we suppose that it has one, and that of its Western masters. Russian law enforcement agencies collect evidence and report all these crimes, so that everyone who was involved in perpetrating them is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
#Canada #NeoNazism
• Fifteen years ago, the authorities in the capital of Canada decided to erect a monument to the victims of Communism. There were plans to unveil it a year ago. However, the official ceremony was put off indefinitely following an international scandal with standing ovations for former Waffen SS member Hunka at the national parliament. They decided to sit it out, so as not to become involved in an even greater scandal.
• A new scandal around the odious monument once again highlights official Ottawa’s double standards and hypocrisy. By portraying Nazi criminals and their servants, who obtained political asylum after World War II en-masse in accordance with a simplified procedure, Canadian politicians are trying to portray them as “victims of Communism.”
🔹 Developments in the Middle East
🔹 Israeli air strike on Damascus
🔹 Kiev regime crimes
🔹 Violations of the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine
🔹 Honouring Nazi collaborators in Canada
🔹 British investigation into the Skripal case
🔹 Situation in Moldova
🔹 Investigation into Nord Stream terrorist attacks
🔹 EU’s new sanctions regime against Russia
📰 Read
📺 Watch
#MiddleEast
• On October 7, 2023, Israeli citizens suffered a bloody terrorist attack, resulting in civilian casualties. It was followed by a chain of horrific, monstrous and bloody developments across the Middle East. Over the past year, dozens or even hundreds of people have died there.
• All this has been taking place against the backdrop of the unrelenting efforts by the West to add even more fuel to the fire in its determination to block any attempts to settle the conflict that is currently raging there through political and diplomatic means.
❗️ We consider the Lebanese operation as a component of the current unprecedented escalation in the Middle East. We strongly condemn any hostilities that aim to inflame tensions across the entire region. <...> We stand for an immediate ceasefire.
#Ukraine #KievRegimeCrimes
• Russia referred the materials on reprisals by the Ukrainian Nazis against civilians in the Kursk Region to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This and other specialised international agencies will have to provide their substantive responses regarding the Ukrainian neo-Nazis atrocities.
• Both the Ukrainian neo-Nazis and the foreign mercenaries have been hunting down civilians intentionally and knowingly. They clearly understood what they were doing and fully realised who their targets were. It did not matter for them if they targeted a child, a woman or an elderly person. These people are terrorists who are intent on killing civilians, which reveals the very essence of Zelensky’s regime.
❗️ These crimes lie on the Kiev clique’s conscience, if we suppose that it has one, and that of its Western masters. Russian law enforcement agencies collect evidence and report all these crimes, so that everyone who was involved in perpetrating them is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
#Canada #NeoNazism
• Fifteen years ago, the authorities in the capital of Canada decided to erect a monument to the victims of Communism. There were plans to unveil it a year ago. However, the official ceremony was put off indefinitely following an international scandal with standing ovations for former Waffen SS member Hunka at the national parliament. They decided to sit it out, so as not to become involved in an even greater scandal.
• A new scandal around the odious monument once again highlights official Ottawa’s double standards and hypocrisy. By portraying Nazi criminals and their servants, who obtained political asylum after World War II en-masse in accordance with a simplified procedure, Canadian politicians are trying to portray them as “victims of Communism.”