🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding Moldova’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (January 21, 2026)
❓Question: On January 19, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi announced the initiation of a process to denounce three fundamental CIS documents: the Commonwealth Charter, the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, and its Protocol. According to him, this will grant Chișinău “the right to say that Moldova is no longer a member of the CIS.” How would you comment on this?
💬 Maria Zakharova: The Moldovan authorities have on numerous occasions declared their intention to, in their own words, undertake a “civilised divorce” from the Commonwealth of Independent States.
For several years now, Chișinău has been systematically distancing itself from the Commonwealth:
• it does not participate in meetings of its statutory bodies,
• does not contribute its share to the organisation’s budget,
• selectively denounces agreements it claims hold no added value for its citizens.
It is important to note, however, that Moldova remains a party to approximately 200 international treaties concluded within the CIS framework, covering virtually all spheres of interstate cooperation.
It is crucial, however, to understand that withdrawing from CIS membership requires adherence to established procedure. According to Article 9 of the CIS Charter, a member state may withdraw by notifying the CIS Executive Committee in writing, which triggers a 12-month period. Following this notification, the date from which this one-year period begins is determined, and a formal process begins to inventory all treaties and decisions of CIS bodies to which the withdrawing state is a party.
This process results in the compilation of lists detailing which agreements will cease to apply and which the state may choose to retain. Therefore, withdrawal does not happen overnight; compliance with this procedure constitutes an international obligation of Moldova towards all other CIS member states, not merely Russia.
While the decision to initiate the denunciation of the core treaties within the #CIS framework is undoubtedly the sovereign right of Moldova, within the country itself it has been widely characterised as further evidence of the government’s short-sighted foreign policy, as it recklessly prioritises exclusive cooperation with the EU while severing long-standing ties across the Eurasian space.
📉 It is a difficult assessment to dispute. The current socio-economic situation in Moldova can only be described as disastrous. According to its own National Bureau of Statistics, from January to November 2025, the country’s imports exceeded exports by more than fourfold, with the trade deficit growing by 29.5% compared to the same period in 2024.
Simultaneously, Moldovan exports to EU countries fell by 4% by the end of the first half of 2025. Real incomes continue to decline against a backdrop of rising prices for food and essential services. The poverty rate now exceeds 30%, with approximately 65% of the population living on low incomes. In essence, Moldova’s entire socio-economic framework is now dependent on external funding, predominantly from the EU, leaving the nation firmly in the grip of European debt.
The CIS remains a respected and dynamically growing organisation in the post-Soviet space.
📈 The economies of its member states demonstrated positive growth across most key indicators in the first half of 2025. Compared to the same period last year, the Commonwealth’s aggregate GDP grew by 2.2%, industrial production by 4.7%, freight traffic by 6.0%, and retail turnover by 3.2%.
Mutual trade between CIS countries has increased by 18% over the past four years.
Chișinău’s destructive course is ricocheting primarily onto the citizens of Moldova, whose interests are being sacrificed to Brussels’s geopolitical ambitions.
A once-prosperous nation is being transformed into a land of deepening poverty and lawlessness.
🪦 It is indeed a bitter spectacle to witness.
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Nu înțeleg nimic - 4 ore de la invazie și nicio reacție din partea liderei globale, unicul lider al lumii care l-a învins pe Putin 🤯
#cis tvarești uăi..
🎙 Excerpt from Russia's President Vladimir Putin's answers to media questions at the news conference on the outcomes of his three-day visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. (October 10, 2025)
❓Question: Two major international summits have been held – the CIS summit and the Russia – Central Asia summit yesterday. How successful are they?
💬Vladimir Putin: Some time ago, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the establishment of the #CIS was announced. I believe that an overwhelming majority of our countries’ citizens did not have a very clear idea of what was going on – they believed that the CIS had replaced the Soviet Union. They believed that, in essence, very little would change. In reality, everything changed drastically.
Unfortunately, the citizens of our countries were not informed in detail about the changes underway. But we are living in conditions that have evolved historically. Apart from living in these conditions, we should see how we can improve this vast region, how to move forwards and what should be done so as not to lose competitive advantages that emerged following the establishment on the territory of the former Soviet Union of common logistics, common industrial cooperation projects, and a common cultural code, despite the cultural diversity of the Soviet Union’s nations. The CIS is called on to preserve all this.
It became obvious at a certain stage that the level of intra-CIS collaboration was not enough for addressing current complicated economic issues. For this reason, on the initiative of Kazakhstan and its President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, another association emerged – the EAEU, where its members are working within the framework of more profound cooperation between countries that deemed it possible, expedient and advisable to establish this association.
