Russian Mission to EU

📺 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’sgreetings and video message on Diplomats’ Day (February 10, 2026) 💬 Friends, Today marks Diplomats’ Day, our professional holiday. I would like to use this occasion to wish a happy holiday to all Russian diplomats who are working at the Central Office and territorial offices, and diplomats fulfilling their duty abroad. The history of Russian diplomacy spans many centuries and follows every stage of Russia becoming stronger as a state. Times change, but our spiritual and moral values — sincere, dedicated, and selfless devotion to the Fatherland, and firm commitment to the ideals of truth and justice — remain unshakeable. We are rightfully proud of the achievements of our outstanding predecessors. We honour the courage of the staff of the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs who, during the tumultuous years of the Great Patriotic War, took arms to defend the Motherland. Their immortal feat stands as a benchmark for Foreign Ministry personnel and staff of subordinate institutions participating in the special military operation. Other ministerial staff members are also involved and are helping the front line soldiers and their families, and supporting those affected by crimes committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Today, as we are witnessing another turning point in history, Russian diplomacy continues to do everything within its power to ensure safe and favourable external conditions for Russia’s steady domestic development and for improving the quality of life of its people. In many ways, our consistent and balanced foreign policy course sets the trajectory of global transformations, thus facilitating the emergence of a new multipolar world order. We seek to further develop honest and equitable international cooperation based on mutual understanding, trust, and neighbourliness. Following President Putin’s initiative, we are working to establish, across the Eurasian region, architecture of equal and indivisible security and extensive practical cooperation. In this context, we attach particular importance to the conclusion and implementation of bilateral agreements, including our treaties on security guarantees with Belarus and on comprehensive strategic partnership with the DPRK and Iran. We continue to expand relations across multiple areas with the World Majority, among them countries such as China, India, and other like-minded countries, our strategic partners and allies, primarily within the #CSTO, the #EAEU, and the #CIS, as well as the #SCO and #BRICS. Countering neo-colonial practices of all kinds ranging from unilateral coercive measures to military interventions remains firmly in our focus. In this context, we reaffirm our solidarity with the peoples of Venezuela and Cuba. We are convinced that only they can determine their own future. ☝️ The country’s leadership and Russian society hold our work to high standards. We are required to demonstrate discipline and dedication, as well as a passionate and creative approach to our duties. I trust that you will continue to work honourably for the good of the Fatherland and to contribute your share to addressing large-scale foreign policy goals set by the President. On this day, we express special gratitude to former ministerial employees, who taught us the fundamentals of diplomacy by their example. Many of them, to the extent of their abilities, remain active in the close-knit diplomatic ranks. By all means, I would like to separately thank all the relatives and loved ones of our employees. Your unconditional support gives us strength and keeps us focused. It is especially important for those who carry out their diplomatic service far from the Motherland. Once again, happy Diplomats’ Day to all. I wish you excellent health, well-being, and new accomplishments for the benefit of the Fatherland. #DiplomatsDay

