Russia in Canada

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting of the Foreign Ministry’s Business Council (Moscow, June 30, 2026) Read in full 💬 Sergey Lavrov: Today we will discuss current issues of the development of Russian-African economic cooperation, primarily in the context of preparations for the Third Russia-Africa Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Moscow in late October. The African continent, as a centre of a more just #MultipolarWorld thar is taking shape, is certainly experiencing a second awakening. African nations attained political independence in the 1960s with the Soviet Union’s pro-active assistance. Today, Africa is consistently strengthening its international standing and working for economic independence with the assistance of regional integration associations and the African Union, which includes all African countries. Our country provided comprehensive and free assistance to the struggle of African countries against colonialism and greatly contributed to the development and strengthening of their statehood. Today, we continue to support the African countries’ efforts to strengthen their sovereignty in all spheres, including the right to independently manage their natural resources and choose their development paths. We continue to expand the scope of our cooperation in keeping with the decisions of the Russia-Africa summits held in Sochi in 2019 and in St Petersburg in 2023. 📈 The further strengthening of our trade, economic and investment cooperation is one of our indisputable priorities. Russia’s trade with African countries exceeded $27 billion last year. It has been growing very fast, but there is room for improvement in terms of absolute figures. We will continue to make use of all available opportunities to stimulate cooperation in this area. The development of our practical cooperation with African countries is facilitated by our intensive political dialogue. Over the past 18 months, the Leaders of African countries have made 17 visits to Russia. 🤝 Russia’s broadening diplomatic presence on the continent is promoting our relations. Last year, we opened our embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan and established a Department for Partnership with Africa. Next on the agenda is the opening of our diplomatic missions in Gambia, Liberia, Togo and the Union of the Comoros. In December 2025, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, where it was agreed to prepare an ambitious Action Plan as a strategic guideline for the next three-year period (2027-2029). We hope to adopt it at the aforementioned Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow this October. Today, we plan to hold an in-depth discussion on possible actions to facilitate the operation of Russian businesses in the African market. #RussiaAfrica

#KievRegimeCrimes ⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik: 💬 For the first time since the beginning of 2026, the number of Russian civilians affected by Ukrainian attacks exceeded 300 in one week. Over the past seven days, 327 civilians were affected, 42 were killed. Kiev regime's armed groups carried out a series of deliberate attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in Russian regions, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. Missile weapons were used against densely populated areas of Voronezh and Volgograd. A massive strike involving a heavy attack UAV was launched on Gorlovka, causing a section of an apartment building to collapse. A cynical drone raid targeted the Sambek Heights museum complex in the Rostov Region during a crowded public event. The largest numbers of civilian casualties were recorded in the Belgorod and Voronezh regions, the DPR, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Over the week of June 22-28, Ukrainian Nazi shelling affected 327 civilians: 285 people, including 9 children, were wounded, while 42 people, including 2 minors, were killed. Over the past seven days, the Ukrainian militants fired at least 5,126 munitions at civilian sites on Russian territory.

✍️ Excerpts from President Vladimir Putin’s answers to questions from a Russian journalist (28 June 2026) 🔸Attacks on critical infrastructure 💬 The strikes on our civilian infrastructure are intended to damage us, of course, but also to fuel an information campaign as part of the broader confrontation with Russia. At a minimum, the campaign aims to undermine our confidence in ourselves and our capabilities and, ideally, to create divisions within Russian society and force our country to suspend the advance of our forces along the line of contact, creating conditions for negotiations favourable to our adversary. We will not give them that opportunity. It is important to understand that these terrorist attacks have no impact whatsoever on the situation at the front. That is the key point. No matter where these strikes are carried out against our infrastructure, they have absolutely no effect on the situation along the front line. 🔸Talks about Ukraine 💬 There have also been new proposals. The suggestion of a meeting with the head of the Kiev regime is common knowledge. The request for at least a temporary ceasefire along the line of contact is no news either. There have, however, been some new proposals, and I am prepared to mention a few of them. One is that both sides should stop carrying out long-range strikes deep inside each other’s territory. The reason for this proposal is obvious. Our retaliatory strikes deep inside Ukrainian territory are far more powerful, more effective and, frankly, more destructive, resulting in genuinely serious consequences for the Kiev regime. Another proposal is to limit military operations – please note this carefully – to just four territories: the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, while halting hostilities everywhere else. [...] Given the Ukrainian armed forces’ catastrophic manpower shortage, they apparently believe this could provide them with a lifeline. But rescuing the Kiev regime is not part of our plans. Read in full

