🇷🇺Excerpts and key points from Russia's President Vladimir Putin's answers to questions at the plenary session of the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club
📍October 2, 2025, Sochi
💬President Vladimir Putin:
• Modern institutions experienced degradation precisely during the period when certain countries, or the collective West, sought to exploit the post-Cold War situation by declaring themselves victors. In this context, they began imposing their will on everyone – this is the first point. Second, all others gradually, at first mutedly, then more actively, began to resist this.
• What was the OSCE created for? To resolve complex situations in Europe. And what did it all boil down to? The entire activity of the OSCE reduced to becoming a platform for discussing, for example, human rights in the post-Soviet space.
• We gradually came to realise that we needed to create institutions where issues are resolved not as our Western colleagues attempted to resolve them, but genuinely based on consensus, genuinely based on aligning positions. This is how the #SCO – the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – emerged. This is how #BRICS emerged
• We are fighting this war and producing our own military equipment. But on the other side of the line, we are effectively at war with the collective might of NATO. They are no longer even hiding this fact. We see this in the direct involvement of NATO instructors and representatives from Western countries in the hostilities. A command centre has been established in Europe for the purpose of coordinating our adversary’s war effort: providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with intelligence, satellite imagery, weapons, and training. And I must reiterate: these foreign personnel are not only involved in training; they are directly participating in operational planning and combat operations themselves.
❓ Yet if we are combating the entire NATO alliance, advancing thus with unwavering confidence, and are deemed a “paper tiger” – what does that make NATO itself? What manner of entity is it then?
• In September, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to about 44'700 people, nearly half of them irretrievable losses. In the same period, they forcibly mobilised slightly more than 18'000 people. Approximately 14'500 people have returned to the army from hospitals. If we add up these figures and subtract the total from the number of casualties, we will see that Ukraine lost 11'000 in one month. In other words, the number of its troops on the frontline was not replenished and is decreasing.
• They say: the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact – an atrocity, colluding with Hitler, the Soviet Union conspired with Hitler. Well, no, not at all. And you yourselves had conspired with Hitler shortly before and carved up Czechoslovakia. As though that never occurred. Propagandistically – yes, one can hammer these false equivalences into people’s heads, but in essence, we know how it truly was. That was the first act of the Ballet de la Merlaison.
• They began not merely equating Stalin’s and Hitler’s regimes – they attempted to erase the very outcomes of the Nuremberg Trials. Bizarre, given that these were participants in a shared struggle, and the Nuremberg Trials were collective, held precisely so that nothing similar would recur. Yet they began doing that. They started tearing down monuments to Soviet soldiers and so forth, those who fought against Nazism.
• The situation in Gaza is one of the most tragic events in recent history. It is also well known that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has publicly admitted – and he often reflects Western views – that Gaza has become the largest children’s cemetery in the world. What could be more tragic? What could be more painful?
📰Article by Russia' Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ‘The Helsinki Act’s 50th anniversary: Expectations, reality, and future’
Published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta on August 1, 2025
✍️ Marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and WWII in 2025 serves as an occasion for us to recall and reaffirm the importance of peace which came at such a high cost for our forefathers. We must also be mindful of how fragile this peace architecture is. In fact, its integrity hinges upon the ability of countries and their people to engage in coordinated collective action.
Back in 1945, the year of Victory, major powers realised the need to overcome their differences for the sake of the humankind as a whole. This paved the way for establishing the United Nations as one of the key derivatives of this vision. In fact, the purposes and principles set out in the UN Charter remain relevant to this day and are in step with the reality of an emerging multipolar world order.
But there is another international event which happened precisely 50 years ago and is worth commemorating. This is when the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was signed. It became a landmark event in consolidating the post-war architecture based on the framework resulting from the Yalta and Potsdam conferences.
