Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🎄Dear all, Happy New Year! 👍 #NewYear#NewYear2026

❗ New Year Address by Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Ambassador Gennady Gatilov: Dear friends, Dear colleagues, Dear readers of our information resources, 2025 year is passing away. 🏅 It was marked by events of great importance for your country. The most important one was the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and World War II - an event of enduring significance for the fate of all humanity. This anniversary serves as a reminder of the decisive contribution of the peoples of the Soviet Union to the defeat of Nazism, the colossal price paid for the liberation of the world, and our shared duty to carefully preserve the historical truth, to resist attempts to distort it, and to prevent a repetition of the tragedies of the past. 🇺🇳 In 2025, we also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, whose establishment is inextricably tied with the Victory in the World War II. This anniversary became not only a milestone in understanding the role of the UN in the modern world order as a unique mechanism of international multilateral cooperation, but also served as a reminder that it is essential to maintain dialogue, respect the sovereign equality of States, and seek for collective solutions rather than confrontation. Dear friends and colleagues! 🤝 The past year brought many trials, which Russia has faced with dignity. I am sure that the same will happen in the upcoming year. In the face of new challenges, we must not forget the value of multilateralism, the responsibility of states for maintaining peace and security, and the need to strictly adhere to the principles of the United Nations Charter, which remains fully relevant and optimally meets the demands of the multipolar era. 🇷🇺 The Russian Federation has consistently supported and will continue to support the strengthening of the UN's central coordinating role in international affairs and for a more just and democratic international order, based on a balance of interests and respect for cultural, historical and civilizational diversity. We are convinced that only through equal cooperation the international community can respond effectively to global challenges and ensure sustainable development for all peoples. This is precisely what we are working on here in the international UN Geneva. 🎄 As we approach the New Year of 2026, I would like to wholeheartedly wish our dear colleagues in the diplomatic community, including the Russian staff of the secretariats of international organizations in Geneva, our dear compatriots living in Switzerland good health, peace, and prosperity. May the coming year bring greater mutual understanding and trust in the name of a stable and just future. ✨Dear friends, have a happy New Year! #NewYear2026

🇷🇺🇧🇾📞 On December 31, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenkohad a telephone conversation. During the conversation, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko vehemently condemned the reckless Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian President's residence in the Novgorod Region. It was emphasised that this cynical provocation occurred against the backdrop of ongoing Russian-American engagements aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis. 🤝 After discussing the incident, the Leaders exchanged cordial New Year's greetings and expressed their best wishes to the fraternal peoples of both countries. #RussiaBelarus

🎄 С Наступающим Новым Годом! ☃️ Happy New Year! 🎁 Bonne année!

⚡Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the latest threats of military strikes against Iran(December 30, 2025) 💬The aggressive statements about the possibility of further military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including its nuclear energy infrastructure, that were made on December 29 during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, are a matter of justified and serious concern. 👉While the anti-Iran ideological push behind such rhetoric is not new, the international community has repeatedly and unequivocally rejected these ambitions. They are contrary to international law, violate the UN Charter, and recklessly push the Middle East toward a grave catastrophe with potential radiological and humanitarian consequences. Particularly objectionable are attempts to present the use of military force, including the bombing of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, as a legitimate means of resolving issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme. This irresponsible approach undermines the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, whose cornerstone is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (#NPT). It is noteworthy that these threats are being made by a state outside the NPT, against a country that is a full party to the Treaty and consistently reaffirms its commitment to the Treaty’s obligations. ☝️We call on these irresponsible “hotheads” to recognise the full peril of their destructive path, to cease escalating tensions around Iran and its nuclear programme, and to avoid repeating their fatal errors of June 2025, which severely undermined IAEA verification activities in Iran. Experience demonstrates that confrontation only sows tragedy and creates real, not imaginary, threats to international peace and security, driving the parties further from a viable resolution they seek. ❗️ We remain convinced that the only viable course is diplomacy and negotiation. This process must aim to develop long-term, sustainable solutions to Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy issue, grounded in international law and with due consideration for Tehran’s legitimate interests.

