Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question regarding US administration’s measures against Cuba(January 31, 2026) ❓ Question: On January 29, the United States issued an executive order declaring a “state of emergency” in connection with the policies and actions of Cuba’s leadership, which were described as posing an “extraordinary threat” to US national security and foreign policy interests. What is the Russian Foreign Ministry’s assessment of this document? 💬Maria Zakharova: This move represents yet another, and particularly radical, return by Washington to its long-standing strategy of applying maximum pressure on the Island of Freedom, aimed at economically strangling the country. Russia’s stance on this issue remains unchanged. We view unilateral sanctions imposed against sovereign and independent states, in violation of the UN Charter and other norms of international law, as absolutely unacceptable. We strongly condemn the illegitimate restrictive measures against Havana, as well as the pressure being exerted on Cuba’s leadership and its citizens. We are confident that, despite the external obstacles to its advancement, Cuba will continue to maintain effective foreign economic relations. It is particularly striking that this new document aimed against Cuba categorises Russia, along with several other equal foreign partners of Havana, as “hostile” and “malign” states. Such labelling in no way contributes to normalising the Russia-US dialogue or improving the effectiveness of Washington’s stated mediation efforts to resolve crises in various regions across the globe. We cannot accept attempts to create barriers to international cooperation, especially with a country facing a challenging socioeconomic situation that is largely the result of nearly seven decades of the US trade, economic, and financial embargo. 🤝Russia and Cuba share special historical ties. The traditions of our comprehensive cooperation are deeply rooted and enjoy extensive socio-political support in both states – and, as we have emphasised on numerous occasions, this cooperation is not directed against third parties and cannot be regarded as harmful to anyone’s interests. We remain firmly committed to consistently developing this cooperation for the benefit of our nations and to enhancing international security and stability.

Russian Embassy in Rwanda: ✍️Article by the Ambassador of Russia to Rwanda, Alexander Polyakov On 27 January, a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day was held at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The date is observed in commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp, located on the territory of present-day Poland, where more than one million Jews were murdered during the Second World War. Judging by the coverage, the event was solemn and mournful in tone, in keeping with the gravity of the occasion. Speakers rightly stressed the imperative of preventing the recurrence of mass murder of people targeted for persecution on any grounds whatsoever, anywhere in the world. A well-founded parallel was drawn with another of the greatest tragedies of the twentieth century: the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, in memory of which the memorial in the capital district of Gisozi was built. The international community and all people of good will were urged to confront, consistently and uncompromisingly, the dehumanising ideology of racial, religious, or political-ideological intolerance – an ideology that carries within it the threat of new genocides. And yet, not a single word was said about one circumstance that is fundamental for understanding the context of this commemoration – and, indeed, the Holocaust as a whole. Namely: Who, precisely, liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau 81 years ago, bringing the extermination of its prisoners to an end? Who made the decisive contribution to the defeat of Hitler’s Germany, thereby stopping the monstrous crimes committed for years (from 1933 to 1945) not only against the Jews, whom the Nazis set out to exterminate entirely, but also against many other peoples who became victims of the Third Reich’s aggression? No mention was made of the Soviet Union – of which modern Russia is the legal and historical successor. Notably, no Russian representative was invited by the organisers to honour the memory of the Holocaust’s victims and to recall the role of their liberators. It is painful to realise that this “forgetfulness” was hardly accidental. More likely, it reflects a trend of recent years: a “war on historical memory” being waged against our country – one that seeks to silence its real role in the greatest conflict in human history and its contribution to the victory over absolute evil embodied in the inhuman ideology and brutal deeds of Nazism. <...> 📄Read in full

🎙Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s response to a media question regarding Japanese Finance Minister’s remarks(January 30, 2026) ❓ Question: Recently, Japanese media published an article by Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama addressing Tokyo’s policy toward Russia among other things. The article states that the Takaichi administration’s top foreign policy priorities are support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. How does the Russian Foreign Ministry assess Satsuki Katayama’s remarks? 💬 Maria Zakharova: They once again demonstrate the openly unfriendly nature of Japan’s current policy toward our country. Considering the domestic political developments in Japan, where a parliamentary election campaign has recently begun, the use of this topic appears, by all indications, to be populist in nature. This certainly does not contribute to a constructive atmosphere in the already difficult state of bilateral relations, but rather the opposite. We will take this into account when shaping our approaches toward Japan.