☝️ Those camping on unfriendly positions towards Russia seek to diminish and sweep under the carpet the fact that our country, which was the USSR at that time, played a leading role in the Helsinki process, while also distorting the objectives the Soviet leaders were pursuing. We are facing groundless and unappealing accusations of undermining the European security framework, and politicians in the EU and NATO have made no secret of their intention to re-write the outcomes of WWII and do not shy away from concocting barbaric fakes for that purpose.
Key points:
• Western countries have breached all the OSCE agreements on arms control and confidence-building measures. Russia has appealed to the conscience of Western elites more than once, inviting them to coordinate reliable security guarantees based on fundamental commitment adopted within the OSCE.
• Europe is deeply immersed in Russophobia, and its militarisation is essentially becoming uncontrollable. There are more than enough facts of this. <...> This brings historical events to mind: with their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are transforming into a Fourth Reich.
• In recent years, the West has openly shown absolute contempt for the OSCE’s principles & embarked on the path of suppressing rivals through economic pressure, including unlawful unilateral measures against Russia, Belarus and any other country that strives to defend its legitimate national interests. The OSCE marked a decisive end to practical cooperation between the East and the West.
• The scale of accumulated OSCE problems is immense. Burdened by them, the Organisation has been side-lined in international affairs. The Vienna platform no longer offers space for cooperation or security. The architects of the Helsinki Final Act did not envisage such a future for the pan-European process. It is high time to consider whether such an Organisation has any reason to persist.
• Today, the ideas of sovereign equality of states and their mutually respectful dialogue – strangled in the OSCE – are being realised through multilateral cooperation projects within the CSTO, the CIS, #SCO, and other regional frameworks across Eurasia.
• As a strategic objective, Russia envisions forming a flexible and resilient architecture of equal & indivisible security and cooperation in Eurasia, capable of addressing contemporary challenges.
• There will be no future for the OSCE if NATO and EU countries do away with the consensus rule and continue using this platform with its headquarters in Vienna as their private mouthpiece for spreading shameless propaganda campaigns to demonise Russia & any other parties who break ranks, while backing their underlings in Kiev.
Read in full
🎙Nga përgjigjet e Presidentit të Rusisë V.Putin pyetjeve gjatë seancës plenare të takimit vjetor të XXII -të të Klubit Ndërkombëtar të Diskutimit “Valdai” (2 tetor 2025)
Teza kryesore:
• Institucionet moderne degraduan pikërisht gjatë periudhës kur vende të caktuara, ose Perëndimi kolektiv, u përpoqën të përfitonin nga situata pas Luftës së Ftohtë duke shpallur veten fitues. Së pari, ata filluan t’u impononin gjithçka të gjithëve. Së dyti, të gjithë të tjerët gradualisht, fillimisht në heshtje, pastaj gjithnjë e më aktivisht, filluan t’i rezistonin kësaj.
• Për çfarë u krijua OSBE-ja? Për të zgjidhur situata të vështira në Evropë. Dhe në çfarë rezultoi të ndodhë? E gjithë veprimtaria e OSBE-së u shndërrua në një lloj platforme për diskutimin, le të themi, e të drejtave të njeriut në hapësirën post-sovjetike.
• Meqë ra fjala, ne jemi pjekur gradualisht deri në atë pikë që ne duhet të krijojmë institucione ku çështjet zgjidhen jo në mënyrën se si kolegët tanë perëndimorë u përpoqën t’i zgjidhnin, por vërtet në bazë të konsensusit, vërtet në bazë të koordinimit të qëndrimeve. Kështu lindi #SCO - Organizata e Bashkëpunimit të Shangait. Kështu lindi #BRICS.
Lexoni të plotë
___
🎙Из ответов на вопросыПрезидента России В.В.Путина на пленарной сессии XXII ежегодного заседания Международного дискуссионного клуба «Валдай»(2 октября 2025 года)
Основные тезисы:
• Современные институты деградировали как раз в период попытки отдельных стран, или коллективного Запада, воспользоваться положением после холодной войны, объявив себя победителями. Здесь начали всем всё навязывать – первое. Второе – все остальные постепенно, сначала глухо, потом всё активнее, активнее начали этому сопротивляться.
