Maria Zakharova's Weekly Briefing: Select Outtakes

Even so it's a long read

As usual, Maria Zakharova’s Weekly Briefing for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs covers much material in both the remarks and Q&A sections. This week was marked by a very extraordinary event: The Canadian Government honoring a self-confessed Nazi-OUN member who was one of several thousands who escaped prosecution for his crimes via the special rat lines established by US, UK, and Canadiana policy prior to the end of WW2 and subsequent denial by the Canadian government that it knew anything about the history of the man honored—not just Zelensky. That the honoring was planned in advance and the Canadians knew exactly what they were doing and the nature of the war criminal they were honoring is proven by the issuance in Ukraine yesterday of a special commemorative stamp in honor of the man and the occasion:

Larry Johnson in an update at his blog says it’s a Ukie trick. The Ukie postal service has no such stamp in its catalog when its website was accessed today. Regardless, the event happened and Canadians are in CYA mode (Cover Your Ass). This event is one of the remarks we’ll be reading along with the update on Ukraine; update on the proceedings at the International Court of Justice; the situation in Moldova; and the 85th anniversary of the Munich Agreement. The Q&A session will feature the situation in Moldova, Armenia, Ukraine, and the APEC Summit. These represent about one-fourth of the topics discussed and questioned and IMO are the most important. Now it’s remarks about the dealings related to Ukraine, followed by Moldova and then the 1938 Munich Agreement:

The neo-Nazi Kiev regime continues to shell Russian regions, using missiles and shells supplied by NATO countries. On September 22 of this year, Sevastopol was again under attack. Moreover, there is not the slightest doubt that this attack was planned in advance using Western intelligence means - NATO satellites and reconnaissance aircraft, was carried out at the suggestion and in close coordination with the American and British intelligence services.

On September 23 and 24 of this year, Ukrainian neo-Nazis bombarded the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. On September 25 of this year, they fired at settlements in the Belgorod Region and the city of Krasnodon in the LPR. There are dead and wounded. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The obvious purpose of such terrorist acts is to divert attention from the failed attempts of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to intimidate people, sow panic in our society and ultimately destabilize the internal political situation in Russia.

No matter how hard they try to achieve the desired results in Kiev and somewhere across the oceans, they will not succeed. We are determined to put an end to all manifestations of neo-Nazism and misanthropic practices in Ukraine.

Russian courts, based on evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of Russia, continue to sentence Ukrainian neo-Nazis who committed serious crimes against the civilian population.

Last week, life imprisonment in a special regime colony was imposed on Ukrainian Armed Forces fighter D. Gangala, who fired at cars with local residents in March 2022 in Mariupol. As a result, three civilians were killed and one was injured.

Ukrainian militants Y. Buchkovsky, S. Gritsiv, S. Dolyagin, A. Kamenev, A. Kashirin, Y. Kucheryavenko, A. Liverchuk, A. Peretz, S. Pilipovich were sentenced to terms of 2022 and 25 years for the murder of civilians in Mariupol in the spring of 28, and A. Kashirin and D. Moskva were sentenced to terms of 22 and 24 years. Everyone is in a strict regime colony.

Ukrainian war criminal Viktor Katranich, who shot and killed a resident of Mariupol in February 24 for visiting Crimea, was sentenced to 2022 years in a high-security penal colony.

Ukrainian neo-Nazis will not be able to escape responsibility for their monstrous atrocities. They will definitely answer before the law. We will tell you about this regularly.

The barbaric crimes of the Kyiv regime do not stop NATO countries from supplying weapons to Ukraine. On September 21 of this year, the United States announced another "package" of military assistance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the amount of $325 million. It includes air defense systems, artillery and cluster munitions. According to The New York Times, on September 23, the first batch of American Abrams tanks was delivered to Ukraine.

On September 22, the European Commission reported on sending €1.5 billion to the Kyiv regime as part of a "package" of macro-financial assistance for 2023.

A new "package" of military aid (worth 400 million euros) to the regime of Vladimir Zelensky was announced in Berlin. Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, MRAP armored vehicles, 155-mm shells, IRIS-T medium-range missiles, 50 surface drones, etc., will be transferred to Kyiv.

The United States and its NATO allies continue to rely on the escalation of the conflict around Ukraine, regardless of any costs. Now it is also against the backdrop of talk of "peace" and negotiations, which Russia "refuses". And they absolutely do not care against what targets Western weapons will be used. They are well aware that civilians are under attack.