🎙Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Channel One’s Bolshaya Igra (Great Game) political talk show(September 18, 2025) Key points: • Unlike all other Western figures, whose actions and positions boiled down to the mantra that “Ukraine is right,” that Russia must suffer a “strategic defeat,” and that Ukraine’s sovereignty must be restored within its 1991 borders, Donald Trump and his team have repeatedly demonstrated, including publicly, an understanding of the need to address the root causes of the conflict. Donald Trump has stated publicly on multiple occasions that drawing Ukraine into NATO was a mistake. He made it abundantly clear that, to achieve a settlement, these aspirations must be set aside and security must be built on different principles. • We appreciated Donald Trump's openness and frankness back then and we do now. He doesn’t use underhand tactics, and he never conceals his thoughts. We appreciate his emphasis on results. He calls it making a deal in the broad sense of the word. • We would like to maintain the current dialogue between our Presidents, Foreign Ministers, national security aides, and special envoys of the two Presidents, as well as communication via other channels. We see that the American side wants this too. • All these Europeans made no secret of their previous and ongoing public efforts to dissuade US leadership from pursuing any constructive measures towards Russia within the context of the Ukrainian crisis. They seek to drag the United States back onto the treacherous path it followed under Joe Biden, when this was “Joe Biden’s war.” The Europeans are determined to make it “Donald Trump’s war” as well. They do not conceal this. • President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made it clear that, ultimately, a sustainable agreement means a compromise. We are prepared to seek a compromise provided that our legitimate security interests and the legitimate interests of the Russian people in Ukraine are ensured just as the legitimate interests of other parties to such an agreement are. • The Trump administration recognises the importance of NATO-related issues. They’ve stated it publicly. There’s an understanding that the referenda in Crimea and other territories cannot be ignored. Any potential agreement must take the outcomes of these referenda into account. • Undoubtedly, they seek to impede any agreement – they oppose a settlement that would terminate their protracted endeavours to transform Ukraine into a perpetual irritant, if not an explicit threat, to the Russian Federation. That is obvious. • The war in Ukraine which the West has organised against us has proved that the Euro-Atlantic concepts have not lived up to the promises made during their creation. • President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated: we have never had, do not have, and will never have any plans to attack any NATO or EU country. Since 2008, we have tabled documents guaranteeing indivisible security and ensuring that no country enhances its security at the expense of others. This was endorsed by all parties within OSCE summits. • The new emerging economies continue to assert themselves. All forecasts point to this being a long-term and sustainable trend. <...> There is unity both within #BRICS and within the #SCO. We reject domination and diktat, and advocate for indivisible security across all regions. • We have our own military-political alliances, primarily the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The CSTO and the SCO also have a strong military-political dimension related to ensuring the security of member states. None of these formats ever sought to be hostile towards anyone. • President Putin advanced the initiative for creating a continental Eurasian security architecture in 2024, starting with joining the efforts and launching dialogue between subregional integration organisations and gradually moving towards a continental agreement. Read in full

⚡️BRICS Joint Statement on the Escalation of the Security Situation in the Middle East Following the Military Strikes on the Territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran (June 24, 2025) 📃 We express grave concern over the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East. In the face of rising tensions with unpredictable consequences for international peace and security, as well as for the world economy, we underscore the urgent need to break the cycle of violence and restore peace. We call on all parties to engage through existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy, with a view to de-escalating the situation and resolving their differences through peaceful means. ☝️ We express serious concern over any attacks against peaceful nuclear installations, which are carried out in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear safeguards, safety and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and environment from harm. In this context, we reiterate our support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing regional challenges. Civilian lives must be protected, and civilian infrastructure must be safeguarded, in full compliance with international humanitarian law. We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and express our solidarity with civilians affected. Guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, #BRICS remains committed to promoting international peace and security and to fostering diplomacy and peaceful dialogue as the only sustainable path toward long-term stability in the region. In this regard, we also reaffirm the necessity of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in line with relevant international resolutions. ❗️ We call upon the international community to support and facilitate dialogue processes, uphold international law, and contribute constructively to peaceful settlements of disputes for the benefit of all humanity. BRICS countries will remain seized of the matter.

✍️ Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’sarticle"Russia and Venezuela: Friendship and Partnership Spanning Years and Kilometres"for Cancilleria, a Venezuelan Foreign Ministry publication (March 14, 2025) READ IN FULL 🇷🇺🇻🇪 March 14 is an important date for Russia and Venezuela as they mark 80 years of diplomatic relations. Over the decades, the relations between our two countries enjoyed an upward momentum, adding mutually beneficial cooperation and trust-based dialogue rooted in our convergent political, spiritual and moral tenets to the bonds of friendship and mutual sympathy between our nations. This relationship evolved into a strategic partnership at the turn of the century. It hinges on our unwavering commitment to the principles and values of equality, mutual trust, non-interference in one another's domestic affairs, as well as supporting each other in matters related to respecting sovereignty and promoting national interests. <...> March 1945 marks the latest landmark event, and reference point, in the diplomatic relations between Moscow and Caracas. This is when the two countries established regular political dialogue and started exchanging delegations, expanding trade, while also promoting contacts in culture and research. <...> Today, Russian-Venezuelan relations are developing on a firm basis of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which was signed in 1996, and a common foreign policy philosophy focused on establishing and protecting national sovereignty and maintaining a balance of interests in international relations. Our countries are committed to the creation of a more just polycentric world order based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and as a whole, and the right of nations to independently determine their paths and models of political and socioeconomic development 👉#UNCharterIsOurRules Our countries reject Western diktat and hegemonic actions. They are working closely together against the modern practices of colonialism, and are in the vanguard of fighting against any manifestations of racism, xenophobia and neo-Nazism. We preserve our historical memory and protect our nations’ heritage from the attempts to falsify history undertaken by those who would benefit from forgetting or distorting the facts of aggression and genocide. ❗️ We are grateful to our Bolivarian friends for their understanding of the causes and goals of the special military operation in Ukraine. <...> Russia and Venezuela stand together in defence of the principles and norms of international law on multilateral platforms. They are acting together to derail the attempts of a narrow group of Western states to impose their rules-based order on the international community. <...> We attach great importance to the further strengthening of our cooperation to stabilise the global energy market, including within OPEC+ and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. We value Venezuela’s interest in deepening cooperation with #BRICS – a group of counties advancing the interests of the Global South and East, and a pillar of the multipolar world order. We commend Caracas’s vigorous role in consolidating centripetal trends across Latin America and the Caribbean. Venezuela stands as the epicentre for progressive leftist forces on the continent. We acknowledge with appreciation its support for Russia’s efforts to expand collaboration with the region. <...> 🤝 Based on the experience we have accumulated in our relations and by being creative in building on this legacy, we reaffirm our commitment to further strengthening our friendship and promoting lasting, stable, predictable ties. We look to the future with optimism. We are certain that our bilateral relations will keep expanding into new domains, while our alliance on the foreign policy front will enable us to achieve our objectives. Celebrations of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and in WWII will definitely mark a major milestone in our bilateral agenda. #RussiaVenezuela