⚡️ Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation: The Press Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) reports that, according to information received by the SVR, Ukrainian security structures are deliberately enabling the growing transit of drugs from Latin America to Europe. Ukraine’s interest is clear. Zelensky’s corruption-ridden regime is seeking additional revenue, especially as its Western sponsors are increasingly unable to fulfill all of its insatiable demands. Kiev also values the assistance of Latin American drug cartels in recruiting new mercenaries for the Ukrainian armed forces. For their part, major Latin American criminal groups are looking to expand their drug trafficking routes, including for fentanyl, amid the intensified anti-drug campaign in the US. They view Ukraine as a safe corridor into the European market due to the lack of proper border and customs control in the country. ❗️ The ports of the Odessa region are becoming the main transshipment hub on the drug route to Europe via Poland, Moldova and Romania. Latin American drug cartels are also interested in gaining access to Ukraine’s black market for weapons. ☝️ This is a vivid illustration of the saying: “One man’s war is another man’s opportunity”. Then again, what else can be expected from the Kiev regime led by a drug-addled top brass?

#KievRegimeCrimes ⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik: PHOTO FACTS & EVIDENCE of crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces over the week of June 22-28, 2026: ▪️ June 22 – a massive missile strike on Voronezh. Six civilians were killed and 68 injured. ▪️ June 22 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on an apartment building in Shchyokino, Tula Region. ▪️ June 23 – a UAV strike on a passenger minibus in Proletarsky, Belgorod Region. One civilian was injured. ▪️ June 24 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on an apartment building in Gorlovka, DPR. Three civilians were killed and four injured. ▪️ June 2 – an FPV drone strike on a residential house in Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod Region. One civilian was injured. ▪️ June 27 – a UAV strike on agricultural land near Bogdanovka, Kherson Region. More than 15 hectares of wheat were destroyed by fire. ▪️ June 27 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on the Sambek Heights museum complex in Rostov Region. One civilian was killed and 11 injured. ▪️ June 27 – an FPV drone strike on an apartment building in Shebekino, Belgorod Region. ▪️ June 28 – an FPV drone strike on a private house in Gora-Podol, Belgorod Region. ▪️ June 28 – a UAV attack on a civilian passenger transport parking area in Skadovsk, Kherson Region. At least 40 buses burned down completely.

⚡️ Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova regarding Romania’s ban on Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics team from using national symbols (June 27, 2026)   💬 Russian participants in the 2026 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup being held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from June 26 to June 28, faced yet another instance of outright arbitrary action and politicisation of international sport.   Notwithstanding the recent decisions by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the European Gymnastics Union to lift all existing restrictions and restore our athletes’ rights, they were forbidden to use their national flag and anthem at the World Challenge Cup in Romania. The Russian side’s responded in the only possible and logical way by refusing to participate in the competitions.   The situation looks all the more absurd because the so-called sanctions against our gymnasts were maintained due to the efforts by the local mayor who resorted to routine statements of countering the “aggressor state.” Neither the event organisers nor the authorities dared to stand up to the provincial official who apparently decided to raise his “standing” in this way.     It is deplorable that the Russophobia being nurtured in Romania in recent years has yielded such ugly fruit – it exposes the disorder that reigns there, when random figures are allowed arbitrariness and shame a country that is apparently unable to provide equal conditions for participants in major international competitions, and therefore must lose the right to claim them. ☝️ The Russian Side will not dismiss this issue.

🇺🇳 June 26 marks 81 years since the establishment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (#ECOSOC). The Inaugural Session of ECOSOC – one of the six principal organs of the United Nations – convened in January-February 1946. The Council stands as the central multilateral platform of the UN for the discussion of a wide range of international matters of socioeconomic, scientific, technical, and environmental significance. 🌐 ECOSOC’s remit encompasses such crucial spheres of international collaboration as: • humanitarian assistance • the advancement of global development • narrowing the technological divide between developed and developing nations • public health • the upholding of human rights • cooperation in the realms of culture and education • environmental protection The Council authorises the preparation of studies and reports, formulates pertinent recommendations, and examines the implementation of decisions arising from major UN thematic conferences. As a preeminent coordinating body, the Council reviews the reports submitted by its regional and functional commissions, as well as by UN programmes and funds and the specialised agencies within its system. 🤝 It engages with non-governmental organisations worldwide: more than 6,000 NGOs, including approximately 70 Russian organisations, possess consultative status with ECOSOC, thereby enabling their participation in the Council’s work and that of its subsidiary bodies. Since 2012, the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development has been convened under the auspices of the Council, within the framework of which 190 member states, including Russia, have already delivered voluntary national reviews detailing their progress towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Since ECOSOC’s inception, its membership has tripled and today comprises 54 member states, elected by the UN General Assembly for a three-year term. On June 4, 2025, following an intensely competitive election, Russia was re-elected to the Council for the 2026-2028 period. Our country has played an active and constructive role in ECOSOC’s endeavours since its very foundation. Over decades of membership, Russia has amassed significant experience in utilising this UN platform to foster progressive socioeconomic development on a global scale. 🇷🇺 Russia reaffirms its commitment to contributing to the enhancement of international efforts within ECOSOC, the depoliticisation of its work, the strengthening of the intergovernmental and multilateral nature of this UN body’s activities, as well as to the advancement of Russia’s economic accomplishments on the world stage.