In Kiev, they do not hide the fact that Bandera dreams of striking deep into the territory of Russia at large cities, transport hubs, and civilian infrastructure. The Crimean Bridge, which the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Konstantin Budanov, recently promised to hit until complete destruction, may again be under the gun. Not a single non-governmental organization in the West and not a single international structure that has declared the protection of human rights and humanitarian values as its goal has seen such a misanthropic ideology.

We have taken note of how the West is silencing the voices of those who oppose the unrestrained pumping of weapons into Ukraine. The tone is set by the regime of Vladimir Zelensky, whose representatives are not ashamed to directly threaten Americans who oppose financial support for the Kiev regime. Information about such people is posted on the notorious website "Peacemaker" (we put it in quotation marks not only because this name is exactly the opposite expression of the essence of this resource) as "enemies of Ukraine". They are perceived by Bandera literally as criminals and they are sentenced. Relevant publications have already appeared in the media, but in Europe and overseas, no one cares. For them, human rights are only a political instrument of pressure on other countries.

Last week, Vladimir Zelensky made another trip to North America. The formal occasion was his participation in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. In fact, the current trip was more like a call to the authorities in the "Washington regional committee". True, with its own nuances. The hopes of Ukrainian visitors for large cash injections and guaranteed supplies of modern weapons in the amount in which they were apparently promised then did not materialize. In the United States, they limited themselves to the allocation of a relatively small regular "package" of military assistance. These costs, however, are more than compensated by the colossal economic benefits that the United States receives from the conflict around Ukraine.

A consolation for Vladimir Zelensky was a blitz visit to Canada, where he was "bathed" in applause. True, then they washed their hands for a long time. During his speech in the country's parliament, Vladimir Zelensky, Canadian parliamentarians and the diplomatic corps (I'm not talking about our representatives, but first of all I'm talking about NATO members, ours were not there) all together greeted the former punisher of the notorious SS Galicia division. Unlike all previous stories, this one really "exploded". All this caused a resonance even in the West. Such a unity of former and current supporters of fascist ideology once again confirms the neo-Nazi essence of the Kiev regime. I would like to say more and more extensively on this subject.

On September 30, we will celebrate the first anniversary of the accession of new subjects of the Federation to Russia - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. A year ago, their inhabitants exercised their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter, the International Covenants on Human Rights of 1966, the Helsinki Final Act of the CSCE of 1975, as well as the opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo of July 22, 2010, which confirmed the fact that the unilateral declaration of independence by a part of a state does not violate any norm of international law.

The results of the referendums held on September 23-27, 2022 speak for themselves: the residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia did not want to return to the life that the neo-Nazi regime had prepared for them. They defended their right to speak Russian language, to honor the history and culture of their ancestors, making a conscious and free choice in favor of Russia.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin proposed to celebrate September 30 annually as the Day of Reunification of the Russian Federation with new regions, submitting to the State Duma a corresponding draft amendment to the law "On the Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia".

The DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions are an integral part of our country, which must be completely liberated from the armed forces of Ukraine.

It is very symbolic that September 30 marks another important date - the 80th anniversary of the completion of the Chernihiv-Poltava strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops. It was held immediately after the end of the Battle of Kursk and was the first stage of the Battle of the Dnieper. It involved the main forces of three fronts - Central (under the command of K.K. Rokossovsky), Voronezh (under the command of N.F. Vatutin) and Steppe (under the command of I.S. Konev). They were opposed by the 700,<>-strong grouping of Hitler's armies "Center" and "South".

Under the onslaught of the Red Army, on September 15, 1943, the German command ordered its troops to urgently move beyond the Dnieper in order to prevent the further advance of our troops. Subsequent events in historical literature are often referred to as "running to the Dnieper". However, this did not help the German fascist invaders. On September 21-25, the advanced units of all three Soviet fronts reached the Dnieper in different places, crossed it and created bridgeheads for the development of the offensive. On September 23, the enemy was driven out of Poltava, and on September 29 - from Kremenchuk. The successful completion of the operation brought closer the defeat of the Wehrmacht near Kiev and the liberation of the city. The current followers of Bandera and Shukhevych in Kiev and the Western curators behind them should not forget about these events.

No matter how the West pumps the Kyiv regime with weapons, or hushes up and indulges in its monstrous crimes, trying to damage Russia, nothing comes of it and will not come of it. All the goals and objectives of the special military operation, as the Russian leadership said, will be fulfilled.