• ОБСЕ для чего была создана? Для урегулирования сложных ситуаций в Европе. А все свелось к чему? Вся деятельность ОБСЕ свелась к тому, что она превратилась в какую-то площадку для обсуждения, скажем, тех же прав человека на постсоветском пространстве.
• Мы, кстати говоря, постепенно, постепенно созревали до того, что нам нужно создавать какие-то институты, где вопросы решаются не так, как пытались их решать наши западные коллеги, а действительно на основе консенсуса, действительно на основе согласования позиций. Так возникла #ШОС – Шанхайская организация сотрудничества. Так возник #БРИКС.
Читайте полностью
🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia's President Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping made a media statement following Russia-China talks (May 16, 2024)
💬Vladimir Putin: The talks we have just finished highlighted the great significance that Moscow and Beijing attach to the development and strengthening of comprehensive Russia-China partnership and strategic interaction. This partnership can certainly set an example of ties between neighbouring states.
Key talking points:
• This state visit takes place in the year of the 75th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Our country was the first to recognise the People’s Republic of China on October 2, 1949, the day after its declaration.
• I want to note the significance of the Joint Statement we have adopted, which sets new objectives and long-term directives for advancing the entire spectrum of Russian-Chinese relations.
📈 In 2023, bilateral trade surged by a quarter, reaching a new milestone of $240 billion, as reported by Chinese statistics. While there may be a slight variance in figures, the overall total is entirely accurate. <...> Currently, there are over 80 priority projects valued at approximately $200 billion in progress or in preparation for implementation through the respective intergovernmental commission.
• Our talks have reaffirmed that Russia and China have similar or identical views on many international and regional issues. Both countries have an independent and sovereign foreign policy. We are working together to create a fairer and more democratic multipolar world order.
• We have agreed to further improve communication between credit and banking institutions of Russia and China, while actively employing national payment systems to support our economic operators.
🤝 Russia and China are fruitfully working together in #BRICS and the #SCO. <...> Our countries are resolved to continue working to align integration processes underway within the framework of the #EAEU with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Read in full
📺 Remarks by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the General Debate of 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
Key points (Unofficial translation):
• 80 years ago the most terrible war in human history came to an end. More than 70 million people fell victim to hostilities, hunger and disease. In 1945 the course of world history changed forever. We hold sacred the memory of brotherhood-in-arms with all Allies who then stood on the side of truth in the struggle against the forces of evil.
• #UNCharterIsOurRules The principles and the Charter agreed upon by the founding fathers of our Organization still serve as a bright beacon for international cooperation.
• We advocate for the unconditional observance of the principle of equality. In it lies the guarantee that all countries can take their rightful place in world affairs, regardless of their military power, population size, territory or economy.
• Russia strongly condemned the Hamas militants’ attack on peaceful Israelis on October 7, 2023. However, there is no justification for the brutal killing of Palestinian civilians, just as there is no justification for terrorism.
• The Arabic language is not banned in Israel, nor is Hebrew in Arab countries or Iran – but the Russian language is banned in Ukraine. Let me recall that Article 1 of the Charter speaks of the need to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion. Europe remains silent, obsessed with the utopian goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.
• The rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in the territories still under the control of the Kiev regime must be fully restored. On this basis we are ready to discuss the security guarantees for Ukraine.
• Russia and the US bear a special responsibility for world affairs, for avoiding risks that could plunge humanity into a new war.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) and #BRICS play a special role as mechanisms for coordination of countries of the Global South and East.
• NATO is already cramped in Europe, and it is expanding into the Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, undermining the universal ASEAN mechanisms and creating threats not only to China and Russia but also to other countries in the region.
• Speaking of the future, we must not forget the lessons of the past – especially when Nazism is once again raising its head in Europe, militarization is gaining momentum under the same anti-Russian slogans. This causes particular concern given that a number of political figures, now in power in Brussels and certain EU and NATO capitals, seriously discuss World War III as a possible scenario.