🗓 June 26 marks the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, established in 1987 by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 42/112. The annual World Drug Reports, traditionally released on this day by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), have consistently highlighted a worsening global drug situation. Among the most concerning current trends is the rapid proliferation of synthetic drugs worldwide. In response, Russia proposed in March 2026 that the UN Secretary-General place four mephedrone precursors and one methadone precursor under international control. Moscow is confident that this initiative, if implemented, will help safeguard the health and wellbeing of both current and future generations. Countering the drug threat is a priority for Russia’s national security, as set out in the Strategy for the State Anti-Drug Policy of the Russian Federation until 2030. The international anti-drug conventions – the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances – remain a solid foundation for interstate cooperation in this field. The Russian side recognises the importance of strict adherence to these fundamental instruments and opposes any erosion of the existing drug control framework. Legislative proposals in certain countries to lift bans and introduce state regulation of non-medical drug use significantly undermine public awareness of the risks associated with drug consumption and constitute a crude violation of the conventions. Addressing the global drug problem and effectively countering the challenges we face is only possible through constructive, depoliticised cooperation among all stakeholders, especially in law enforcement. Together with a broad range of like-minded countries, Russia advocates for strengthening the current international drug control regime and underscores the importance of building a society free from drug abuse. Forty-three countries have endorsed the relevant joint statement, which was initiated by Russia during the 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (Vienna, March 9-13, 2026). Russia remains firmly committed to meeting its obligations in good faith, as demonstrated by its extensive project-based collaboration with the UNODC and other international organisations. Moscow will continue to provide donor assistance and run training courses for partners in Central Asia, Africa, Iran, Pakistan and other regions. Particular attention is being paid to the uneven global distribution of narcotic medicines, and Russia is making a significant contribution to improving access to controlled substances for legitimate purposes. Our country is the lead donor to the International Narcotics Control Board’s INCB Learning programme, which organises academic and practical events aimed at enhancing accessibility, improving the quality of national reporting to the Board, and supporting the overall implementation of the relevant conventions. From June 29 to July 3 (for Russian-speaking countries) and July 1 to 3 (for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), the next INCB Learning training seminar will be held in Moscow, with financial and organisational support from the Russian Federation. Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky and State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Health Oleg Salagay are scheduled to attend the closing ceremony on July 3. 👉 Russia intends to further expand its practice of sharing expertise and providing technical assistance to partner countries to strengthen their counter-narcotics capacity, including by broadening the geographical reach of future training sessions.

#InMemoriam #InMemoryOfDiplomats 🕯 On June 26, 2015, outstanding Soviet and Russian statesman and brilliant diplomat, the visionary in international relations Yevgeny Primakov passed away. Primakov is remembered in our country as persistent defender of Russia’s national interests in the international arena and advocate of realism and pragmatism in global relations. • Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1996–1998) • Prime Minister of Russia (1998–1999) • Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1989–1990) Once appointed as the Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry in January 1996, Primakov set about shaping the modern foundations of the country’s foreign policy — an independent and self-reliant course aimed at promoting national interests and developing cooperation with all states willing to engage with Moscow on an equal and mutually beneficial base. 💬 Excerpts from Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at the 12th International Scientific and Expert Forum Primakov Readings (Moscow, June 24, 2026):

Attending this forum is a form of paying tribute to Yevgeny Primakov, his outstanding personality, rich creative heritage and ideas, which continue to be fully in demand in our daily work. It has been stated on numerous occasions, including at this forum, that Yevgeny Primakov not only forecast and formulated the imminent advance of multipolarity in the middle of the 1990s, when the West anticipated an era of its global domination, but also started steering Russia’s foreign policy ship in the direction of the rising, more just polycentric world order. It was a figure of speech. As you know, in practice this took the form of the U-turn made by Primakov’s plane when he understood that he was flying to a country that had launched yet another aggression.