The Report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Events in Ukraine

On September 25 of this year, during the current 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Events in Ukraine presented a regular report on the results of its activities.

The accusations voiced by its chairman, Eduard Møse (Norway), which we cannot qualify otherwise than as groundless and unsubstantiated against the Russian authorities, are designed, among other things, to discredit Russian servicemen, do not stand up to scrutiny. The Commission's speculative conclusions are based on unsubstantiatedly unsubstantiated accounts of arbitrarily selected individuals who position themselves as "victims" and "eyewitnesses" of alleged crimes committed by the Russian armed forces. Let me remind you how many years we have insisted that representatives, in particular, of Crimea, Donbass, and non-governmental organisations working in the region have the opportunity to tell the UN, the Security Council and other structures and bodies of this international organisation about the results of their work. We have always been denied. Moreover, we and representatives of these non-governmental organizations and civil society were directly threatened, they were included in the lists of "Peacemakers" for their attempt to tell the truth within the walls of the UN.

The representative of Norway had no restrictions here. The algorithm for "processing" such information is problematic. There is no guarantee that the "testimony" received by the representative of Norway is not the result of answers to leading questions and a correctly drafted questionnaire by the UN.

It is characteristic that the Commission, as well as other human rights mechanisms of the UN system, persistently ignores the facts of massive and gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Kiev regime, preferring not to notice the crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, despite the fact that there are plenty of officially transferred materials by the Russian side. They do not see the armed formations of Ukrainian neo-Nazis and their crimes against the civilian population, as well as attempts to fully incorporate Nazi ideology into the political, state ideology of modern Ukraine. They did not see the bullying and torture to which Russian servicemen who were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are subjected.

This is despite the fact that we are constantly supplying the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant UN human rights structures with relevant materials, including those collected by the International Public Tribunal for the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis and Their Accomplices, which include video recordings of more than 400 interviews with victims of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Thus, the Commission's regular report only confirms the custom-made, biased and corrupt nature of its activities, which was originally laid down in the anti-Russian resolution of the HRC 49/1, which established this mechanism in March 2022.

Such staged and staged events in Bucha were needed in order to have an argument for the formation of such resolutions and structures, and in support of their activities to constantly refer to Bucha as "the very thing" that proves the "crime" of Russia. So where are the lists of the dead in this locality? Where are the stories of these people? Where are their relatives? We have seen the photos that the Ukrainian side presented to us. There were quite a few people in these photos and video frames. What prevents the Kiev regime from providing what is part of their accusations - information about the victims - for a year and a half? There were no casualties. A classic production just according to Nazi patterns, because this is exactly what the Nazis and fascists practiced during the Second World War. Quite so. The British and British intelligence services are well aware of this technology.

Canada’s Nazi Celebration and Fallout

This is the apotheosis of the immorality of the Canadian government. This does not mean that it has been or will be worse, but it is the clearest example of what we have been talking about for many years.

On September 22, the Canadian Parliament honored 98-year-old Bandera member Y. Gunko, who served as a volunteer in the SS Galicia Division, accompanied by applause from Prime Minister John Trudeau, the Speaker and members of the House of Commons, and the invited Western diplomatic corps, including, characteristically, the German ambassador, continues to cause indignation and condemnation even among Canada's closest allies. This was not expected by the Canadian ruling liberals. I see that all this took them by surprise.

George Trudeau himself justifies that he was not aware of the speaker's initiative, who immediately repented. Now he is no longer a speaker. The prime minister's team began to "clean" the Internet in order to hide incriminating footage. Funny people.

In the ignorance of the head of government and his right hand - Deputy Prime Minister H. Freeland, the granddaughter of Bandera M. Khomyak, is not believed in principle. That is, they didn't know who they were applauding at all? How do they govern the country then?

The main thing is that they not only knew, but are the ideologists of this very company of support for Bandera, representatives of the OUN-UPA, SS "Galicia", both directly participants in these criminal structures and their followers. They sponsor all these structures in their modern guise in Ukraine, send financial assistance there, and provide information and political support. Now it turns out that they didn't "know." How convenient. They knew what they were doing and had been doing it for years. It's just that this time they overdid it in Russophobia, insulting not only us, which they do regularly, but also the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and anti-Polish mass terror. Although I don't understand why, when honoring the same SS "Galicia" and Bandera takes place on the territory of Ukraine, the memory of the victims of the Holocaust is not insulted? Or is it a matter of geography? If a torchlight procession takes place in Ukraine and marches under the portraits of Sergei Bandera and Roman Shukhevych, and the members of the OUN-UPA are called heroes and paid an allowance, this is normal from the point of view of Western logic. And if the same thing happens, for example, in Canada and with the direct participation of the Canadian leadership, this is "not very good." What is the criterion? Where is the standard?

