Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🎙Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova regarding the remarks of US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on US “space dominance” (March 19, 2026) 💬 The US policy in the field of space exploration and space security is becoming increasingly aggressive. Officials in Washington openly declare ambitions to achieve military dominance in outer space. A vivid example is the remarks by the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, delivered during his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour of US defense enterprises. In particular, the ambitious goal of ensuring absolute and unquestionable US dominance in outer space has been set. Outer space is declared as “the single most decisive battlefield of this century and centuries to come”, the fight for which becomes “the fight for the future of the world”. According to Washington, “whoever controls the high ground controls the fight”. At the same time, the possibility of “orbital equity” or “parity” of states is categorically rejected. Thus, this confirms our concerns regarding the rapidly deteriorating situation in the field of space security and the increasing risk of outer space being transformed into an arena of armed confrontation. One can clearly see Washington’s determination to promptly implement dangerous doctrinal principles. Space supremacy is regarded by the US as a guarantee of achieving advantage in any conflict against any potential enemy. The US plans to deploy weapon systems in outer space are beginning to take real shape. It is clear that such actions should not remain without a response from the international community. The implementation by Washington of its course to deploy and build up force capabilities in near-Earth orbit could lead to an arms race in outer space, as well as undermine global security and strategic stability. ❗️ At the same time, the US ignores the obvious: any armed conflict in orbit will have catastrophic consequences for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and prospects for space exploration for all states without exception. We have not yet passed “the point of no return” in keeping outer space peaceful and free of weapons and conflicts. Much depends on urgent and coordinated actions of the international community. Today, initiatives on the prevention of an arms race in outer space (#PAROS), primarily on elaborating a relevant international legally binding instrument, are more in demand than ever. The Russian-Chinese draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, as well as the threat or use of force against outer space objects, can serve as its basis. An important intermediate step towards such a legally binding instrument on PAROS is the international initiative/political commitment of “No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space”, which already comprises 37 states. ☝️We will continue constructive efforts to enhance space security in the interests of all humankind.

🇷🇺🇮🇳On March 18, Russia-India inter-MFA consultations on consular issues took place in New Delhi. The discussions focused on prospects for further visa liberalization, the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens of both countries, as well as the functioning of foreign missions. The consultations were held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere. The Sides confirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation across the full range of issues. 🤝It was agreed to hold the next round of consular consultations in Moscow in 2027. #RussiaIndia #DruzhbaDosti

⚡️On March 19, RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida Sbeity received shrapnel injuries in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. Both are conscious and currently receiving medical treatment. 💬Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova: In light of the hundreds of journalists killed in Gaza, today's attack cannot be described as accidental. Moreover, the missile did not strike a “key strategic military facility”, but the site of a news report. We wish the RT journalists a speedy recovery. We expect a response from international organizations. *** 💬 Russian Delegation to UNESCO: A targeted missile strike hit journalists in press uniforms while they were filming a report. We call on #UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enani, in accordance with relevant decisions of the General Conference and Executive Board on Safety of Journalists, to condemn this crime.

⚡️Russia's EMERCOM: On March 19, a special flight of Russia's EMERCOM delivered humanitarian aid to the Republic of #Mozambique. By decision of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, following instructions from the Government of Russia and on the orders of EMERCOM Head Alexander Kurenkov, around 29 tonnes of humanitarian cargo were transported from Moscow. 🛬 An Il-76 aircraft delivered food, essential supplies, as well as tents and blankets for flood-affected communities in the African republic. #RussiaHelps

💬Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova: Former UK Prime MinisterJohn Major, speaking at King’s College London, strongly criticized the US-Israel military operation against Iran, saying: “There was no diplomatic attempt to obtain a UN resolution to give legality to the war”. Apparently, John Major has conveniently forgotten how, in 2003, he told the BBC that the US-UK invasion of Iraq was about “restoring normal life” in the country – despite the absence of any UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force. Yes, the Anglo-Saxons did try to “secure” backing of the Council. But he seems to have also forgotten the disgraceful spectacle of Colin Powell at the UN, waving a vial of white powder as “proof” of Iraq’s alleged WMDs. And now, criticizing US-Israeli aggression against Iran, he would have us believe this has never happened before? No – this is a case of “ah, golly – here we go again”. What staggering hypocrisy.