🌐 #MultipolarWorld: It was Primakov who first articulated the concept of multipolarity — a vision that today proves to have no alternative. The Russia-India-China (RIC) format, which he created, was the forerunner of #BRICS — successfully evolving group of states that has become a pillar of a rapidly emerging polycentric world order. One of the most famous foreign policy episodes involving the diplomat was his legendary “Atlantic U-turn” on March 24, 1999 — while in route to the United States, Primakov learned of NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia and ordered his plane turn back mid-flight, returning to Moscow. This act symbolized re-evaluating relations with the West marking Russia’s transition to a multi-vector foreign policy. *** Six months after the statesman’s death, on December 4, 2015, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed an Executive Order 'On Perpetuating the Memory of Yevgeny Primakov', in recognition of the diplomat's contribution to the of Russian statehood, foreign policy and economic reforms. Primakov’s memory lives on in the hearts of generations of scholars, journalists, and diplomats, his colleagues and subordinates — for whom he was a mentor. In 2019, on the occasion of his 9️⃣0️⃣th birth Anniversary, a monument to the outstanding diplomat and patriot was unveiled in front of the Russian Foreign Ministry building. Every year on #DiplomatsDay, the Ministry staff traditionally lay flowers at this iconic monument. Primakov’s ideas remain as relevant as ever. We carefully preserve and cherish the intellectual legacy of our outstanding diplomat. *** 🕯 On the memorial placed over Primakov’s grave at Novodevichy Cemetery, the following words are engraved: I’ve made my choice: to stay in harness to the end, Until I’m breathless, until I fall. And if the load becomes too much – I’ll bend, But even then I will not leave or stall. #HistoryOfDiplomacy

📆 On June 26, Moldova's Ambassador to Russia Lilian Darii was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian Side conveyed a strong protest and issued a note verbale over Moldova’s gross violation of the fundamental provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. On June 25, diplomatic couriers of the Russian Foreign Ministry were subjected to hours-long detention at Chisinau airport. They were presented with deliberately unacceptable and unlawful demands to inspect diplomatic correspondence and “voluntarily” surrender their mobile communication devices. At the same time, diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Moldova were denied access to the restricted area of the airport to provide consular assistance to the Russian Foreign Ministry officials who had arrived. As a result, despite advance notification to the Moldovan side of their arrival, the diplomatic couriers were unable to enter the territory of Moldova and were forced to return home. ❗️ Moldova’s Ambassador to Moscow Lilian Darii was told that this constituted a gross violation of Article 27 of the 1961 Vienna Convention, under which diplomatic couriers “shall enjoy personal inviolability and shall not be liable to any form of arrest or detention”, while the diplomatic bag “shall not be opened or detained”.

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a media question (Moscow, June 26, 2026) 💬 Question: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said that during the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska, where the situation around Ukraine was discussed, only a proposal on an approach to a settlement was put forward, and that no agreement had ever been reached there. Could you comment on this situation? Sergey Lavrov: We are indeed receiving many questions on this subject. It is important to clarify the situation as we see it. I hope this will be clear to the audience. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that in Alaska there were only proposals, not agreements on the settlement in Ukraine. Therefore, allegedly, it is unclear why Moscow is so concerned. The point is that, if we look at the full picture, several days before the meeting in Alaska, US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and brought those very proposals from President Donald Trump. We took them into consideration. President Vladimir Putin promised to give his response at the meeting in Alaska. Already in Anchorage, when the two Presidents “sat down for talks” – Marco Rubio and I were also present – President Vladimir Putin, looking at Steve Witkoff, who was also in the room, began listing the US proposals point by point. After each point, in the presence of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vladimir Putin asked Steve Witkoff whether he had accurately captured the ideas that the latter had brought to Moscow ahead of Anchorage. 👉 Steve Witkoff answered each time in the affirmative. Therefore, when my colleague Marco Rubio says that there were only proposals in Alaska and no agreement, this raises a question for me as to what we mean by an agreement. If one Side – in this case, the US – puts forward its settlement proposals, its ideas on how to approach this crisis, and the other Side expresses consent to these proposals, then saying that there was no agreement does not sound particularly elegant. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said, while speaking at another event somewhere in the Middle East, that they are ready to step forward and play a constructive role, should they have such an opportunity. He said, in effect, that bringing the parties together and ending this war is what US President Donald Trump has been trying to do for a year and a half. All of this can probably be taken as confirmation that in Alaska there were American proposals, and that we accepted them. But the quote I have just cited raises a question from another angle. I am referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent remarks at congressional hearings, when he said that the US could not be a mediator because it supports Ukraine. Now, when Washington expresses interest in playing a constructive role and bringing the parties together, this already sounds like a bid for mediation. ❗️ Of course, this entire situation needs to be clarified. But the fact remains: US proposals were discussed in Alaska, and they were accepted by the Russian Side.