🇷🇺🇹🇯📞 On December 31, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. Emomali Rahmon strongly condemned the unprecedented Ukrainian drone attack targeting the Russian President's official residence in the Novgorod Region overnight into December 29. It was noted that this flagrant provocation occurred in the middle of robust engagements between Russia and the United States aiming to find a peaceful solution for the Ukraine crisis. After sharing opinions on this reckless act by the Kiev regime, the leaders exchanged cordial New Year's greetings. They also discussed regional issues in light of the recent developments in Afghanistan. 🤝 The Leaders confirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership and allied relationship between Russia and Tajikistan. #RussiaTajikistan

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 On December 30, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian had a telephone conversation. During the conversation, President of Iran condemned the large-scale drone attack organized by the Kiev regime on the Russian President’s state residence in Novgorod Region. The Leaders also exchanged views on further strengthening Russia-Iran cooperation across various areas, including energy and transport infrastructure. The situation on Iran’s nuclear programme was discussed as well. Masoud Pezeshkian warmly congratulated Vladimir Putin on the upcoming New Year. In turn, the Russian President conveyed his best wishes to the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the occasion of the recent Iranian national holiday, Shab-e Yalda. #RussiaIran

✉️President of Russia Vladimir Putin extended his holiday greetings on Christmas and the upcoming New Year 2026 to Heads of foreign states and governments: Among them were: 🤝 President of the Republic of Abkhazia – Badra Gunba; 🇦🇲 President of the Republic of Armenia – Vahagn Khachaturyan; 🇦🇲 Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia – Nikol Pashinyan; 🇦🇿 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Ilham Aliyev; 🇧🇾 President of the Republic of Belarus – Alexander Lukashenko; 🇧🇷 President of the Federative Republic of Brazil – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; 🇨🇳 President of the People’s Republic of China – Xi Jinping; 🇨🇺 President of the Republic of Cuba – Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez; 🇪🇹 President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – Taye Atske Selassie; 🇪🇹 Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – Abiy Ahmed; 🇭🇺 Prime Minister of Hungary – Viktor Orban; 🇮🇳 President of the Republic of India – Droupadi Murmu; 🇮🇳 Prime Minister of the Republic of India – Narendra Modi; 🇮🇩 President of the Republic of Indonesia – Prabowo Subianto; 🇰🇿 President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; 🇰🇬 President of the Kyrgyz Republic – Sadyr Zhaparov; 🇰🇵 Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – Kim Jong-un; 🇱🇦 President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party – Thongloun Sisoulith; 🇲🇳 President of Mongolia – Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh; 🇲🇲 Chairman of the State Administration Council and Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar – Min Aung Hlaing; 🇳🇮 Co-presidents of the Republic of Nicaragua – Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo; 🇷🇸 President of the Republic of Serbia – Aleksandar Vucic; 🇸🇰 Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic – Robert Fico; 🇿🇦 President of the Republic of South Africa – Cyril Ramaphosa; 🤝 President of the Republic of South Ossetia – Alan Gagloyev; 🇹🇯 President of the Republic of Tajikistan – Emomali Rahmon; 🇹🇲 President of Turkmenistan – Serdar Berdimuhamedov; 🇹🇲 National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan – Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov; 🇹🇷 President of the Republic of Turkiye – Recep Tayyip Erdogan; 🇺🇸 President of the United States of America – Donald Trump; 🇺🇿 President of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Shavkat Mirziyoyev; 🇻🇪 President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela – Nicolas Maduro; 🇻🇳 General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam – To Lam; 🇻🇳 President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – Luong Cuong; 🇻🇦 Pope Leo XIV. Greetings were also sent to a number of former heads of foreign states and governments, including Raul Castro, Robert Kocharyan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Serzh Sargsyan, and Gerhard Schroeder.