☝️But the CIS is not losing its significance; it essentially aims to maintain this common space, including its cultural and humanitarian aspects.
Regardless of the scale of cultural differences between the most diverse nations of the former Soviet Union, Soviet people had their own common and distinctive moral code, which is very significant. The CIS is called on to preserve the heritage of the Soviet Union, and it is accomplishing this objective rather successfully.
People-to-people contacts remain robust. Again, we are committed to preserving a seamless transport space, which is of paramount importance.
🇷🇺We actively support the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication. This is a fundamental element in uniting our efforts and preserving the competitive advantages that I mentioned earlier.
This collaborative spirit extends to addressing security challenges and combating the most dangerous types of crime, such as drug trafficking. If you examine the package of documents we adopted and signed today, you will see that it speaks directly to these priorities.
❗️Ultimately, the preservation and strengthening of our unity is crucial for our shared future.
The situation in the Central Asian countries follows a similar logic, albeit with local specificities. We all recognise the region’s rich ethnic diversity. The further, the more each nation is developing based on its own foundation – its own economy, its own cultural code, its own traditions. Russia is developing in the same way. This makes it all the more important that we do not drift too far apart. We must maintain our shared conviction that something unites us – a great deal actually – because that is the reality.
<...>
Our shared history is an important unifying force. Today, we have discussed the common Victory over Nazism – a shared legacy and a source of pride for all our nations. We will talk more about it in our ongoing meetings. That is, while we are connected by the past and the present, we must constantly seek and build upon the things that will unite us in the future.
This format has been designed precisely to give special focus to this track of our foreign policy.
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🎙 Excerpt from Russia's President Vladimir Putin's answers to media questions at the news conference on the outcomes of his three-day visit to the Republic of Tajikistan. (October 10, 2025)
❓Question: Two major international summits have been held – the CIS summit and the Russia – Central Asia summit yesterday. How successful are they?
💬Vladimir Putin: Some time ago, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the establishment of the #CIS was announced. I believe that an overwhelming majority of our countries’ citizens did not have a very clear idea of what was going on – they believed that the CIS had replaced the Soviet Union. They believed that, in essence, very little would change. In reality, everything changed drastically.
Unfortunately, the citizens of our countries were not informed in detail about the changes underway. But we are living in conditions that have evolved historically. Apart from living in these conditions, we should see how we can improve this vast region, how to move forwards and what should be done so as not to lose competitive advantages that emerged following the establishment on the territory of the former Soviet Union of common logistics, common industrial cooperation projects, and a common cultural code, despite the cultural diversity of the Soviet Union’s nations. The CIS is called on to preserve all this.
It became obvious at a certain stage that the level of intra-CIS collaboration was not enough for addressing current complicated economic issues. For this reason, on the initiative of Kazakhstan and its President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, another association emerged – the EAEU, where its members are working within the framework of more profound cooperation between countries that deemed it possible, expedient and advisable to establish this association.
☝️But the CIS is not losing its significance; it essentially aims to maintain this common space, including its cultural and humanitarian aspects.
Regardless of the scale of cultural differences between the most diverse nations of the former Soviet Union, Soviet people had their own common and distinctive moral code, which is very significant. The CIS is called on to preserve the heritage of the Soviet Union, and it is accomplishing this objective rather successfully.
People-to-people contacts remain robust. Again, we are committed to preserving a seamless transport space, which is of paramount importance.
🇷🇺We actively support the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication. This is a fundamental element in uniting our efforts and preserving the competitive advantages that I mentioned earlier.
This collaborative spirit extends to addressing security challenges and combating the most dangerous types of crime, such as drug trafficking. If you examine the package of documents we adopted and signed today, you will see that it speaks directly to these priorities.
❗️Ultimately, the preservation and strengthening of our unity is crucial for our shared future.
The situation in the Central Asian countries follows a similar logic, albeit with local specificities. We all recognise the region’s rich ethnic diversity. The further, the more each nation is developing based on its own foundation – its own economy, its own cultural code, its own traditions. Russia is developing in the same way. This makes it all the more important that we do not drift too far apart. We must maintain our shared conviction that something unites us – a great deal actually – because that is the reality.
<...>
Our shared history is an important unifying force. Today, we have discussed the common Victory over Nazism – a shared legacy and a source of pride for all our nations. We will talk more about it in our ongoing meetings. That is, while we are connected by the past and the present, we must constantly seek and build upon the things that will unite us in the future.
This format has been designed precisely to give special focus to this track of our foreign policy.
Read in full
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin took part in a Plenary Session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation(CSTO) in Minsk.