John Trudeau and his entourage are trying to turn the clock, stating that what happened is the result of "Russian propaganda and disinformation." Did the Russians invite Y. Gunko and write reference materials for J. Trudeau so that he would decide to participate in this Nazi? Have Russian newspapers been glorifying Vladimir Zelensky in Canada for many years, writing greetings about the Canadian position on the Kiev regime?

What does Bill Trudeau allow himself? What is it all about? It looks so ridiculous and clumsy that in Canada itself, some journalists (definitely not Russophiles) urge not to deny reality and give a fair assessment of what the current Canadian government is doing.

In the light of the shameful praise circulating on the Internet, Y. Gunko as a "Ukrainian and Canadian hero", "a veteran of World War II who fought for Ukrainian independence from the Russians" (as it is written in many media) and now "inspires" the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Let's rely on the well-known facts, as in Canada, the executioners and punishers from the SS Galicia division were warmed and patronized. There are plenty of these facts, among other things, because we published them.

The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Ottawa have repeatedly (1, 2, 3) talked about the crimes of this Nazi formation and the history of its "relocation" to Canada after the defeat of the Third Reich, about the role of the descendants of Bandera followers who were sheltered, but in fact fed, fattened and redirected by the Anglo-Saxons, including in Canada. These materials tell about the formation of an ultranationalist regime in Kiev.

The 14th SS Volunteer Division "Galicia" was formed in 1943 from among the Ukrainian ultranationalists of the OUN-UPA, who were engaged in the extermination of civilians. That was their task. They not only fought, but destroyed Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. The unit entered directly into hostilities with the advancing Red Army in the summer of 1944, when things went very badly for the Nazis.

In particular, "Galicia" was thrown into battle near Brody, where most of the division fell into the "cauldron". Its losses in killed and wounded amounted to about 60% of the personnel. The remnants retreated with the Wehrmacht and subsequently took part in the suppression of the Warsaw and Slovak uprisings, fought with the Yugoslav partisans in January 1945 That is, the front-line life of this unit, to which monuments were erected in Canada, and not just applause, turned out to be very short and shameful. And the punishers succeeded in atrocities and reprisals against civilians, to which there is a lot of historical evidence (1, 2).

Today, Canada is known to be at the forefront of those in the West who actively falsify the history of World War II. The glorification of Nazi criminals in this country is the subject of a large section in the Russian Foreign Ministry's report "On the situation with the glorification of Nazism, the spread of neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", published in August 2022. I recommend that John Trudeau, who accuses Russia of disinformation in this regard and says that everything that happened to him is the result of Russian propaganda, also read our report, which has been on the Foreign Ministry's website for a year now. Let H. Freeland print it out for him. He will find a lot of interesting things on this topic, enlighten himself a little and at least understand what the Canadian government is now accused of. Although I'm sure he knows, he pretends he doesn't.

Russophobia has reached such a clinical stage that even SS formations are ready to declare the current allies in the fight against Russia. Moreover, Canada finances and trains the ideological heirs of "Galicia" as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is also a fact. And no one even hides it. Canadian parliamentarians warmly applauded the punisher, who swore allegiance to Hitler, who fought with the Russians. In the House of Commons, there was not a single anti-fascist people's representative who would leave the hall in protest against the betrayal of their own history and the memory of tens of thousands of Canadians who died in the war against German Nazism. After all, these parliamentarians knew the agenda of the event in advance.

There is only one conclusion - Russophobia and liberal fascism, going hand in hand, have been elevated to the rank of state ideology in Canada. The celebration of the Nazi, which Prime Minister Trudeau denounced retroactively as "Russian propaganda," is a clear confirmation of this. The approach of the "collective West" is standard: if you don't know how and what to blame whom, immediately blame Russia, and everything will be written off, everything is possible. It's not funny anymore. This is the tragedy of the modern Western community and all those who swear allegiance to it.

