Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🇷🇺🇺🇸📞On May 5, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a telephone conversation. They aligned their assessments of current international affairs and Russia-US relations, and discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts. The conversation was held in a constructive and businesslike manner. #RussiaUS

⚡️⚡️⚡️Problem of foreign reprisals against the Russian Media in the West was raised at the #WorldPressFreedomDay International Conference in Lusaka (Zambia), as the RT Chief Produсer Mr. Dmitrii Leontev raised this question at the plenary discussion on “Press Freedom, Peace, Security and Economic Development”. ☝️#RT_Leontev (addressing the speakers): “RT have been banned by all Western countries a few years ago and Western governments forced social media companies to ban us as well. Even more alarming, those Western countries openly went to African countries to say, we will sanction you if you show RT... However there are no false facts we're saying... - the Western governments simply don't like it”. 💬Permanent Representative of Russia to UNESCO R.Alyautdinov’s comment on problem, raised by RT at #WPFD: “We systematically draw attention of UNESCO Member States to one-sided politically motivated reprisals against the Russian Media in the West. On #WPFD we circulated in the Organization the recent edition of the relevant Russian MFA Report. Not only Russia, but a number of other Delegations in UNESCO are concerned with unilateral western sanctions that are aimed at uncompromisingly sanitising information space and eliminating any manifestations of dissent. We will continue raising this problem in relevant negotiations formats in order to counter western attempts to “privatize” the concept of press freedom, replacing it with the notorious “rules' based order”. 🎙 Extract from the Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on World Press Freedom Day: “We are convinced that the true value of World Press Freedom Day lies not in ceremonial speeches detached from reality or high-sounding statements tied to the date, but in the capacity and effectiveness of the entire international system to uphold this fundamental principle of the information society, without which sustainable global development and prosperity are impossible”.

#Victory81 🌟 On May 4, 1945, just two days after the Red Army took Berlin over control in the final days of #WWII, the first #VictoryParade of the Soviet was held at the very heart of the defeated Reich’s capital. Our soldiers, who heroically defeated the Nazi troops in Berlin, marched past the Reichstag with triumph and the Brandenburg Gate, which symbolised the end of Nazi Germany and the restoration of peace in Europe. More than two thousand Red Army soldiers and officers — those who had distinguished themselves in the final battles for the Nazi capital — participated in the parade. The parade was commanded by Nikolay Berzarin, Hero of the Soviet Union and the first commandant of Berlin. The soldiers and their commanders, who had crushed the resistance of the Nazi troops, marched in triumph through the very streets where the Nazis had once displayed its military power. Our soldiers and officers wore their field uniforms — the very same battle-worn coats soaked with sweat and blood from the still-healing wounds of the decisive battle of the entire #WW2. 🎖#VictoryParade held in the heart of defeated Germany became a powerful symbol of the greatest military triumph of the Soviet people, the culmination of the Red Army’s liberation mission, which saved the world from Nazism. On that victorious day — May 4, 1945 — the glory of the Soviet Soldier-Liberator was recognised by the entire world. #WeRemember#OurVictory

In accordance with the decision of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire is declared on 8–9 May 2026 in honour of the celebration of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. We expect the Ukrainian side to follow this example. At the same time, we have taken note of the statement made by the head of the Kiev regime in Yerevan at the European Political Community Summit, which contains threats to strike Moscow on 9 May. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the festive events. Should the Kiev regime attempt to carry out its criminal plans aimed at disrupting the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will launch a retaliatory, massive missile strike on the centre of Kiev. Despite the capabilities at its disposal, Russia has previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons. We warn the civilian population of Kiev and the staff of foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city in a timely manner. 🔹Russian Defence Ministry