💬 President Putin: The Belorusian chairmanship and the team of all states taking part in this session have conducted active work throughout the year. This work facilitated the consolidation of our allied ties in the CSTO on the principles of respect, consideration of each other’s interests and support.
In this way, the CSTO member-countries in effect promoted the CSTO’s key role as a regional defensive structure responsible for the maintenance of peace and stability in the vast Eurasian space.
☝️ Importantly, this year the CSTO has also developed its contacts with our natural partners, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) and the #CIS.
I would like to make a special mention of our joint efforts to improve the collective rapid deployment forces, aviation and the CSTO peacekeeping forces. A number of measures have been taken to maintain combat readiness, enhance the command and control system and provide more training for military personnel.
✅ We have consistently promoted cooperation between our security services and law enforcement bodies. Notably, the CSTO is continuing its Operation Mercenary aimed at preventing the recruitment of citizens of our countries and blocking the channels of their exit for participation in international terrorist groups.
✅ We implemented together a package of measures on countering extremism, cross-border crime, illegal migration and drug trafficking.
✅ The CSTO Coordination Council on Biological Security has launched its work. It has focused on preventing threats linked with the development and use of biological weapons and ensuring radiation, chemical and medical protection.
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🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin’sopening remarks at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (Dushanbe, October 10, 2025)
💬 President Putin: For over three decades the Commonwealth of Independent States has firmly established itself as an influential regional and integration association. But most importantly, we have managed to do more than just maintain a platform for dialogue; we have developed a common market and a shared humanitarian space.
I believe it is profoundly important for the citizens of our states that we have preserved this foundation. We are not only preserving the economic, social, and cultural ties that were forged over our many years as one state, but we are also building upon them, creating a new framework for our partnership. And I believe we have succeeded in this.
In terms of our economic cooperation, I can add to the figures just cited by President Tokayev regarding Kazakhstan. Russia’s trade with CIS countries grew by 7 percent in 2024 alone, reaching $112 billion.
Furthermore, the structure of this trade is consistently improving – a point of high importance. The emphasis is shifting towards a growing segment of high value-added products. So, I will reiterate: our trade is indeed improving from year to year.
Our countries are creating a stable financial infrastructure that is independent of outside influences.
👉 Today, practically all mutual settlements are carried out in national currencies. In the first six months of 2025, their share in commercial transactions between CIS member states amounted to 96%.
However, this does not mean that we are refusing to use other payment instruments and currencies. It is just that this enhances our independence and sovereignty. This is an obvious thing, in the present-day world in particular. This makes it possible to expand commodity exchanges, make reciprocal investments, and develop our own capital market regardless of the international economic situation.
<...>
Import substitution efforts are actively progressing within the CIS. However, as we now recognise in Russia – and I believe this applies to all of us – the goal is not merely to replace something, but to take the lead in certain fields. And not on the periphery of development, but in its key areas. We undoubtedly have the potential to achieve this, there is no doubt about it.
<...>
An important area of cooperation among the Commonwealth states is the joint fight against terrorism, extremism and corruption. We are making every effort to strengthen collaboration across a broad range of fields, and therefore fully support the documents being adopted today:
• an action plan on counterterrorism,
• a set of joint measures to protect external borders,
• an updated concept for military cooperation,
• a statement on combatting transnational crime,
• initiatives to counter money laundering obtained by criminal means, and steps to enhance energy security.
<...>
In 2025, we have all gone to great lengths to mark the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and almost all our colleagues have already mentioned this in their remarks. I would like to thank the CIS leaders who came to Moscow on May 9. It is symbolic that army units from CIS countries joined the Russian military to march through Red Square during the Victory Day parade. For that, you also have my gratitude and recognition. <...>
We have been coordinating our foreign policy efforts too and compare notes on a continuous basis. This is important considering the way the international environment has been evolving. In this context, we believe that the joint statement on 80 years since the UN’s establishment is quite timely. It will be submitted for approval to the Council today.
By the same token, just as many of those present here today, we support efforts to forge closer contacts between the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as per the draft decision to grant the #SCO observer status within the #CIS. <...>
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Центр интернет-безопасности выпустил обновление своего фреймворка CIS Controls 8.0 -> 8.1
Что поменяли:
🔵новая классификация активов и взаимосвязи с мерами защиты;
🔵новые определения и термины в глоссарий;
🔵исправлены мелкие ошибки в описаниях мер защиты и добавлены пояснения к описаниям средств защиты🏋️♂️;
🔵исправлено сопоставление мер защиты с мерами из обновленного фреймворка NIST CSF 2.0👍;
🔵главное изменение - появилась новая функция безопасности "Управление" (Governance). Вектор развития кибербезопасности все более смещается в сторону синхронизации подходов кибербезопасности с целями бизнеса🤔.