🇷🇺🇨🇭✉️ On March 18, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassisexchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

#Announcement 🗓On May 12-17, 2026, the International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” will take place at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre. The Forum is one of the largest international platforms for interaction between Russia and the countries of the Islamic world. Over the years, the number of participants has grown from 250 representatives of 18 countries in 2009 to more than 22,000 participants from nearly 100 states, including government officials, heads of international organisations, business leaders and experts from across the globe. The Forum is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Marat Khusnullin and is held with the support of the Federation Council of Russia and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan. The event is organised by the Roscongress Foundation, with the ANO Directorate of Sports and Social Projects serving as the executive directorate. The Forum’s mission is to strengthen economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (#OIC), as well as to promote the development of Islamic finance institutions and investment cooperation. ✍️Key focus areas include: • prospects for trade and economic partnership • investment projects • infrastructure development • new mechanisms of interaction between business and government The Forum's programme features a wide range of thematic tracks, covering international cooperation, industrial dialogue and transport, as well as Islamic finance, the halal industry, tourism and healthcare. Dedicated sessions will also address youth diplomacy, entrepreneurship, education, culture and the role of women in the economy. The working languages of the Forum are Russian, English and Arabic. The Forum's Plenary Session will be held in Russian, English, Arabic and French. 👉Learn more 👉Registration

🇷🇺 Marking the 12th anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, young participants of the Children of the Crimean Spring project, implemented with the support of the Government of the Republic of Crimea and the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, have prepared a themed photo exhibition: 🤍💙❤️Harmony of Cultures: Born during the Crimean Spring The project was initiated by 12-year-old Crimean children born during the Crimean Spring, whose childhood has been closely connected with the revival of their homeland. The exhibition also highlights the peninsula’s ethnic and cultural diversity. It was the unity of Crimea’s people of different ethnicities, brought together by a shared purpose, that helped Crimea return home #OnThisDay, 12 years ago. ✍️ Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov: During the all-crimean referendum on March 16, 2014, the crimeans chose the path of peace, unity and creation. We made this choice not only for ourselves, but also for our children and grandchildren. Today, we are doing everything so that their childhood would be filled with happiness and lots of opportunities for development and self-realization, and at the same time we are fostering in them love for our Motherland, a sense of responsibility for its future. 🕊 This project is a heartfelt message from a generation born alongside a new era for Crimea – a new world. #CrimeaIsRussia

🇷🇺🇹🇱 On March 17, 2026, Ambassador of Russia to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Sergei Tolchenov and Military Attaché Maxim Lukyanov met with Minister of Defense of Timor-Leste Domingos Gomes. ✅ During the discussion, the sides addressed issues related to the further development of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Timor-Leste. 🤝 Both parties expressed mutual interest in deepening interaction and expanding contacts between the defense ministries of the two countries. 📍Dili