🇷🇺🇪🇬📞On May 4, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty had a telephone conversation at the request of the Egyptian Side. The Foreign Ministers had a detailed discussion of the current situation in the Middle East that resulted from the US-Israeli aggression against Iran. They stressed the need to resume the negotiating process with a view to reaching, as soon as possible, agreements on a long-term and sustainable settlement of the crisis in the Persian Gulf, taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region. The conversation also covered Moscow-Cairo cooperation at the #UN, preparations for the #BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held on May 14-15 in New Delhi, as well as certain aspects of further developing bilateral Russia-Egypt cooperation. #RussiaEgypt

#Announcement 🎙 On Thursday, May 7, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold her weekly briefing on current foreign policy issues. 🕙 10.00 am MSK 🕖 7.00 am GMT 🕗 8.00 am CET 🕒 3.00 pm CST For accreditation inquiries, please contact the MFA Press Centre. Accredited journalists will receive details on the technical aspects of submitting questions. The Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman will answer media questions received by the call centre. ❗️Accreditation is open until May 5, 10:00 am MSK

#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 ofApril 27 – May 3, 2026: ▪️ April 28 – two guided aerial bombs struck a social facility in the village of Dobroye, Belgorod Region. Two civilians were wounded. ▪️ April 28 – a fixed-wing UAV struck the local administration building in the urban-type settlement of Markovka, LPR. Eighteen civilians were wounded. ▪️ April 28 – a UAV strike targeted an EMERCOM special-purpose vehicle in the village of Smolyaninovo, LPR. ▪️ April 28 – a UAV raid targeted private homes in the village of Stulnevo, Zaporozhye Region. Four civilians were wounded, including a 14-year-old girl. ▪️ April 29 – an FPV drone struck a civilian cargo vehicle in the village of Voznesenovka, Belgorod Region. One civilian was wounded. ▪️ April 29 – a UAV struck a passenger bus in the village of Voznesenovka, Belgorod Region. Three women were killed and eight more civilians were wounded. ▪️ April 29 – a UAV struck a private home in the village of Malokakhovka, Kherson Region. ▪️ April 29 – a UAV struck a civilian cargo vehicle in Shebekino, Belgorod Region. ▪️ April 30 – a UAV struck an apartment building in the settlement of Dubovoye, Belgorod Region. ▪️ May 3 – a UAV struck an apartment building in Shebekino, Belgorod Region.

🇷🇺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The library in the Scottish town of Airdrie recently opened an exhibition dedicated to one of the most touching chapters in the history of relations between the peoples of our countries: the "Scottish Album," which was sent by the women of that town to the residents of besieged Leningrad in the fall of 1941, and the "Leningrad Album," which was sent in return from the encircled "northern capital" to Scotland. The exhibition features copies of two albums. The first contains handwritten messages of support, poems by Robert Burns, and drawings, as well as the signatures of several thousand female workers of plants and factories, members of communist organizations, and parishioners of churches in Airdrie and Coatbridge. The album, prepared over the course of two weeks, was handed over to the Soviet embassy in London and then shipped to Leningrad. In the besieged city, these words of support were read out loud at public meetings. The residents of Leningrad needed to know that even in distant Scotland, their heroic struggle and the trials they endured were not forgotten. In early 1942, an album was created in response, containing watercolours and lithographs depicting Leningrad, words of gratitude and determination to confront the common enemy, and thousands of signatures from women of the city on the Neva. In 1943, the album arrived in Airdrie and became the centrepiece of the "Russia Week" exhibition. Copies of the albums are available for viewing by appointment. The exhibition also features archival materials about the creation of the "Scottish Album" and events held in the region during those years to raise funds to support the Soviet Union fighting fascism, as well as the book "Immortal Regiment" featuring memoirs by St. Petersburg schoolchildren about their great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers who heroically defended our homeland. 🤝 On the eve of Victory Day, Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh Denis Moskalenko and his wife visited the exhibition and thanked the staff of the Airdrie Library for their contribution to preserving the memory of the heroism of the residents of besieged Leningrad and the joint struggle of our peoples against Nazism during World War II. #Victory81