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at the 12th International Scientific and Expert Forum Primakov Readings (Moscow, June 24, 2026) Key points: • This Forum is our way of paying tribute to Yevgeny Primakov, his outstanding personality, rich intellectual legacy and ideas, which remain fully relevant to our work today. • The West remains unwilling to comply with the universally recognised norms of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, even though all states, by signing and ratifying the Charter, undertook to observe these norms in their entirety, totality and interrelation. • A defining feature of the current moment is the West’s readiness to rewrite even its notorious “rules” on the fly – the very rules it until recently sought to substitute for international law. As soon as the West realised that free trade, fair competition, the inviolability of property and the unrestricted movement of capital had enabled new centres of development in Asia, Africa and Latin America to unlock their potential, it immediately weaponised the dollar and other global currencies, unleashed sanctions and tariff wars, and began seizing foreign exchange and gold reserves. • The West is dismantling the foundations of the international security system built over decades. For many years, Russia has faced the irresponsible eastward geopolitical expansion of the “Atlantic community”, right up to our borders. • Russia welcomes the agreement between the US and Iran to cease hostilities, as well as the negotiations now under way. We stand ready to assist in developing a comprehensive, long-term agreement between the two countries and a broader settlement involving their neighbours, should our good offices be required. • Centuries of diplomatic experience point to one conclusion: the golden rule of lasting conflict settlement is to eradicate its root causes. For us, this applies first and foremost to the Ukrainian crisis, which was deliberately engineered by the West as part of its expansion towards Russia’s borders. • I am convinced that a political and diplomatic settlement of the situation around Ukraine remains entirely possible. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated this. It requires specific, legally binding security guarantees based on the principle of indivisible security, including guarantees for Russia’s security along its western borders. • The West must understand that it must abandon its plans for military-political, geoeconomic and ideological expansion into areas of Russia’s vital interests. • #Multipolarity does not condemn the world to chaos and confrontation, despite what its critics claim. A balance of interests based on international law is fully achievable. #RussiaChina relations, particularly our comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, clearly demonstrate this. • #BRICS and the #SCO show how the principles of sovereign equality and mutually beneficial cooperation can be implemented multilaterally. Their philosophy is close to and understood by all states seeking to pursue independent foreign policies and advance their national interests above all. Read in full

📄 Excerpts from the Russian Foreign Ministry has released a report titled Indigenous peoples rights situation in certain countries. Among the nations covered is Canada, where the report points to a number of areas of concern: 1️⃣ Residential schools. From 1883 to 1996, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and subjected to assimilation. Over 6,000 reportedly died from starvation, abuse, disease and appalling living conditions. 2️⃣ Missing children and unmarked graves. Searches launched after the 2021 Kamloops discovery remain ongoing. First Nations communities still face restricted access to government and church archives, while calls continue for an Indigenous-led national investigation and reparations. 3️⃣ No clean drinking water. As of March 2026, 41 long-term drinking-water advisories remained in effect across 38 First Nations communities. Neskantaga First Nation has lived under a boil-water advisory since 1995, for more than three decades. 4️⃣ Medical abuse and forced sterilisation. Indigenous people were subjected to secret medical experiments, including the deliberate malnourishment of nearly 1,300 children in the 1940s. A Canadian NGO estimates that at least 15,000 Indigenous women have undergone forced or coerced sterilisation since the 1890s. 5️⃣ Children trapped in poverty and state care. Nearly 47 percent of First Nations children reportedly live in low-income households, with rates reaching 65 percent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Assembly of First Nations estimates that around 200,000 Indigenous children have suffered unfair treatment within Canada’s child-welfare system. 6️⃣ Systemic discrimination in the justice system. In six provinces, Indigenous people are incarcerated at approximately ten times the rate of White Canadians. Indigenous adults are imprisoned at a rate of 89 per 10,000 people, compared with eight per 10,000 among non-Indigenous Canadians. 7️⃣ Ancestral lands placed at risk. Mining, pipeline and infrastructure projects continue to affect Indigenous territories, water sources and traditional livelihoods. Communities repeatedly report inadequate consultation, environmental contamination and the prioritisation of commercial interests over their rights. 👉 Read in full