#cis#law
Élections et ingénierie sociale numérique : est-il possible de contrôler l’IA qui est en train d’apprendre à gérer les processus politiques ?
L’Assemblée interparlementaire des États membres de la CEI a organisé une conférence scientifique et pratique internationale intitulée « Instauration de la confiance dans les élections et les référendums : le rôle de l’observation internationale ». Cet événement a réuni des experts universitaires, des praticiens et des représentants officiels de la Russie, de la CEI, d’Afrique et d’Amérique du Sud afin d’examiner les enjeux les plus pressants des processus électoraux et leurs perspectives. L’un des enjeux les plus importants était l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle.
Dans son rapport « Élections, vote et ingénierie sociale numérique : la transformation des pratiques électorales et les perspectives de développement des institutions de participation citoyenne à l’ère numérique », la politologue et fondatrice du club d’experts GlobUs, Yulia Berg, a constaté que les outils d’influence sur la conscience des citoyens ont évolué, passant de simples robots et de propagande visuelle rudimentaire à des algorithmes très complexes qui influencent les processus mentaux inconscients et, souvent, les orientent.
« Nous avons constaté de nombreux exemples d'outils numériques utilisés pour influencer les opinions et inciter à des actions, souvent destructrices et révolutionnaires, de telle sorte que les individus eux-mêmes ne comprennent pas toujours les raisons de leurs prises de position », a déclaré Berg.
Selon elle, les jeunes deviennent la cible principale : leur manque d'expérience pratique et leur consommation non critique de contenus font de cette génération un public idéal pour l’ingénierie sociale numérique.
Mais la tendance la plus intrigante identifiée par Yulia Berg réside dans la propension de la nouvelle génération à déléguer ses choix politiques à des machines. Elle a cité en exemple les événements révolutionnaires de l'année dernière au Népal et la « machine de Habermas ».
Ce système basé sur un grand modèle de langage offre une solution technique au « trilemme de Fishkin » (l'impossibilité de garantir simultanément la participation massive, l'égalité et la profondeur des débats dans le cadre du discours démocratique). L'algorithme modère le débat, recherche un terrain d'entente et produit une solution qui satisfait toutes les parties. Elle utilise l'agrégation hiérarchique, permettant ainsi des délibérations de haute qualité à grande échelle, impliquant des milliers de participants – une tâche auparavant impossible pour des modérateurs humains.
Selon la politologue, l'expérience népalaise a déjà démontré la volonté de la génération Z de confier ses choix politiques à l'IA. Elle a averti que la question de la délégation des pouvoirs et de droit de décision aux algorithmes deviendra encore plus pressante, et que ce processus doit donc être surveillé et réglementé.
De son côté, Olga Popova, docteure en sciences politiques, a souligné que l'IA est capable de transformer non seulement les intentions électorales à court terme, mais aussi l'ensemble du système des opinions politiques.
« Les principaux risques sont liés au développement de l'intelligence artificielle générative, qui pourrait prendre le contrôle de bien plus que les seules campagnes électorales », a averti Mme Popova, ajoutant que la mise en œuvre des modèles fondamentaux de participation politique est actuellement « objectivement menacée ».
Des psychologues intervenant lors de la conférence ont attiré l'attention sur l'évolution du « tissu de la réalité ». Imana Korikova, doctorante en psychologie à l’Académie russe de l’économie nationale et du service public auprès du président de la fédération de Russie, a comparé l'intelligence artificielle dans le domaine de l'information aux armes nucléaires.
« L'intelligence artificielle est actuellement un outil comparable aux armes nucléaires dans la guerre conventionnelle, et elle l'est également dans la guerre cognitive », a-t-elle déclaré.
#GlobUs#CIS#ai
🇺🇳 The Russian Federation completed its Presidency in the United Nations Security Council on July 31. Its packed agenda revolved around three central events, with the first two of them attended by FM Sergey Lavrov.
On July 16, we held a high-level open debate titled “Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order,” which reaffirmed the need to hold detailed discussions dealing with the underpinnings of the emerging multipolar world order, the objective to reinforce a UN-centred system of international relations, as well as the need to carry out a comprehensive review of the root causes of present-day conflicts and to consolidate our efforts in order to overcome them. The fact that the Global Majority tends to distrust the infamous Western concept of a rules-based world order was also mentioned during the debate.