🗓On December 29, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing April 19 as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People, perpetrated by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The draft law to introduce this Day of Remembrance was developed by Russia's State Duma Committee on Defence in November 2025. The authors of the initiative proposed commemorating the victims on April 19, as on this date in 1943 the first legal act was issued that officially documented the Nazis’ policy of exterminating civilians in the occupied territories – Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR No. 39 “On punishment measures for Nazi villains guilty of killing and torturing the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the motherland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices”. Decree No. 39 laid the legal foundations for bringing to justice Nazi criminals and their accomplices, including Italian, Romanian, Hungarian and Finnish military personnel. Materials collected during investigations conducted on the basis of Decree No. 39 formed a key part of the evidentiary base at the Nuremberg Tribunal, the Khabarovsk Trial, and other judicial proceedings against war criminals from the Axis powers. 💬 Speaking at a meeting of Pobeda (Victory) Organizing Committee on July 2, 2020, Vladimir Putin noted: “The Nazis planned to colonize the Soviet land, to kill or turn into slaves and to take away the languages and culture of all who lived here – the Slavs and people of other ethnicities. These crimes of the Nazis and their minions and the genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union do not have a statute of limitations. This assessment must remain firm in our legislation and in the international law system”. 🕯 Losses caused by the actions of the Nazis and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War amounted to no fewer than 27 million Soviet citizens, while the total estimated demographic losses of the USSR approached 50 million people. #NoStatuteOfLimitations

🇷🇺Ambassador Oleg Stepanov's New Year Address (December 29, 2025) 🎙Dear compatriots! Dear friends! The year 2025 is coming to an end. A difficult year. A year of challenges. A year of change. We see how rapidly the world is changing, going through a period of upheaval. 🇷🇺 The Russian community in Canada, through its unity, lives by mutual support, preserving and defending its spiritual and cultural identity. 🇷🇺 This year, we solemnly marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. A sacred milestone in our great history, reaffirming the historic role of our Motherland as a guardian of peace on Earth. This is the destiny we have been entrusted with. This is Russia’s true nature. ❗️As our President clearly and succinctly stated: “Russia’s borders end nowhere.” As our Motherland lives in the heart of every one of us. And you, dear compatriots, are the clearest example of that. 🇨🇦The political reality is such that today, being a Russian in Canada is not easy. And yet, in many ways, this country is deeply similar to Russia. Its vast spaces, love of the land, work ethic, openness, and yes, even the passion for hockey, are things Russians and Canadians share alike. That is why the “Russian world” feels natural here. It serves as a unifying link, a bridge of connection between our peoples. For the natural desire of all people is to live in peace, harmony, and good neighborliness. And no artificial barriers can stand in the way of that. Dear friends! 🎄The New Year is a joyful celebration of kindness and hope. I wish that harmony and joy reign in your families in the coming year. 🎁 May you, your children and grandchildren, your loved ones and family enjoy strong health and unwavering confidence in the future. Happy Holidays! Happy New Year 2026!