May 3️⃣rd - World Press Freedom Day 📃Proclaimed by UN General Assembly resolution in 1993, it is aimed to draw attention to problems of free access to information, media pluralism & safety of journalists. 📌 In recent years Western countries that publically advocate for press freedom, in fact have begun to clean up information space from alternative views through reprisals against Russian media and journalists. The Kiev regime has launched a real "hunt" for Russian journalists, killing dozens of our correspondents. On April 6th 2026 Izvestia correspondent Y.Bykovsky was wounded in Donetsk🇷🇺 as a result of a targeted attack by Ukrainian militants. ☝️In accordance with decisions of #UNESCO General Conference (1997) and Executive Board (2023), UNESCO Director-General is tasked "to condemn killing and physical violence against journalists without distinction." ❗️We expect Director-General Kh.El-Enany to draw attention of UNESCO CI Sector to these documents and request to fulfill them without exceptions under the pretext of "lack of resources" or need to adhere to so-called "methodology" that hasn't been approved by Member-States, as well as attempts to "juggle" statistics on crimes against journalists.

#Victory81 🌟 On May 2, 1945, following an intense brutal battle for the Reichstag, won by the Soviet forces, and other major pockets of resistance in Berlin eliminated, including the Nazis defending the citadels of Spandau and Zoo-Bunker, the Red Army took control over the capital of the then nearly defunct Nazi Germany. The Battle of Berlin was concluded in a triumphant victory of the Soviet people over the ultimate evil of Nazism. The Third Reich was no more. *** By day's end of May 1 it was almost over for the Nazis — the #VictoryBanner soared over the Reichstag, the Red Army liberated Brandenburg, the districts of Charlottenburg, Schoeneberg and about a hundred more neighbourhoods in Berlin from the SS and Wehrmacht. The last remaining Nazi troops were concentrated in the government quarters of Berlin, near the Reich Chancellery. What little remained of the Berlin garrison started seeking ways to surrender to the Red Army, having realised that further resistance was futile. In the early hours of May 2, the Berlin defence headquarters sent the following radio message in the Russian and German languages: 📢 We will send parliamentarians to the Bismarckstrasse Bridge. We request a ceasefire. At 6:30 am, the Commander of the Berlin garrison, General of the Artillery HelmuthWeidlingsurrendered and ordered the remnants of the garrison to stop resisting. The centre of Berlin was completely cleared of the enemy by the evening. Soviet forces received 134'000 Nazi soldiers as POWs as they laid down weapons with only a few units fighting a lost battle to the bitter end. *** The Berlin Offensive lasted over a week, from April 24 through May 2. The last large concentration of Nazi troops, its best divisions and most heinous Nazi adepts engaged in fierce resistance. To no avail, as the Red Army, having already crushed and dismantled most of the once undefeated German war machine, was the best military force on the planet at the time. Following the fall of Berlin, only a few major Nazi units remained, prolonging their agony in Czechoslovakia and Austria. The #RedBanner reigning over the Reichstag had already become a part of history as an eternal symbol of the Soviet people’s greatest triumph in the fight against the Nazi evil. 📕 From the diaries of Soviet war correspondent and writer Konstantin Simonov (“Different Days of the War. A Writer’s Diary,” 1982): May 3. A dusty, sunny day. Several of our armies, having captured Berlin, are now moving through the city in different directions. Tanks, self-propelled guns, 'Katyushas', thousands of lorries, heavy and light artillery, anti-tank guns bouncing over the debris, infantry marching... <...> Even I have the feeling that it is not just divisions and corps entering Berlin, but that the whole of Russia is now passing through Berlin. 📄 From the TASS Frontline Bulletin of May 3, 1945, as reported by war correspondent KonstantinSukhin: The Victory Banner is soaring over the German Reichstag. <...> The BrandenburgGate can be seen from afar. It is barricaded with wooden bars, filled with broken bricks and chained with iron. The Germans wanted to stop our advancing units here. Now our tanks stand on both sides of the gate. The joy of victory can be seen on the faces of the Soviet soldiers — they have captured Berlin, the capital of Germany. What the heroes of the battles of Moscow, in besieged Leningrad, on the banks of the Volga, and in the ruined streets of Stalingraddreamed of and strived forbecame a reality. In terms of military strategy, Nazi Germany lost control over all its vital areas and lost even the slightest possibility to continue resistance. After the fall of Berlin, just a few major Nazi army groups were still resisting in Czechoslovakia and Austria, standing between the world and Victory. The final collapse of Nazism in Europe and the revenge on the Reich were imminent. #OurVictory#WeRemember