• We call on member states and the Secretariat’s leadership to scrupulously follow all the Charter’s principles – without exception and without double standards. Then the legacy of the UN’s founding fathers will not be wasted.
Watch / Read — English subs included 👆
🎙Remarks by President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the main Plenary Session of the XVII BRICS Summit(July 6, 2025)
💬President Putin: Colleagues, friends.
First of all, I would like to join the words of gratitude to President Lula da Silva and the Brazilian Chairmanship for their active efforts in advancing the strategic partnership within #BRICS.
It is important that the BRICS countries continue to deepen their cooperation across key sectors in politics, security, the economy and finance, cultural and humanitarian contacts.
This group has significantly grown and now includes leading states in Eurasia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Together, we possess a vast political, economic, scientific, technological, and human potential.
📈 The BRICS countries account for not only a third of the Earth’s landmass and almost half the planet’s population, but also for 40 percent of the global economy, while their combined GDP at purchasing power parity stands at $77 trillion. This is the 2025 data according to the IMF. By the way, BRICS is substantially ahead of other groups in this parameter, including G7 with $57 trillion.
Year after year, our group’s global authority and influence continue growing. BRICS has rightfully established itself as one of the key centres of global governance, with our collective voice in support of the global majority’s vital interests resonating ever more powerfully across the international stage.
BRICS has many supporters in the Global South and East. The culture of an open partnership and cooperation, mutual respect and consideration for each other’s interests in the group appeals to them. Based on this knowledge, during the summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, we decided to establish a category of BRICS partner states, to develop ad hoc practical cooperation with all interested countries. BRICS has ten partner states to date.
🌐 I will stress that the BRICS countries represent different development models, religions, authentic civilisations and cultures, while unanimously upholding equality and neighbourliness. They prioritise traditional values, the high ideals of friendship and accord, striving to contribute to global stability and security, the prosperity and success of all nations. Without doubt, this constructive approach and unifying agenda are highly relevant amidst the geopolitical challenges of today.
We all see that the world is experiencing tectonic shifts. The unipolar system of international relations that once served the interests of the so-called golden billion, is losing its relevance, replaced by a more just multi-polar world. Global economic patterns are changing faster. Everything indicates that the liberal globalisation model is becoming obsolete while the centre of business activity is gravitating towards developing markets, launching a powerful growth wave, including in the BRICS countries. To maximise the emerging prospects, it is important to intensify cooperation within the group, primarily in technology, effective resource development, logistics, insurance, trade and finance.
It is important to continue expanding the use of national currencies in mutual payments. It is believed that creating an independent payment and monetary system within BRICS will expedite currency transactions while also ensuring their effectiveness and security. Furthermore, using national currencies in trade within BRICS is steadily growing. In 2024, the share of Russia’s national currency, the ruble, and the currencies of our friendly states in transactions with Russia and other BRICS countries reached 90 percent.
📄Read in full
🎙Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at Session II of the XVII BRICS Summit «Strengthening multilateral world order, financial and economic issues, artificial intelligence»(Rio de Janeiro, July 6, 2025)
📄Read in full
Key talking points:
• Strengthening the multilateral world order while the international system goes through fundamental transformations is one of the crucial tasks for#BRICS and for the entire international community.
• Multipolarity is not a choice but rather an objective reality which succeeds the outdated neoliberal model that actually builds on neocolonial practices. The traditional paradigm of globalization where the predominant role is played by the so-called developed states of the West is becoming a relic.
• Countries of the Global South and East are becoming a main driving force of the global economic growth. Regional organizations such as the African Union, CELAC, ASEAN, SCO, EAEU are playing an increased role. In this context conceptual and practical approaches are being developed to establish a new architecture of world economy based on the principles of equality, multilateralism and non-discrimination in trade, financial settlements, technology, logistics.