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at the 12th International Scientific and Expert Forum Primakov Readings (Moscow, June 24, 2026) Key points: • This Forum is our way of paying tribute to Yevgeny Primakov, his outstanding personality, rich intellectual legacy and ideas, which remain fully relevant to our work today. • The West remains unwilling to comply with the universally recognised norms of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, even though all states, by signing and ratifying the Charter, undertook to observe these norms in their entirety, totality and interrelation. • A defining feature of the current moment is the West’s readiness to rewrite even its notorious “rules” on the fly – the very rules it until recently sought to substitute for international law. As soon as the West realised that free trade, fair competition, the inviolability of property and the unrestricted movement of capital had enabled new centres of development in Asia, Africa and Latin America to unlock their potential, it immediately weaponised the dollar and other global currencies, unleashed sanctions and tariff wars, and began seizing foreign exchange and gold reserves. • The West is dismantling the foundations of the international security system built over decades. For many years, Russia has faced the irresponsible eastward geopolitical expansion of the “Atlantic community”, right up to our borders. • Russia welcomes the agreement between the US and Iran to cease hostilities, as well as the negotiations now under way. We stand ready to assist in developing a comprehensive, long-term agreement between the two countries and a broader settlement involving their neighbours, should our good offices be required. • Centuries of diplomatic experience point to one conclusion: the golden rule of lasting conflict settlement is to eradicate its root causes. For us, this applies first and foremost to the Ukrainian crisis, which was deliberately engineered by the West as part of its expansion towards Russia’s borders. • I am convinced that a political and diplomatic settlement of the situation around Ukraine remains entirely possible. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated this. It requires specific, legally binding security guarantees based on the principle of indivisible security, including guarantees for Russia’s security along its western borders. • The West must understand that it must abandon its plans for military-political, geoeconomic and ideological expansion into areas of Russia’s vital interests. • #Multipolarity does not condemn the world to chaos and confrontation, despite what its critics claim. A balance of interests based on international law is fully achievable. #RussiaChina relations, particularly our comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, clearly demonstrate this. • #BRICS and the #SCO show how the principles of sovereign equality and mutually beneficial cooperation can be implemented multilaterally. Their philosophy is close to and understood by all states seeking to pursue independent foreign policies and advance their national interests above all. Read in full

#Victory81 🌟 On June 24, 1945, to celebrate the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a ceremonial Parade was held on Red Square in Moscow. It symbolised the triumph of our people who defeated Nazi Germany and saved the world from Nazism. For the purpose of the parade, composite regiments (12 in total) were formed and trained beforehand. They represented all the Red Army fronts that had fought against Nazi invaders. Merit was the primary criteria. Each formation consisted of more than a thousand of the most distinguished Red Army soldiers. Some bore the highest title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. In all, 298 infantry companies, 13 cavalry squadrons, 350 artillery batteries, including 386 artillery guns, and 613 armoured vehicles took part in the event. The organisation and overall command of the ceremony were carried out by Head of the Moscow Garrison and Commander of the Moscow Military District Colonel General Pavel Artemyev who had commanded the historic parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941. The parade began at 10 am on June 24 and lasted for more than two hours. Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky commanded the formations. The horses selected for the Marshals Rokossovsky and Zhukov had symbolic significance: Zhukov rode a light grey Terek horse symbolising glory and victory, while Rokossovsky rode a black horse representing nobility and honour. 💬 Before the parade units began marching across the Red Square, stepping on the centuries-trimmed cobblestones Marshal Zhukov ascended the Lenin Mausoleum tribune and delivered the famous address:

Humanity has been rid of its most dangerous enemy — German Nazism. For three years, the Red Army fought on its own against the armed forces of Germany and its satellites. Throughout the war, the bulk of the German army was tied up on the Soviet-German front, where the prestige of the German arms was shattered and the victorious outcome of the war in Europe was sealed.

Once Zhukov finished his speech, the USSR State Orchestra performed the national anthem followed by a 50-gun artillery salute fired from the Kremlin walls which served as a cue for about 40'000 servicemen and approximately 1'850 pieces of military equipment to begin the ceremonial march across the Red Square. The parade had enormous historical and symbolic significance. From here, on November 7, 1941, our soldiers went off to defend Moscow. It was here, to Red Square, that they brought the Great Victory. Here, at the foot of the Mausoleum, Soviet liberator-soldiers, to the roll of drums, threw down the banners of the defeated German Nazi units and formations. #OurVictory