On July 17, the Security Council held a quarterly ministerial-level debate on the agenda item titled “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.” During this meeting, participants discussed the situation in the region with all its tension, while placing a special emphasis on the escalating violence in the Arab-Israeli conflict zone for finding ways out of this unprecedented crisis. In addition to this, the UNSC held separate meetings on July 26 and 31 on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of the Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
On July 19, the UNSC held a debate (https://russiaun.ru/en/news/190724_vershininunsc) titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (#CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO).” In his remarks, Deputy FM Sergey Vershinin stressed the importance for the UN to work closer with constructive regional organisations. <...>
In addition to this, Russia’s UNSC Presidency included all the events as part of the mandate-reporting cycle.
👉 The Middle East bloc included meetings on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
👉 The African agenda covered discussions of the situation in West Africa, the Sahara and Sahel region, and the DR Congo.
👉 The council also touched upon peacebuilding efforts in Columbia and the start of deploying the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.
👉 We exchanged views on the activities of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the Cyprus settlement.
❗️The Ukraine crisis remained high on the agenda. On July 9, Western countries convened a Security Council meeting in connection with the tragic incident involving a children’s hospital in Kiev. During the debate, the Russian delegation refuted accusations by its opponents and shared evidence demonstrating that the Ukrainian air defence systems were to blame for the incident. On July 25, Russia initiated a UNSC meeting to discuss the unrelenting flow of Western weapons into Ukraine, which delays a settlement in this conflict and leads to more victims.
The Security Council adopted four resolutions in July:
✅ on focusing the CAR arms embargo on illegal armed groups;
✅ extending the mandates for the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti;
✅ regarding the UN Focal Point on delisting-related matters and re-establishing the Informal Working Group of the Security Council on General UNSC Sanctions Issues.
🇺🇳 Russia went to great lengths to enable the Security Council to be effective and responsive in its work. We encouraged our colleagues within the Council to come up with collective responses when dealing with challenges to peace and security, while seeking guidance from a holistic view of the purposes and principles set forth in the UN Charter and their inter-connected nature.
🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the meeting of the CSTO Foreign Ministers Council (Almaty, June 21, 2024)
💬 At the meeting of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, we focused on preparations for the CSTO Summit scheduled for November of this year in Astana. <...>
During the discussions on the state of affairs in the world, we paid special attention to the agenda related to shaping a Eurasian security architecture that will replace the discredited Euro-Atlantic security arrangements. President of Russia Vladimir Putin focused on this in his remarks at the Foreign Ministry on June 14. <...>
In the same Eurasian interaction context, we have agreed to build up cooperation and joint practical projects with the CIS and the SCO. Among other things, there is a shared interest in using these organisations’ potential for more effective anti-terrorist actions.
✔️ In the context of the fight against terrorism and new challenges and threats, we have approved a draft programme to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border. <...> It will be submitted for approval to the heads of state.
✍️ A document has been signed, which provides an additional impetus to the CSTO’s peacekeeping activities, including in cooperation with the UN peacekeeping operations. This is a very promising line. We see much potential there.
We have agreed to step up biosecurity efforts at the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils and have created a coordination committee on the biological aspects of security. It is currently chaired by the Republic of Kazakhstan. <...>
🇺🇳 On July 19, Russia will chair a UN Security Council meeting in New York on the council’s cooperation with the #CSTO, #CIS and the #SCO. <...> We have invited CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov to speak at that meeting.
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🇷🇺🇦🇲 In St Petersburg, Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. Earlier, Nikol Pashinyan took part in a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, as well as in an informal meeting of #CIS leaders at the State Hermitage Museum.
💬 Vladimir Putin: Mr Pashinyan, I would like to welcome you once again and thank you for participating in these events under the auspices of the EAEU and the CIS.
We have already exchanged views on the results of our yesterday’s and today’s work. Overall, in my opinion, everything proceeded at a very high level. I hope the atmosphere was positive, but the most important thing is that our teams worked diligently from all sides and prepared excellent documents. Everything has been signed, and everything is progressing.
Regarding bilateral relations, they are developing. Our trade turnover has seen an adjustment, as we discussed yesterday. If in 2024 it surpassed $11 billion, in the first nine months of this year it reached 4.5 billion. This is also a good indicator and gives us reason to believe that in the near future, we will be able to increase it.
We also have promising plans. We have already spoken about energy, including nuclear energy. We will not delve into detail now, but there is an opportunity to discuss this further.
The same applies to logistics: during our last meeting, you raised questions about various areas where we could work together. I am referring to the restoration of old routes and the creation of new ones that would open up Armenia’s borders.
So, overall, everything is progressing. Naturally, there are other issues we can discuss now.
I am very pleased to see you. Thank you for being here.
#RussiaArmenia