It is very symptomatic that Russophobia is inherited in the Canadian ruling elite. The aforementioned H. Freeland glorifies (not that she is ashamed or tries to dissociate herself) the memory of her heroic roots. Who is her grandfather? During the Nazi occupation of Poland, M. Chomiak (which has been repeatedly written) published the newspaper Krakowskie Vesti in Krakow and then in Vienna. What kind of newspaper is this? It did not easily serve the Nazi occupation regime, but was taken away from the Polish-Jewish publisher M. Kafner. What did they do to him when this newspaper was taken away? Correct. He was exterminated along with his whole family in the Belzec concentration camp. The newspaper began to be published already under the Nazis, because it was supervised by the Nazi special services. It was used as a mouthpiece for Reich propaganda. This is what Ms Freeland's grandfather, who is now Deputy Prime Minister of the Canadian government, was doing. Do you believe that they didn't know who they were inviting to the Canadian Parliament? Do you believe that it was just the chairman of the Canadian parliament who "misfired"? What kind of misfire is this? This is a deliberate long-term policy of the Canadian establishment.

I wonder if now any of the grandchildren, great-grandchildren and those who fought Hitler's death machine in Canada will be able to say something? Will someone's voice be heard, someone will write an article or speak in the Canadian parliament? In the morning, I watched as the Canadian parliament began to urgently make excuses, and to develop something legislatively, to adopt some statements.

Do they really think that some piece of paper will be able to cover up the long-term political and material sponsorship of Hitler's collaborationism? No, it should be a deep and systematic work: the transfer of the rostrum from collaborators and all those who swore allegiance to fascism to anti-fascists. This is material and political support for anti-fascist movements in Canada. This is a complete repentance of what has been done and a rejection of this very Nazi ideology that permeates the Canadian establishment.

The most fantastic thing in this story is the reaction of the United States, Great Britain and France. Countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which received their seats only because then their troops and soldiers won peace from Nazism at the cost of their own lives. At least a word, a sentence or some small comment on social networks.

Do you know what a U.S. State Department spokesman said? He said he was not aware and was busy working at the UN General Assembly. Do you believe that? No. Because the General Assembly is taking place in the United States, in New York, where newspapers, websites and TVs are published in English. Also, inside the headquarters, the Internet works well. Do you believe that the U.S. State Department might not have noticed this? After all, we are talking about Canada's closest ally and neighbor? You believe that the Americans could not notice what is happening under their noses when they shove it into the affairs of countries located thousands of kilometers from the United States and not bound by allied obligations. These countries are not part of the same military-political blocs with them and do not want to have anything to do with the States, which constantly interfere in their affairs and delve into their domestic politics, endlessly condemning the violation of human rights. And Canada? She's there. Everything is in English there and you don't even need to translate it. It doesn't matter at all what language was spoken. It was applause for the Nazi.

No, we have not heard and will never hear anything from Downing Street, the White House, or the Champs-Elysées on this subject. This is not to harass Russian journalists. This is a Nazi inside the Canadian Parliament. And this, as you understand, is "sacred" for them.

It is a scandal that the Western community and the permanent members of the UN Security Council did not react in any way to this blatant fact of support for neo-Nazism. The refusal of the official condemnation of the honoring of the veteran of the SS division "Galicia" by the great powers is a shameful phenomenon that denounces them. A betrayal of the memory of ordinary American, French and British soldiers who gave their lives in the fight against Nazism. This looks especially cynical against the background of the US administration's attention to human rights issues and the fight against anti-Semitism. This is not easy in words, but only when it is profitable and necessary. Then that's it: the page is turned and forgotten. How much has been said about the Holocaust, events are held and money is spent, even laws are passed on the impossibility of denying or prosecuting Holocaust denial at the legislative level. Here is a glaring fact that they "did not see", "did not notice" and do not comment.

The very fact of such selectivity in assessments and judgments once again demonstrates a cynical calculation and a systematic approach to organizing such events in Canada. There is no doubt that they will continue, as well as the full support of this country (which runs ahead of the United States) for neo-Nazis in Kiev. It's time for the Simon Wiesenthal Friends Center and other custodians of the memory of the victims of World War II (as they say, the victims of the Holocaust) to realize: first they, the Nazis, came for the Russians, then they will come for you. Do you think you are guaranteed? Of course not.