✉️ President of Russia Vladimir Putincongratulated current staff and veterans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on their professional holiday, Diplomatic Worker's Day. The message reads, in part: ✍️ The Russian Foreign Ministry can be justly proud of its rich and glorious history. Its employees have always served the Motherland with honour, displaying civic courage, exceptional professionalism and dedication to duty. Continuing these traditions with dignity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the current challenging international environment, firmly and consistently defends Russia's legitimate national interests. It ensures effective cooperation with the global majority states in order to build a just multipolar world order based on mutual respect, the rule of international law, and the principles of equal and indivisible security. This is evidenced, in particular, by the productive work of the Russian chairmanship in #BRICS and the success of the Group’s Summit in Kazan. There is no doubt that in the year of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory Russian diplomats will continue their active efforts in opposing any attempts to falsify history, manifestations of neo-Nazism, Russophobia and other forms of discrimination based on ethnic or religious grounds. Moreover, protecting the rights of our compatriots abroad remains a priority. I am confident that the close-knit Foreign Ministry team will continue to work with utmost dedication, contributing to the strengthening of Russia's international standing. I sincerely wish all employees of the Ministry's central office and diplomatic missions abroad continued success, and to the veterans of the diplomatic service good health, high spirits and longevity.

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putinsummed up the results of the year and answered questions from journalists and the people of Russia in a live broadcast (December 19, 2024) #Sovereignty • Russia has become significantly stronger. We are becoming a truly sovereign country. We are capable of firmly standing on our feet when it comes to the economy. We are strengthening our defence capability. • Sovereignty is extremely important. It comes from within, should be embedded in the heart itself. #RussianEconomy • The situation in Russian economy is stable and solid. We are growing in spite of any external threats or attempts at outside influence. • International financial and economic institutions ranked Russia as Europe’sbiggest economy in terms of volume, in terms of purchasing power parity, and the world’s 4th largest economy. #UkrainianCrisis • If one were to look at the situation in 2022, knowing what is happening now, I would think the early 2022 decision [to start the special military operation] should have been made sooner. • We are ready to engage in dialogue without any preconditions. However, as I have mentioned numerous times before, based on the agreements that we reached during the negotiation process in Istanbul at the end of 2022 and proceeding from the current realities on the ground. • There is no indication in the Ukrainian constitution that the president's powers сould be extended. If one takes part in elections and becomes legitimate, then we will talk to that person, even if it's Zelensky. #Syria • Our position firmly aligns with international law and the sovereignty of all nations, including respect for Syria’s territorial integrity. This extends to supporting the stance of the current authorities governing the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. • The main beneficiary of the developments in Syria is Israel. Russia condemns the seizure of Syrian territories. Our position on this matter is clear and unchanging. #NuclearDoctrine • [In the new Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence] we are talking about some new military hazards that may grow into military threats. • If non-nuclear states threaten our existence, participate in an aggression against the Russian Federation alongside the countries that have nuclear weapons, we consider ourselves entitled to use nuclear weapons vs them. • If similar threats are posed to Belarus, our ally and member of the Union State, the Russian Federation will consider these threats as threats to Russia. And we will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus. #Oreshnik • Medium-range Oreshnik missile system is a modern, a brand new weapon which can strike targets located up to 5'500 km away. • Our missile needs a few seconds to start dispensing warheads There is no chance of shooting down these missiles. #BRICS • BRICS is not a tool for countering the West. We focus on our own interests and the interests of the group’s member countries. • Ensuring reciprocity, mutual respect and respecting each other’s interests have been our core guiding principles in this effort. We adopt all decisions by consensus. #RussiaChina • Everything [Russia and China] do in relation to each other and how we do it is based on absolute trust to policies of both Sides. We engage in nothing that contradicts our interests, and we do much that benefits both the Chinese people and the peoples of the Russian Federation. <...> The bilateral trade volume is estimated at $220-240 billion, and it continues to grow. #RussiaUSA • I don’t know when we will meet [with Donald Trump]. I haven't spoken to him for more than four years. I’m ready to talk any time and will be ready to meet with him. #Victory80 • We will be happy to see all those who wish to visit our country to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazism. • The losses of the US and Britain in World War II are incomparable to those of the Soviet Union. Their contribution varied, yet we all the same cherish their participation. Read in full