• BRICS countries account for more than 40% of the global gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity, and together with partner countries this figure is at 45% or 93 trillion dollars. Today BRICS represents more than 20% of global trade and almost a half of world population.
• The share of BRICS countries in trade with Russia is constantly growing and in 2014 it exceeded 48%, with 90% of mutual settlements made in national currencies.
• It is of significant importance to pursue the reform and depolarization of the Bretton-Woods institutions which should reflect a real state of affairs in the world economy. The continued use of the IMF and WB with a view to preserve neocolonial practices is unacceptable.
• The increasingly aggressive attempts by the West to introduce ideological ultimatums into the dialogue as what are virtually the main criteria – based on Western interpretations of human rights and democracy – are having an extremely negative impact on the delivery of the UN sustainable development goals.
• To address imbalances and to mobilize resources for development Russia introduced an initiative to create within BRICS a New Investment Platform with the participation of the New Development Bank (NDB). We thank colleagues for showing their interest to the promising initiative.
• Artificial Intelligence is becoming a critical technology. Experts estimate that AI contribution to the global domestic product will be at 20 trillion dollars by 2030.
• We will need to address issues related to ensuring universal access to advance developments in this field. Secret initiatives put forward by a number of countries and with restricted participation with a view to promote non-consensus approaches are fraught with the most serious consequences.
• The challenges associated with the development of digital technologies are transnational in nature and require collective response.
• I am convinced that BRICS nations together with like-minded countries will continue to lead in promoting a just multipolar world order that will provide favourable conditions for sustainable development of all States without exception.
✉️ President of Russia Vladimir Putincongratulated current staff and veterans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on their professional holiday, Diplomatic Worker's Day.
The message reads, in part:
✍️ The Russian Foreign Ministry can be justly proud of its rich and glorious history. Its employees have always served the Motherland with honour, displaying civic courage, exceptional professionalism and dedication to duty.
Continuing these traditions with dignity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the current challenging international environment, firmly and consistently defends Russia's legitimate national interests. It ensures effective cooperation with the global majority states in order to build a just multipolar world order based on mutual respect, the rule of international law, and the principles of equal and indivisible security. This is evidenced, in particular, by the productive work of the Russian chairmanship in #BRICS and the success of the Group’s Summit in Kazan.
There is no doubt that in the year of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory Russian diplomats will continue their active efforts in opposing any attempts to falsify history, manifestations of neo-Nazism, Russophobia and other forms of discrimination based on ethnic or religious grounds. Moreover, protecting the rights of our compatriots abroad remains a priority.
I am confident that the close-knit Foreign Ministry team will continue to work with utmost dedication, contributing to the strengthening of Russia's international standing.
I sincerely wish all employees of the Ministry's central office and diplomatic missions abroad continued success, and to the veterans of the diplomatic service good health, high spirits and longevity.
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with journalists from BRICS countries ahead of the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan(October 18, 2024)
Read and watch in full
Key talking points:
• In the modern world, creating nuclear weapons is not a difficult task. I do not know whether current-day Ukraine is capable of doing this now though. It is not easy for Ukraine today, but generally there are no big difficulties in this regard, with everyone knowing how it is done. <...> I can say straight away: under no circumstances will Russia allow this to happen.
• NATO is waging war against us with the hands of the Ukrainian soldiers, and Ukraine spares no lives for the interests of third countries, but Ukraine on its own does not use high-tech weapons: NATO does that.
• What sets BRICS apart from many other international organisations/fora? #BRICS was never meant to be created to oppose anyone. It is a group of countries that work together, guided by shared values, a common vision for development, and, most importantly, by the consideration of each other’s interests.
• In certain sectors, humanity’s existence is impossible without the BRICS countries, particularly in food and energy markets and so on.
• Russian-Chinese cooperation on the global stage is undoubtedly one of the key pillars of strategic stability worldwide.