I would like to note that flirting with the Nazis and Ottawa's systematic hostile attacks will not remain without consequences. The matter will not be limited to protests, but will inevitably affect Russian-Canadian relations, which are in the deepest crisis because of Ottawa's position.

We consider Canada as an extremely unfriendly state, whose authorities have stained themselves with complicity with Nazism, betraying their own history, and we will build our policy accordingly.

Hearings at the International Court of Justice on Ukraine

On September 25, the International Court of Justice in The Hague continued oral hearings in the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian proceedings under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This week, the Russian side reacted to the statements of Ukraine and 32 states supporting it, which the Court admitted to the case as third parties.

The representative of Russia, Maria Zabolotskaya, drew the Court's attention to the Political Declaration of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter adopted on September 23. The Group warns against undermining the authority and independence of the International Court of Justice, including by abusing the right to intervene as third parties. By the way, the countries admitted to the case (mainly NATO members) not only exert pressure on the Court, but also deceive the judges, promoting positions contrary to what these same states stated in the cases against them in connection with the bombing of Yugoslavia before the Court.

Unlike NATO, Russia did not use accusations of genocide as the legal basis for its actions. In matters of the grounds for a special military operation, as well as the recognition of the DPR and LPR, we rely on the right to individual and collective self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter and the right of peoples to self-determination.

We reminded the Court of Ukraine's atrocities in Donbass and the neo-Nazi nature of the Kiev regime with the full connivance of the West. We pointed to the recent scandal in the Canadian Parliament, where a shameful celebration of the Nazi criminal, who was already talked about today, took place.

The Russian team of lawyers, including representatives of the main legal schools of the world, gave a detailed legal argument about the inadmissibility of the Ukrainian complaint and the lack of jurisdiction of the Court to consider the case. We hope that the Court will accept these arguments and maintain its independence against the backdrop of unprecedented political pressure exerted on it.

Update on Moldova

The Moldovan authorities continue to escalate anti-Russian rhetoric, accusing Russia of attempting "hybrid interference" in the internal affairs of the republic. On September 25, President Maia Sandu actually declared that "European values" are incompatible with cooperation with Russia.

It was necessary to think of this. In fact, nothing new has been said, but the form is impressive. The Moldovan leadership has integrated into the anti-Russian campaign of the West and lives in a vicious "either-or" paradigm. This is how everything in Ukraine began in the active phase. We consider this approach to be fundamentally erroneous and extremely dangerous. It does not meet the interests of the Moldovan people, who are traditionally friendly to our country and have consequences for the internal situation in Moldova. Russia has absolutely nothing to do with it. Such a formulation is blackmailing the citizens of Moldova, taking the citizens of this country hostage to the political, unhealthy ambitions of M.G. Sandu, which is based on Western grants, political and information support.

As for the unfounded accusations of "attempts to interfere" in Moldova's internal affairs, we hear them all the time. Official Chisinau has already announced that in the upcoming elections, Russia will "try to undermine" the ability of citizens to exercise democratic choice through "propaganda", "dirty money", "criminal groups" and so on. Maia Sandu knows about "propaganda", "dirty money" and "criminal groups" like no one else. Only with Russia it is not connected. Why is the Moldovan leadership lying in this way? The answer is obvious.

Despite significant support, including financial, from the "collective West", a month before the elections, the ratings of the authorities are at a record low. And it's true. No wonder. There is an explanation that Ms. Maia Sandu is silent about:

- the socio-economic situation in Moldova remains unfavorable due to the managerial miscalculations of the president and her team. No one but her is to blame for this;

- The principles of democracy and freedom of speech are not respected by the authorities. They are trampled. Opposition forces are persecuted, objectionable media outlets are closed, and their representatives are deported. On September 13 of this year, a similar thing happened to the head of Sputnik Moldova, Vladimir Denisov. There are many such examples;

- the opinion of the citizens of the country is not taken into account, their legal rights are infringed. This was clearly demonstrated by the story of the renaming of the Moldovan language to Romanian. Was it really so difficult to calculate the reaction? There is no need to blame the dissatisfaction of Moldovan citizens with the policy of Mikhail Sandu on Russia. Our country has nothing to do with it. The West has developed this thesis not only for Moldova. Another example is the disrespect of official Chisinau for the results of the will of the inhabitants of Gagauzia in the elections of the head of this region in April and May of this year, when the victory was won by representatives of the opposition who did not support the anti-Russian course of the central authorities. Do you remember what the Maia Sandu regime did to them?