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the newspaper "Arguments and Facts" (October 21, 2024) Key Points: #BRICS • BRICS epitomises the shifts that have long been underway in the global economy. New centres of economic growth are emerging, and alongside them comes financial influence, which in turn brings political influence. • BRICS is a consortium where no single nation leads or is led, devoid of the bureaucratic machinery akin to that observed in Brussels, where EU officials impose decisions that contravene the will and interests of several member states, failing to align with the aspirations of voters across many countries. • BRICS does not stand in opposition to any entity, nor does it orchestrate operations or initiate projects. BRICS is committed to enhancing the combined potential of its nations and devising collaborative strategies for harnessing these potentials for mutual benefit. • What makes BRICS and other World Majority or Global East associations that do not include Western countries stand out, is that they are not created for the purpose of struggling or fighting with anyone. They are established to collectively benefit from their competitive advantages such as geographical location, shared history, cultural and humanitarian proximity <...>. #USA • The US is unwilling to relinquish the reins of power that they have held since World War II through the Bretton Woods institutions and through the role assigned to the US dollar in the international monetary system, even after free exchange of US dollars for gold had been cancelled. • The key goal of the US ruling class is to make sure no one can undermine their dominance. This goal is illusory. The historical process is objectively heading in a different direction, and this has to be reckoned with. • We are ready to interact with any administration voted in by the American people, but only if such a dialogue is mutually respectful, and both parties listen and hear what the other party has to say. #Ukraine • On multiple occasions, European leaders from Brussels have repeatedly made it clear that they must support Ukraine for as long as it takes, because Ukraine is fighting for the European values. • It turns out that European leaders are still willing to uphold Nazi values, which is why denazification is not just a motto, but an objective of utmost importance. #UN • The United Nations is not a valiant knight expected to “charge in and extinguish the fire” upon witnessing injustice. The UN is an assembly of its member states, each with established rules, including the Security Council's veto rights. The United States has effectively exercised this right five times over the past year, blocking a resolution proposed by several countries, including Russia, demanding an immediate ceasefire. <...> Presently, the United States is taking every measure to avoid antagonising Israel. • Nations such as India, Brazil, and African representatives should have long held permanent seats on the Security Council. This is essential to ensure representation of the World Majority. #Finland#Sweden#NATO • The zeal that the Finns and Swedes are showing in NATO, advocating for defeating Russia, is not only rooted in their historical instincts. They are also eager to show their Big Brothers in the North Atlantic Alliance that they have brought added value <...>. • I am confident that reasonable people in Europe, who have learned the lessons taught by history, see this too, including in Finland and Sweden. #Europe • To reiterate, the so-called right-wing conservatives are loyal to their countries and their people. We will engage with anyone who approaches us with a proposal to talk, to seek common ground, and to think about how we can jointly make the lives of our citizens better. #EurasianSecurity • We suggest discussing the Eurasian continent-wide security architecture, emphasising the fact that its doors will be open to everyone, including countries from the West of the Eurasian continent. Read in full(Telegraph)