• We do not interfere in [bilateral relations of other countries]. If there are any issues arising and if there is something that depends on us, we are ready to offer our services in resolving these issues, if they arise and if the participants in the corresponding process are interested in any involvement from our side.
• The United States should not have destroyed the [Middle East] Quartet. it worked, it was easier to agree on all positions. But the US monopolised the work, took all the responsibility and eventually failed.
• The main method to resolve the Palestinian issue is to create a full-fledged Palestinian state.
• 95% of Russia’s foreign trade with its partners is being done in national currencies. The United States did it themselves.
• The International Criminal Court has no universal power. This is an international organisation whose jurisdiction Russia does not recognise, like many other countries.
🎙Excerpts from President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at the Plenary Session of the AI Journey international conference
💬Vladimir Putin: Russia’s experience in the practical implementation of artificial intelligence is needed in various countries. Today, nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, as well as our partners from the #CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, the #SCO, #BRICS, and other associations are forming promising economic sectors and introducing innovations.
Russia unquestionably shares and supports their commitment to developing, and also supports domestic companies in creating AI-based products and services both for themselves and for the whole world.
We will provide the countries of the Global South and East with consultative and technical assistance in the domain of artificial intelligence. Of course, we hope that we will also borrow our partners’ achievements and implement joint projects based on equal access to knowledge, technology, and scientific achievements. This priority is enshrined in the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
We are ready to help create and apply generative models not only in Russian, but also in other languages. As I have said, these systems’ algorithms must be trusted, that is, clear, open, and unbiased. They must also be developed considering cultural and national peculiarities of each civilisation with its history, identity and traditions, which we, in Russia, deeply respect.
❗️I am confident that an international alliance of AI National associations and development institutions of the BRICS countries and other interested states will give a boost to this cooperation. This Alliance will be launched at the AI Journey conference today.
I hope that new foreign participants, including my colleagues, leaders of state, will attend this event.
📺 Remarks by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the General Debate of 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
Key points (Unofficial translation):
• 80 years ago the most terrible war in human history came to an end. More than 70 million people fell victim to hostilities, hunger and disease. In 1945 the course of world history changed forever. We hold sacred the memory of brotherhood-in-arms with all Allies who then stood on the side of truth in the struggle against the forces of evil.
• #UNCharterIsOurRules The principles and the Charter agreed upon by the founding fathers of our Organization still serve as a bright beacon for international cooperation.
• We advocate for the unconditional observance of the principle of equality. In it lies the guarantee that all countries can take their rightful place in world affairs, regardless of their military power, population size, territory or economy.
• Russia strongly condemned the Hamas militants’ attack on peaceful Israelis on October 7, 2023. However, there is no justification for the brutal killing of Palestinian civilians, just as there is no justification for terrorism.
• The Arabic language is not banned in Israel, nor is Hebrew in Arab countries or Iran – but the Russian language is banned in Ukraine. Let me recall that Article 1 of the Charter speaks of the need to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion. Europe remains silent, obsessed with the utopian goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.
• The rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in the territories still under the control of the Kiev regime must be fully restored. On this basis we are ready to discuss the security guarantees for Ukraine.
• Russia and the US bear a special responsibility for world affairs, for avoiding risks that could plunge humanity into a new war.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) and #BRICS play a special role as mechanisms for coordination of countries of the Global South and East.
• NATO is already cramped in Europe, and it is expanding into the Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, undermining the universal ASEAN mechanisms and creating threats not only to China and Russia but also to other countries in the region.
• Speaking of the future, we must not forget the lessons of the past – especially when Nazism is once again raising its head in Europe, militarization is gaining momentum under the same anti-Russian slogans. This causes particular concern given that a number of political figures, now in power in Brussels and certain EU and NATO capitals, seriously discuss World War III as a possible scenario.
• We call on member states and the Secretariat’s leadership to scrupulously follow all the Charter’s principles – without exception and without double standards. Then the legacy of the UN’s founding fathers will not be wasted.
Watch / Read — English subs included 👆