So the Moldovan leadership has to promote slogans of the fight against fictitious "Russian propaganda", etc. to justify new repressive measures against dissenters. In particular, on September 25 of this year, on the air of one of the local TV channels, Moldovan President M.G. Sandu warned: "Where, for some reason, people elect representatives (in her understanding) of criminal groups, there will be no European money for the development of villages and cities." Please, this is what the "European values" so cherished by Maia Sandu and politicians like her are all about: it is unreasonable to defame opponents and suppress them by illegal means – economic and financial sanctions or armed, aggressive actions (remember the fate of the countries destroyed by NATO: Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya).

Now about the fact that "if people choose representatives of criminal gangs." And where was the government of M.G. Sandu all this time? Why are criminal gangs at large? Is it people's fault that they are free? It is the Moldovan government's fault that the criminals are at large. Now they are making up stories that some "criminal gangs" can be chosen by the citizens of Moldova. That's funny. Where is your power unit? Where are the law enforcement agencies, Ms. M.G. Sandu?

Now about the "values" that Maia Sandu aspires to and says that "European values" are supposedly incompatible with cooperation with Russia. Let's talk about "European values". Could you list them? What are these "values", and how are they implemented in practice that contradict Moldova's cooperation with Russia? I just want to hear, read a list with specific examples. Just don't rant about democracy, about freedom of speech. Specific examples. For you, Ms. Ms. Sandu, I have specific examples of how "European" values are implemented there.

85th Anniversary of the 1938 Munich Agreement

September 30 is the most important historical date, marks the 85th anniversary of the Munich Agreement - one of the most tragic and shameful events in the history of European politics, which became the prologue to the outbreak of World War II. It was the most shameful. Now everything that the Western community, NATO, and the European Union is doing overlaps even the Munich Agreement in terms of the degree of fall, baseness and immorality. The roots come from there.

Let me remind you that on the night of September 29-30, 1938 in Munich, the Prime Ministers of Great Britain and France, N. Chamberlain and E. Daladier, through the mediation of the head of the fascist government of Italy, B. Mussolini, signed an agreement with A. Hitler on the transfer of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to Germany.

Poland and Hungary took part in this criminal division of a sovereign European state. Additions to the main text of the agreement provided for a "solution within three months" of the problem of the Polish and Hungarian minorities in the modern country. Later, Warsaw and Budapest grabbed the "tidbits" of Czechoslovakia - the Cieszyn region, Transcarpathian Ukraine and part of Slovakia. The Polish government, at the same time, showed such impatience that it caused a shock even in the Western establishment. As Winston Churchill figuratively noted, Warsaw "with the greed of a hyena took part in the robbery and destruction of the Czechoslovak state."

Having chosen the tactics of appeasing the aggressor at the expense of a sovereign Czechoslovak state, the leaders of Western European countries believed that they could not only deflect the threat from themselves, but also direct the full power of the German military machine to the east, against the Soviet Union. On the same day, September 30, 1938, Britain signed a declaration of non-aggression with Hitler, and three months later, on December 6, 1938, France signed a similar agreement with Germany.

I would like to emphasize: Britain and France at that time were connected with Czechoslovakia by allied treaties. They have a moral responsibility to trample on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a classic example of the catastrophic consequences that Western countries can lead to disregard for the norms of international law and their belief in their own exclusivity.

September 30, 1938 is a date that the West prefers not to remember. Neither London nor Paris has yet made an official apology to either the Czechs or the Slovaks for the crime committed against their state.

Russian historians have long given an unequivocal assessment of the role of Western European countries in the Munich Agreement. The relevant materials were published, among other things, on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. In 2008, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the "agreements" in Munich, archival data were declassified, according to which it is possible to trace in detail the motives that pushed London and Paris to collude with A. Hitler. In 2018, based on the materials of the Federal Archive Service and the Russian Historical Society, a large-scale documentary exhibition "Munich - 38. On the verge of disaster" (currently posted on the website of the State Archives of the Russian Federation).

The Russian scientific community continues its efforts to bring to the general public the historical truth about the Munich Agreement - today the Rossiya Segodnya International Multimedia Press Center will host a press conference with the participation of prominent historians dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Munich Agreement.

We believe that London and Paris must admit responsibility for the events of 85 years ago. Today, when the "collective West" supports the criminal regime in Kiev, the Munich Agreement of September 30, 1938 should serve as an edification about what attempts to flirt with Nazism can turn out to be.