🇷🇺🇮🇷 President of Russia Vladimir Putinheld a meeting at the Kremlin with Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani, who is on a visit to Russia. #RussiaIran

🔴#LIVE: Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on topical foreign policy issues 🔴X (ex-Twitter) 🔴Facebook 🔴Ruptly 🔴Russia’s MFA website

🔴#LIVE: Russia's Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large on the crimes committed by the Kiev regime, Rodion Miroshnik, holds a briefing, during which the final report on the #KievRegimeCrimes in 2025 will be presented. 🔴X (ex-Twitter) 🔴Facebook 🔴Ruptly 🔴Russia's MFA website

On the Policy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople towards Ukraine Message by Russian Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for International Cooperation in Ensuring the Right to Freedom of Religion Mikhail Melekh It is hard to recall any other force besides the Patriarchate of Constantinople that has been capable of creating an atmosphere of acute distrust, mutual recriminations, and discord within global Orthodoxy. The concepts of 'tomos' and 'autocephaly' have settled as a heavy burden on the souls of many—even those who, before 2019, were not at all interested in inter-church relations and did not even know the meaning of these terms. In the context of the Ukrainian religious crisis, they have become common nouns. The primary causes of this tragedy have been well-known since the creation of man: the thirst for money and the pursuit of power. They detrimentally affect primarily the proud and the weak in spirit. In the case of Patriarch Bartholomew, these are the kickbacks received for the tomos and the heresy of "Eastern Papism." ❗️However, this narrative is not entirely about church affairs. There is no doubt that the concept of a controlled church in Ukraine originated in the minds of Western political strategists. The handwriting is all too recognizable: accumulating opposition (in our case, schismatic) assets and setting in motion mechanisms for managing them, forming a pseudo-patriotic (nationalist) agenda, creating conditions for strengthening their position through generous financial, administrative, and media support. Concurrently — bribery, blackmail, elimination of dissenters, and other components of democracy export. The so-called "Orthodox Church of Ukraine," hastily assembled by former President Poroshenko from among previously banned marginal individuals, would not have lasted long on its own. It urgently needed to be given at least some legitimacy. And here Constantinople enters the game. Following the example of many of his predecessors, Patriarch Bartholomew formalized a tomos in 2019 for considerable monetary reward from the West and immersed himself in a years-long process of justifying his step, dragging several local churches into the adventure. <...> It seems not without reason that the discussion regarding the creation of a Constantinopolitan exarchate in Ukraine has recently resumed. After all, it is obvious that the "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" project is unviable. What has emerged is an overly uncontrollable, willful, and immensely hungry beast. <...> It would seem high time to slow down, attempt to preserve the remnants of dignity, and carefully step aside. The whole world already sees what is happening to the rights of believers on this land. But something new must be invented, because even with great desire, it is now difficult for Bartholomew to break free from the Ukrainian "mutual responsibility" with thieves and murderers. To some extent, one might even sympathize with him, if not for the blood and suffering of thousands of believers and clergy of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, deprived of their churches, desecrated, beaten, and maimed. Furthermore, the Patriarchate of Constantinople objectively serves as a compliant instrument in the hands of the pseudo-liberal Western mainstream. And one directed against all of global Orthodoxy. <...> In the actions of the head of Phanar, one sees neither spirituality nor love. Only bare politics and tactical calculation. It is hard to imagine how many people, realizing this fact, will now lose trust in the Church, pass by a church without entering, consider it impossible to speak with a clergyman, or not partake in church sacraments. Because lies breed suspicion, fear, and even greater lies. The Ukrainian issue will be resolved one way or another! 👉 But studying this chapter of world history, descendants will be astonished at the price millions of Orthodox believers had to pay for the weakness of one man. Read in full

🇷🇺 Comment by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov to «Izvestia» newspaper, for an article on the situation with Russian Zaporozhskaya NPP (29 January 2026) ❓Is the issue of joint management of the Zaporozhskaya NPP together with the United States currently on the agenda? If not, has the Russian Federation received any relevant request from the U.S. side? Is such a format of interaction possible? 💬Such issues have not arisen in the work of the Permanent Mission of Russia in Vienna. At present, the Zaporozhskaya NPP is under Russian ownership and is operated with the support of Rosenergoatom, an integral part of Rosatom. This structure is successfully fulfilling its tasks. Any hypothetical adjustments would require very serious justification. At present, at least from the Vienna perspective, no such justification is discernible.