#InMemoryOfDiplomats#InMemoriam 🗓 On March 18, 1856, an outstanding diplomat, Aleksander Izvolsky, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire in 1906-1910, was born in Moscow. In 1875, he graduated from the famous Alexandrosvky Lyceum and entered service in the Chancellery of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 📍 In 1876, Izvolsky was appointed to the Russian mission in Rome. He subsequently worked at theConsulate General in Eastern Rumelia (an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire, effectively under Bulgarian control), as well as at the Embassies in Romania and the United States. From 1894 to 1897, he served as Minister-Resident to the Holy See; from 1897 to 1906, he was envoy to Serbia, Bavaria, Japan, and Denmark. In 1906, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Izvolsky regarded the main task of foreign policy as stabilizing the country’s international position, restoring its military and political potential, and concluding bilateral agreements with the great powers. In a report to Emperor Nicholas II on negotiations with European statesmen dated November 6, 1907, the Minister noted: “Russia’s temporary weakening in the international arena, as a result of the revolutionary movement and the diversion of our military forces to the Far Eastern war, has exposed the European balance to very serious dangers and has led to a regrouping of powers dangerous for the preservation of general peace.” Izvolsky secured the signing of the Anglo-Russian and Russo-Japanese agreements, which delineated spheres of influence between Russia and Britain in Central Asia and with Japan in the Far East. He also sought to intensify Russia’s policy in the Balkans and to change the status of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. In 1910, he continued his diplomatic service as Ambassador to France. Recognizing the inevitability of a pan-European war, he contributed to the political and military consolidation of the Entente both on the eve of and during the First World War. A year after his resignation, in July 1911, he wrote to Pyotr Stolypin: “I can say in good conscience that I placed Russia in more advantageous conditions than those in which it stood before me, provided it with all the points of support that could be found, and safeguarded it from all contingencies in the Far and Middle East.” #HistoryOfDiplomacy

❗️ANNOUNCEMENT❗️ 🇷🇺🇺🇳On March 25, 2026, a briefing "On violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Ukraine" will be organized by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva on the margins of the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council. 🎙Speaker:Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large, Russian MFA. 📆Date:March 25, 2026. 🕛Time: 15:00 - 16:00 hrs. 📍Place: Russian Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva(Avenue de la Paix,15). ▪️Twelve years ago, the world witnessed an unconstitutional coup in Ukraine and saw representatives of radical nationalist forces openly supporting a neo-Nazi ideology rise to power in Kiev. Since April 2014, following the announcement of the so-called «anti-terrorist operation» in the east and south-east of the country, the Kiev authorities have launched a war against their own Russian-speaking population. Hundreds of civilians have been subjected to torture, beatings, abuse, killings, sexual assaults and other atrocities. Civilian infrastructure and entire settlements are being attacked on a daily basis. Serious and gross violations of International Human Rights Law were committed, International Humanitarian Law provisions were violated. ▪️The briefing shall provide facts and documented evidence of these gross violations of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law obligations by Ukraine. 📝 REGISTRATION: [email protected] ❗️Attention! Registration ends March 23, 2026.

🤦 In recent years, Western politicians have repeatedly insisted upon the "effectiveness" of sanctions against Russia. At the end of last month, the Foreign Office claimed that “Russia’s economy has stagnated and its revenue streams have been in freefall…” However, the real data tell a markedly different story: the sanctions are, above all, undermining the economies of those who imposed them. According to an analysis by Philip Pilkington, a macroeconomist and senior research fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, sanctions have triggered a surge in energy prices particularly in Europe. Aggregate energy costs for businesses and industrial companies are now 2.5 times higher than in the United States. British government data indicates that energy prices have risen two to threefold compared with the pre-sanctions period. Meanwhile, the energy crisis set in motion by London and Brussels has cost Britain and the EU some $1.8 trillion, according to estimates by the Transition Security Project. Over the past four years, Europe has already lost 5.4 million jobs, with the services sector being hit harder than industry. GDP losses are estimated at €388.9 billion, equivalent to around 2 per cent of output. Moreover, many Europeans are struggling to afford adequate heating and to pay their utility bills, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis. British companies operating in Russia have also sustained a significant blow as a result of London’s short-sighted policy. Their losses are estimated to be between £43 billion and £58 billion [...] Against a backdrop of mounting concern in energy markets, it may be concluded that the EU and the UK would have faced a far lesser impact had their leaders not pursued a destructive sanctions policy. ☝️ At the same time, sanctions have failed to achieve their stated aim: Russia's economy remains resilient, while the EU and the UK face the prospect of deepening deindustrialisation and declining living standards. In effect, the sanctions "boomerang" is hitting back at its originators, eroding Europe's competitiveness. Instead of reconsidering this policy, Western leaders persist in enforcing it, at the expense of their citizens' prosperity. Read in full