#Opinion ✍️Dmitry Trenin, a research professor at the Higher School of Economics and a lead research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, member of the Russian International Affairs Council. Europe will eventually have to choose between the US and BRICS Read in full Key points: 💬 Rather than setting out to organize a genuine multipolar system based on mutual recognition of each nation’s core interests, <...> the US proceeded to enhance its exclusive and comprehensive dominance. • This year, at the #BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan, the group will for the first time include the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Another major Eurasian institution is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) <...> to be admitted soon. A number of other Eurasian countries, from Turkey to Thailand and from the Malpes to Mongolia, have voiced their intention to join either BRICS or SCO. • To counter that trend among the members of what we increasingly call the World Majority, Washington has raised the profile of NATO in the Indo-Pacific; strengthened its Cold War-era bilateral and trilateral alliances in the Western Pacific, and founded a new one, #AUKUS, in the South Pacific. ❗️ All these multiple arrangements are completely dominated by the US and are aimed at containing and deterring Washington’s designated primary adversaries: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – with one overriding goal of defending America’s hegemonic position. • In contrast to that, neither BRICS nor the SCO is dominated by a single power, or a tandem/triumvirate of nations. BRICS’s recent expansion also suggests that it does not aspire to become a version of the West’s G7, as an elitist steering group, or directoire, for the non-Western world. • Neither BRICS nor the SCO is overtly anti-American or anti-Western: their main focus is internal rather than external, and they have their work cut out for them. • The emerging mutual security space within the SCO will make the continent – minus Western Europe, for the time being – far more stable, whether in terms of strategic stability in major-power relations, regional security systems, or the risks of terrorism. ☝️ Eventually, the countries of Western Europe – or far western Eurasia, if you like – will have to make a choice between staying in the US orbit as America’s power continues to shrink, or reaching out east to a vast and vibrant new world next door.

✍️ Russia's President Vladimir Putin sent greeting to the participants, organisers, and guests of the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will take place in St Petersburg on June 5–8, 2024 (May 27, 2024) ✉️ For more than a quarter of a century, the Forum has provided an opportunity for politicians, experts, business leaders, academics, and media professionals from around the world to hold in-depth discussions on key economic development trends in Russia and the world. Participants in plenary sessions, roundtables and panel discussions exchange views on ways to promote international cooperation, encourage scientific and technological progress and the development of human capital, and to effectively tackle the challenges we face. The theme of the current meeting, The Foundations of a Multipolar World – The Formation of New Areas of Growth, is highly relevant and meaningful. A growing part of the international community is in favour of building a just and democratic system of international relations based on the principles of genuine equality, consideration for each other’s legitimate interests, and respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity of nations. It is precisely these principles that underpin the activities of #BRICS, which Russia is chairing this year. It is symbolic that the history of this dynamically developing association, whose members already account for more than a third of the global economy, began at the 10th St Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2006. 🤝 Our country is open to constructive dialogue and interaction with partners and is ready to work together to address the economic, social, scientific and technological challenges of our time. I am confident that the Forum will jump-start new and promising initiatives and projects, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries and peoples. #SPIEF2024

📰 Aide to the President of Russia for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov's interview with TASS(March 5, 2024) Key talking points: 💬 Cooperation within #BRICS is undoubtedly one of the key features of Russia's long-term foreign policy. • Russia, as the current president of the organization, has a special responsibility to ensure the fastest and smoothest integration of the new members into the operation of all BRICS mechanisms. This is undoubtedly a cornerstone and high priority task of our Presidency. • In the relatively short period of its existence, the BRICS association has rapidly developed and transformed into an extensive multi-level mechanism of interaction on a wide range of issues on the global agenda. 🌐 Many perceive BRICS as a prototype of multipolarity, a structure uniting the Global South and East on the principles of equality, sovereignty and mutual respect. • Support for the principles of multipolarity and a greater role of developing countries in global governance, as well as the fundamental values of the BRICS group, such as the spirit of equality, mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness and constructive cooperation, is an indispensable condition [for joining BRICS]. • We see increasing the role of BRICS counties in the international currency and financial system as a specific task for this year. <...> We believe that creating an independent BRICS payment system is an important goal for the future. • There has never been a military aspect to cooperation within our group. <...> BRICS does not have plans to build such cooperation, including military drills. ☝️ Russia has never set BRICS in opposition to other international platforms, be it the Group of 20 or the Group of Seven. We believe that the association is unique. • The recipe for BRICS’ attractiveness and success is based on the absence of a confrontational or “hidden” agenda. I will repeat that it brings together like-minded countries. Read in full