🎙Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to media questions regarding the negotiations on Ukrainian conflict resolution (January 29, 2026) 💬Sergey Lavrov: Unlike the Ukrainians and the Americans, we do not comment publicly on negotiations that are meant to be conducted in confidential silence. Those who try to make various statements about what is being discussed are simply acting in a manner that is inconsistent with proper negotiating practice and basic standards of conduct. Russia’s package of proposals was presented by Vladimir Putin in June 2024 and has been reaffirmed repeatedly. Our negotiators will continue their contacts in whatever format is required. They know their job, and when there is something tangible to report, the media will be duly informed. ❗️The political issues of the conflict resolution were outlined by the Russian President and remain unchanged. Everything else I leave to the conscience of our Ukrainian and American colleagues, who in recent days have been making numerous public statements. For example, I heard that Marco Rubio, having been invited to the Senate, claimed that the issue of security guarantees had already been resolved. We are unaware of the guarantees they were discussing, but it appears these were guarantees to the very Ukrainian regime that pursues a Russophobic, neo-Nazi policy. If the goal is to preserve this regime on some part of the territory of former Ukraine and to continue using it as a bulwark for threats against the Russian Federation, then it should be obvious that such “security guarantees” are hardly capable of ensuring genuine security. Security guarantees were agreed upon in Istanbul in April 2022. Moreover, the core draft of those guarantees was proposed by the Ukrainian side itself. We supported that draft. You know what happened next – when the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prohibited Ukraine from signing the agreement, which had already received preliminary approval. Those guarantees provided for a collective and indivisible system of security, including the security of both Russia and the entire region in which Ukraine is located. That is why we will look at substantive proposals, not to be distracted by the political games that the media gets so excited about. Read in full

#BioSecurity 🇷🇺🇲🇲 On 29 January, 2026, Russian-Myanmar consultations on biological security in interagency format took place in Naypyidaw. The Russian delegation was headed by Konstantin Vorontsov, Deputy Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and the Myanmar delegation was headed by Aung Zay Ya, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of the Republic of the Union of #Myanmar. The exchange of assessments concerning threats in the field of biological security in Asia-Pacific Region as well as in the world was conducted. The issues of developing bilateral cooperation in the field of biological security and strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (#BTWC) regime were discussed. The meeting confirmed the unity of approaches between the Russian Federation and Myanmar on the issues of biological security. 🤝 The need for further close coordination and constructive interaction both in bilateral format, as well as at relevant multilateral fora, primarily within the framework of the BTWC and the UN, was noted. #RussiaMyanmar