🎙 Excerpts from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions during the Ambassadorial Roundtable discussion “Ukraine Crisis: The West’s True Goals and Role” (Moscow, June 23, 2026) • The West spared neither money nor effort in supporting Ukrainian nationalism, which had been known since World War II for its particular brutality. The West carefully nurtured overt neo-Nazis, Russophobes, and anti-Semites in Ukraine – people who never hid their sympathies for Hitler, Nazi ideology, and Nazi symbols, and who took pride in the crimes of their predecessors during World War II against Russians, Belarusians, Jews, Poles, and other ethnic groups. • The West supported the coup in Kiev back in December 2004, when, in violation of the Ukrainian Constitution, it imposed a third round of elections (one not provided for by the Constitution). • Certainly, the West played a direct role in the second coup in February 2014, when contrary to the settlement agreement between the government and the opposition, guaranteed by Germany, France, and Poland, outright Nazis and Russophobes seized power and immediately began the physical extermination of their fellow citizens in Donbass. • Getting back to Ukraine. Since 2015, Russia was firmly committed to implementing the Minsk set of measures signed after many-month attempts to stop the unlawful war unleashed by the Kiev regime against its own people. The agreement was signed in Minsk after 17-hour talks and guaranteed, again, by the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande. • Neither the West, nor those leading members, nor Kiev itself did not even think of fulfilling that important document. Later, the former leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine, who signed the document, admitted it, and did it with pride. • Today, the United Kingdom and European Union countries continue to pump the Kiev regime with weapons and money, while pandering to its openly terrorist actions. They have gone as far as to justify any criminal actions by the Kiev regime. • Europe is literally elbowing its way to be part of the Ukraine settlement talks by imposing its approaches and trampling upon the slightest germs of common sense demonstrated by the Donald Trump administration after his return to the White House, we have no illusions as to what the real plans of the Europeans are. • The statement issued at the G7 summit in Evian once again talks about unconditional support for the Kiev regime, assistance in strengthening Kiev’s military capability, expanding supplies of Western weapons, and ratcheting up the sanctions pressure on our country’s economy. • The real goal of the West behind its calls for talks is to save the Zelensky regime and to preserve Ukraine as a launching pad for fighting Russia. That is why they are seeking an immediate ceasefire. Their goal is to halt Russia’s advance and once again - just like they did during the Minsk period - to buy time in order to pump weapons into the Kiev regime and to deploy occupation forces with an anti-Russian mandate on the territory under its control under the banner of the coalition of the willing. • In any case, Europe is once again emerging as the main threat to international peace and security. Just like Nazi Germany ahead of World War II, Brussels, together with Paris, Berlin and London are seeking to bring the entire continent under the banners of neo-Nazism and Russophobia. • Present-day European elites have made no secret of the fact that they are preparing to fight a war against us in the near future. They said that it would happen by 2030 at the latest. But what matters here is not the timeline but the gist of the matter. • The truth about what is going on instantly becomes taboo. There are plenty of examples. The most recent ones include preventing Politico Europe from publishing my article despite the fact that we had an agreement on this matter. So much for the freedom of speech. Read in full

🎙Excerpts from President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s speech at the meeting with Government members (23 June, 2026): 💬 Everything the Kiev regime does is aimed at one thing only: creating favorable conditions for itself in the event of the start – or, more accurately, the resumption – of peace negotiations that were interrupted at Ukraine’s own initiative, and doing so from what it seeks to portray as a position of strength. What position of strength are we talking about? At most, this is an attempt to create the impression of strength. The reality on the battlefield is entirely different. All these attacks, which are essentially terrorist acts, including strikes on civilian infrastructure, on a bus carrying Belarusian children in the Belgorod Region, or on a student dormitory in Starobelsk, do not and cannot change the situation on the front line. Nevertheless, as has been stated on many occasions, Russia remains ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. We are prepared to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached in Istanbul, which, I would remind you, were initialed by the Ukrainian delegation at the time, indicating that they found them acceptable. We see no reason to depart from those agreements. Negotiations should be based on the understandings reached in Istanbul, the modalities discussed in Anchorage, and, most importantly, the realities on the ground, as well as the principles I outlined during my address at the Foreign Ministry several years ago. Read in full

📸 85 years ago today, on June 24, 1941, the Soviet Information Bureau (#Sovinformburo) was established. Created during the first, most difficult days of the Great Patriotic War, it became the voice of the country at a time of its greatest trial, delivering frontline reports and documenting the Soviet people’s path towards the Great Victory. 🖼 To mark the anniversary, the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group is presenting the exhibition 85 Years of Sovinformburo. History Brought to Life. An Era Captured. ☝️The exhibition features 30 iconic photographs from the archives, brought together as a visual chronicle of an entire era. For the first time, selected historical images have been brought to life using AI technology. The works of renowned documentary photographers, including frontline photojournalists Georgy Zelma, Yevgeny Khaldei, Vladimir Grebnev, Mikhail Ozersky and Igor Kostin, captured the Battle of Stalingrad, the 1945 Victory Parade, Yuri Gagarin’s historic space flight, major sporting events, peacekeeping missions and landmark meetings between world leaders. 🎙 According to Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev, the wartime communiqués of Sovinformburo marked the beginning of a unique chronicle reflecting the history, victories and global role of our country.