🎙Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency(December 29, 2025) Read in full ❓ Question: In February, Russia and the United States agreed to start working on normalising their relations. In your opinion, has there been progress in this matter after almost one year? How normal can we consider the diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington today? 💬Sergey Lavrov: Indeed, even during the telephone conversation on February 12 – their first contact after Donald Trump’s return to the White House – the presidents of Russia and the United States agreed that it is necessary to overcome the “toxic legacy” of the Joe Biden administration as soon as possible, in the interests of normalising Russia-US relations. This work began immediately. Our contacts have become steady since then. Both sides understand the importance of comparing their positions regularly, both on bilateral issues and on the topical international problems, including the situation in Ukraine. At the same time, this has not been an easy process. The number of aggravating circumstances remains high. The negotiation teams of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US Department of State are focusing their efforts primarily on restoring the full-fledged operation of our diplomatic missions. Following several rounds of consultations and meetings that took place at the working level, we have reached certain agreements concerning the improvement of the work of our diplomatic missions and their staff in their respective host countries. Now, it is important to move to more significant matters. They include resuming direct flights and recovering our seized diplomatic property. The American side has received our proposals on removing these substantial barriers that hinder tangible improvements in our relations. However, the US Department of State continues to insist on linking these matters to unrelated political topics. This work will continue. Key points: • Russia has repeatedly stressed its unwavering commitment to primarily political and diplomatic solutions to the crisis around Ukraine. The US Administration is currently engaged in active and result-oriented mediation. <...> We hope that America will be able to keep to the agreements reached in Anchorage. • The Russian army fully holds the strategic initiative, and the West understands that. Recently, President of Russia Vladimir Putin spoke at a meeting of the Defence Ministry Board and answered questions during the Direct Line. Once again, he clearly confirmed that all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved – preferably through talks but, if necessary, using military means. • Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential powers expired in May 2024. The election in Ukraine must be held according to law. We have noted that the United States holds a similar view. • Ukrainian people, including the vast majority of their compatriots now residing in Russia, must finally be given the opportunity to determine their own future. Crucially, the organisation of such a vote must not be used as a pretext for a temporary ceasefire to facilitate the rearmament of the Ukrainian forces. • The priority must be establishing legally binding guarantees that address the root causes of this conflict. The foundational principles upon which Ukrainian statehood was recognised by Russia and the international community must be restored. ❗️ This entails enshrining Ukraine’s neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free status; achieving its demilitarisation and denazification; and halting the NATO countries’ military development of Ukrainian territory. The rights and freedoms of native Russians and Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine must be guaranteed, and the persecution of canonical Orthodoxy must cease. Furthermore, Kiev and its Western sponsors must recognise the new territorial realities following the accession of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to the Russian Federation.

⚡️Commentary by Aide to the President Yury Ushakov following a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump (December 29, 2025) 💬 Colleagues, Since it is December 29 today, and the New Year is just round the corner, an interesting – from a political point of view too – detail can be mentioned: in the outgoing year, President Vladimir Putin held 17 contacts with US representatives. This includes a visit to Alaska, ten telephone conversations with Donald Trump and six meetings with his special envoys. What does this mean? You can draw your own conclusions. Now to the telephone conversation. As agreed earlier, another telephone conversation took place today between the presidents of Russia and the United States. Donald Trump and his key advisers who were present during the call provided a detailed briefing on the main outcomes of yesterday’s talks with the Ukrainian delegation at Mar-a-Lago. In their presentation, that is, the American presentation, during these talks the US side took an assertive stance in promoting the idea that Kiev needs to take real steps towards the final settlement of the conflict instead of using demands for a temporary ceasefire as cover. Zelensky was advised to not even try to secure a respite for his armed forces but instead focus on achieving a comprehensive agreement that would lead to the actual end to the armed conflict. Donald Trump informed [the President of Russia] about certain results achieved by Zelensky’s team precisely in this direction, but which nevertheless, in our assessment, still leave the Kiev authorities room for various interpretations in order to evade fulfilment of their commitments. ❗️ And of course, Vladimir Putin drew attention of his counterpart Donald Trump to the fact that practically immediately after what the US side considers a successful round of talks at Mar-a-Lago, the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack involving a barrage of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, an attack on the state residence of the President of Russia in the Novgorod Region. The Russian Side clearly stated that such reckless terrorist acts will, of course, not go unanswered and will meet with the most serious response. The US President was shocked by this information, literally outraged. He said that he could not even imagine such irrational actions. And, as was stated, this will undoubtedly affect the approaches of the United States in the context of working with Zelensky, to whom the current administration, as Donald Trump himself said, did not, thankfully, give Tomahawks. Vladimir Putin emphasised that the Russian side intends to continue close and productive work with its US partners in searching for ways to achieve peace. However, naturally, with regard to a number of agreements reached at the previous stage and the newly outlined solutions, Russia’s position will be revised. This was stated very clearly, and the Americans should treat this with understanding. Since Kiev is using the state terrorism, the Russian side cannot act otherwise. Such was the nature of the conversation, at the end of which both presidents, in a very friendly manner, agreed to maintain dialogue onwards. Thank you very much.