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 On May 1, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, spoke over the phone. Building on the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abbas Araghchi in St Petersburg on April 27, 2026, the two Ministers continued a detailed exchange of views on the prospects for acomplete cessation of hostilities and the stabilisation of the military and political situation in the Middle East. Their discussions covered issues including the freedom of navigation and a resolution of the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme. Russia expressed its support for ongoing mediation efforts. 🤝 The Sides reaffirmed their readiness to make every effort to facilitate a political and diplomatic process in order to reach lasting agreements aimed at establishing long-term peace in the region. Special attention was given to the safe passage of Russian ships and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz. #RussiaIran

🎙Statement by the Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation, Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Belousov at the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons General Debate 📍New York, April 29 2026 💬 Before proceeding with the statement, I would like to carry out the instruction of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and convey his address to the participants and guests of the Conference. The Russian delegation requests the Secretariat to issue this address as an official document of the Conference. The NPT is a cornerstone of international peace and security. As a State Party and one of its depositaries, Russia remains committed to the letter and spirit of the Treaty, fully complies with all its obligations thereunder, and stands for its further strengthening. Over the years of its existence, the NPT has proven to be a viable instrument that serves the interests and common good of humanity. A historic milestone was the indefinite and unconditional extension of the Treaty in 1995. This decision is not subject to review. ❗️The current state of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime gives cause for concern. The Treaty is under severe strain. The trend to instrumentalise the NPT for self-serving political purposes unrelated to the subject matter of the Treaty has once again found expression in the unprovoked, unjustified and unlawful aggression by Israel and the US against Iran, in which civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards have been subjected to multiple attacks. The tragedy of the current situation in Iran for the NPT lies in the fact that under the pretext of false allegations of a military nuclear programme a State blatantly disregarding the Treaty and a depositary State acting in its interests have jointly attacked a good-faith Party to the Treaty. The deterioration of the international security environment and strategic stability continues to be fuelled by the provocative and destructive actions of Western nuclear-weapon States. This significantly undermines the prospects for a substantive and fruitful dialogue on arms control and disarmament, both within the NPT framework and in other relevant multilateral forums and formats. The US has categorically rejected the Russian initiative to preserve the legacy of the New START Treaty through voluntary self-limitations. It has further declared its readiness to commence at any time the build-up of its nuclear arsenal beyond the Treaty’s limits, as well as to resume nuclear testing. For several years now, the UK has been enhancing its strategic nuclear capabilities. It has also redeployed US nuclear weapons on its national territory and announced its participation in the further expansion of NATO’s "nuclear sharing" arrangements, a practice that is deeply destabilising and has undermined the NPT regime for many decades. France, which announced on the eve of the Review Conference plans to increase its nuclear capabilities, is actively drawing European non‑nuclear weapon States into arrangements reminiscent of the so‑called "extended nuclear deterrence" frameworks practised by the US in the Asia‑Pacific region, which are intended to reinforce the US "nuclear umbrella" over Europe. *** ☝️ In these circumstances, our country seeks to act in the most responsible and well-considered manner. In the absence of US engagement with our pragmatic proposals on post-START arrangements, we will continue to shape our course in this area based on a thorough analysis of the military policies of Western nuclear-weapon States and the overall strategic environment. In the longer term, we remain open to seeking equal and mutually acceptable, dialogue-based solutions aimed at the comprehensive stabilisation of the strategic environment, provided that appropriate conditions are in place for such engagement, which should focus on viable solutions serving the core interests of all parties. Read in full