🇷🇺🇦🇪President of Russia Vladimir Putin held talks with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Kremlin(Moscow, January 28, 2026) 💬Vladimir Putin: This year marks 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countris. We highly value your significant personal contribution to advancing the full spectrum of the Russia-UAE strategic partnership, which is comprehensive, mutually beneficial and developing dynamically. Political dialogue has been established at the level of governments, parliaments, ministries and agencies, as well as the business community. Productive cooperation is also under way within multilateral formats – from the UN to other mechanism, which are relevant and effective. The UAE is an important trading partner for Russia in the Arab world. Bilateral trade continues to grow and develop steadily. The intergovernmental commission is operating well – its meeting was held a month ago in Dubai. The first Russia-UAE Business Forum also took place there. Investment cooperation is at a solid level – Russian Direct Investment Fund and Mubadala Investment Company have implemented over 60 joint projects. Cooperation in technology and industry is of an advanced nature. Yandex – our high-tech company – is expanding its services on the Emirati market. There are a number of flagship initiatives in the energy sector. Humanitarian ties have traditionally received special attention. Russian Culture Days were held in the UAE in November. The number of Russian tourists visiting your country continues to rise annually – in the first nine months of 2025 it reached 1.5 million, an 18% increase. Cooperation in education and science is developing steadily. A centre for cooperation with the UAE operates at the Primakov School near Moscow, which we visited together in 2024. Branches of this School, as well as of Plekhanov University, are operating in the UAE. Plans are under way to establish a Russian university and a youth science park under the auspices of the Sirius centre. We congratulate you on the successful hosting in Abu Dhabi in December of the second international multi-sport tournament, Games of the Future, and thank you for supporting this Russian initiative. Our two countries cooperated closely in preparing these competitions. Coordination on pressing international issues is ongoing, with our approaches largely aligned. I would particularly like to note the efforts of the Emirati Side in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, including its contribution to exchanges of detained persons and its facilitation of contacts in various formats on the territory of the UAE. We greatly appreciate this, Your Highness. We are grateful to you personally for ensuring the three-party negotiations held in Abu Dhabi last week within the framework of the security working group, as well as for the attention you paid to our delegation. Our dialogue on developments in the Middle East also remains highly relevant. We have repeatedly discussed the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone and our joint efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. A principled issue, of course, is the establishment of a full-fledged Palestinian State that would coexist in peace and security with Israel. This alone would make it possible to achieve a sustainable settlement and ensure long-term stability in the region. We are also closely following developments on the Iranian track. In August 2025, we held substantive talks here in the Kremlin, during which we reviewed key aspects of Russia-UAE cooperation and outlined plans for its further development. Read in full

🎙Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Turkish media(Moscow, January 29, 2026) Key points: • Do we view the Ukrainian conflict as a broader confrontation between Russia and the West? The answer is yes. Ukraine is a pawn – a tool used by the West to build up a bulwark directly on Russia's borders in order to create direct threats to our security. • Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence clearly proclaimed a policy of non-alignment with military blocs, neutrality and renunciation of nuclear weapons. It was precisely on the basis of this policy, declared by the Ukrainian leadership after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, that Russia – as well as the majority of other world countries – recognized Ukraine. • The situation in Ukraine was a “battle” that had been prepared in advance. It was financed, including by the Americans. As the then US Deputy Secretary of State Nuland – the “architect” of Ukraine policy – recently admitted once again, already after leaving the State Department, they spent 5 billion US dollars on preparing Ukraine for a coup and turning it into an “anti-Russia”. • The Zelensky regime is, in many ways, a repetition of history – but not as a farce, because too many people have been killed for that, sacrificed by Zelensky and his “masters”, his Western patrons. • We have stated this repeatedly, and President Vladimir Putin has often recalled it: the ceasefire that Zelensky is once again seeking – for at least 60 days, preferably longer – is unacceptable to us. This is because all previous periods associated with diplomatic efforts during the special military operation ended the same way: any ceasefire was immediately used to pump Ukraine full of new weapons, to give this regime a breather, to once again round up as many people as possible on the streets of Ukrainian cities and shove them to the frontline as “cannon fodder”, and, overall, to gain time to regroup and continue the war against Russia. • Honest security guarantees were formulated in Istanbul in April 2022 following several rounds of negotiations, excellently organized by our Turkish friends. It was clearly spelled out what security guarantees meant – no foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory, no exercises involving foreign forces unless such exercises were approved by all guarantor states – everything was detailed and specific. In other words, everything was ready, but Boris Johnson said “no”. • We have not seen the document that Zelensky constantly refers to as a “20-point plan”. As we understand it, Ukrainians and Europeans have “reworked” it compared to the original US plan and are now trying to “sell” their own “vision” of this “peace” to the US administration. • We do not draw a distinction between the foreign policies of independent states that defend their national interests and the #MultipolarWorld. On the contrary, a multipolar world can only take shape if it is founded on the positions of precisely such self-respecting states – with their own national interests and with common sense underlying their actions – states that, while defending their own interests, respect the interests of others. Read in full