We, the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group and the RIA Novosti and Sputnik agencies, are the direct successors of Sovinformburo. The traditions of the frontline correspondents who followed the roads of war alongside Soviet soldiers, documenting every step towards the Great Victory, are not empty words to us. Today, our war correspondents work just as their illustrious predecessors did 85 years ago: on the front line, risking their lives so that the world can see the truth.

ℹ️ The exhibition was organised by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry and will be displayed at Russian diplomatic missions abroad.

#Победа81 24 июня 1945 года, в ознаменование Победы в Великой Отечественной войне, в Москве на Красной площади прошёл торжественный Парад, ставший символом триумфа нашего народа, сокрушившего гитлеровскую Германию и спасшего мир от нацизма. Для участия в параде были сформированы и подготовлены сводные полки (всего их было 12) от всех фронтов, участвовавших в боях с фашистскими захватчиками. Каждое соединение насчитывало свыше тысячи наиболее отличившихся красноармейцев, включая Героев Советского Союза и кавалеров Ордена Славы. Всего в мероприятии приняли участие 298 рот пехоты, 13 кавалерийских эскадронов, 350 батарей артиллерийских установок, в том числе 386 орудий, 613 единиц бронетехники. За организацию и общее руководство церемонией отвечал начальник московского гарнизона и командующий Московским военным округом генерал-полковник Павел Артемьев — именно он командовал историческим парадом на Красной площади 7 ноября 1941 года. Парад начался 24 июня ровно в десять часов утра и продолжался более двух часов. Командовал расчётами Маршал Константин Константинович Рокоссовский, принимал парад — Маршал Георгий Константинович Жуков. Символическое значение имели породы и окрас подобранных для полководцев лошадей: Жуков был верхом на коне светло-серой масти терской породы, олицетворявшей славу и победу, Рокоссовский — на вороном, являвшим собой благородство и честь. 💬 Перед началом прохода парадных расчётов по брусчатке Маршал Жуков поднялся на трибуну Мавзолея Ленина, откуда произнёс знаменитые слова:

Человечество избавлено от своего злейшего врага — германского фашизма. На протяжении трёх лет Красная армия один на один сражалась против вооружённых сил Германии и её сателлитов. В течение всей войны основные силы немецкой армии были прикованы к советско-германскому фронту, где был растоптан авторитет германского оружия и предрешён победоносный исход войны в Европе.

После того как Георгий Константинович закончил своё выступление, государственный оркестр СССР исполнил гимн, а после с кремлёвских стен прогремели 50 залпов салюта — это был сигнал для военных колонн — порядка 40 тысяч военнослужащих и около 1850 единиц военной техники — приступить к торжественному шествию по брусчатке. Парад имел огромное историческое и символическое значение. Именно отсюда, 7 ноября 1941 года, наши воины ушли защищать Москву. Сюда же, на Красную площадь, наши бойцы принесли Великую Победу. Здесь, к подножию Мавзолея, советские воины-освободители, под дробь барабанов, бросили знамёна частей и подразделений разгромленных немецко-фашистских войск. 🌟 Подробнее о Параде — в спецпроекте РИА Новости «Сто двадцать шагов в минуту. Как 80 лет назад прошел первый Парад Победы» 🎥 © Гостелерадиофонд СССР #НашаПобеда

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin's address at a meeting with graduates of military academies (Moscow, June 23, 2026) 💬 The current international situation is far from stable. There is an ongoing military confrontation in the Middle East, and the potential for conflict has increased significantly in several parts of the world, including Eurasia [...] Today the West is openly talking about preparing for a war against us and building up their military offensive budgets. However, in order to justify these expenses and the radical militarisation of their countries, the leaders of NATO and EU states are once again resorting to lies about an alleged Russian military threat. The pseudo-democratic West's plan of action is simple: first they create threats for our country, forcing us to take the necessary action to defend and protect our country, and then they immediately accuse us of all the mortal sins in order to justify their continued aggressive policy and their aggressive actions against Russia [...] Russia has consistently advocated equal and indivisible security for all. We believe that this goal can only be achieved by creating a multipolar system of international relations and ensuring the military security of every country. At the same time, we stand ready to respond promptly and appropriately to any external and internal threats. Read in full