If the historical realities of the nineteenth, eighteenth and seventeenth centuries are subject to revision, then London and Paris are quite ready to admit the obvious - the criminality of the Munich Agreement, in which they participate.

Now the selected Q&As:

Question: How would you comment on the US authorities' refusal to invite Russia to the APEC summit?

Maria Zakharova: We have seen Washington's decision. It fully fits into the general outline of the behavior of the United States, which habitually abuses its international obligations of the host country.

Suffice it to recall that this pernicious practice has been going on for many years at the UN, where the US side shamelessly and systematically violates the founding 1947 Headquarters Agreement by refusing to issue visas to official representatives from Russia and other countries. As part of the recent high-level week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was forced to once again call on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch an arbitration procedure against the United States on this topic as soon as possible. It is regrettable that the leadership of the Secretariat is shunning this long-overdue step, thereby encouraging the irresponsible actions of the Americans. This is just one example to remind us that the United States has been behaving this way for a long time and with many.

As for APEC. We are not the only economies of the forum who have faced this problem. The confrontation whipped up by the Americans, as we all well imagine, is not limited to Russia. In Washington, a sense of its own exclusivity flourishes, and imagining themselves to be an international referee, they constantly seek to use the levers of dictatorship and the language of ultimatums in relation to a variety of international partners. Now they are "training" at APEC.

What are we going to do? We will continue to work for the United States to fully comply with its obligations under the APEC watch, being convinced of the fundamental importance of preserving APEC as a constructive platform for inclusive dialogue that cannot be usurped by one person for selfish purposes. We will work closely with other partners who share our position, pushing our colleagues to protest more actively against the flawed line of the Americans. As events unfold, we will give our reaction.

How would you describe the current humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh?

Maria Zakharova: We see that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains difficult, to put it mildly. First of all, we would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the explosion at a fuel and lubricants depot near Stepanakert/Khankendi on September 25, and to wish all the injured a speedy recovery. Russian peacekeepers took an active part in extinguishing the fire and providing emergency medical care at the scene. 165 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh seriously wounded as a result of this tragic incident were evacuated by RCC helicopters to the territory of Armenia to continue treatment in a specialized hospital.

We will continue to make every effort to ensure the normal life of the population. The main stabilizing mechanism in the region remains the Russian peacekeeping contingent, which selflessly fulfills its duty.

Question: Russia has repeatedly said that the conflict in Ukraine would be over tomorrow if such a decision were made in Washington. But, at the same time, we recognize that everything suits everyone in Washington - the United States gives Ukraine money, which is issued by the US Treasury Department in any necessary amount. In addition, American arms companies also receive profits from these supplies. Why would the U.S. stop when the situation is so convenient for them? What additional arguments could Moscow offer to stop this conflict?

Maria Zakharova: Why are you asking me why the United States should stop? We see that they do not want to stop, that all the balancing act that has now begun with the words "negotiations", "peace", etc., is only to divert attention. Their main efforts are focused on making this conflict long-term, sluggish or with active phases, but prolonging it as much as possible. That is, to do everything to ensure that this "wound" never heals: the supply of weapons, political support, money and direct participation in the form of instructors, services, mercenaries.

Earlier, speaking about the crisis in Ukraine, I have already touched upon the issue of arms supplies. We have repeatedly said that nothing, not even the barbaric crimes of the Kiev regime against the civilian population, stop the United States from supplying weapons to Ukraine. Today I announced the data that we have on the scale of these supplies. They have become a little smaller, but still ongoing. The United States is still "extorting" the same support for the needs of the Kyiv regime from the countries of the European Union. No, they're not going to stop.

Answering the second question, what needs to be done to resolve the conflict around Ukraine. It is necessary to stop pumping the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons, and the Kyiv regime needs to stop hostilities and withdraw the troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Russian territories.

First of all, this is, of course, the cessation of sponsorship of the terrorist activities of the Kiev regime. The United States and other Western, NATO-centric countries have entire legislative provisions on the impossibility and legislative prosecution of those who sponsor terrorism and terrorist regimes. The Kiev regime is a terrorist regime. Qualifications will be given differently in different countries. Some will call it terrorism, some will call it a terrorist regime, some will call it terrorists, it doesn't matter. Everyone already understands that the acts they commit are terrorist. We are talking about systematic intimidation, committing actions against civilians and civilian objects. The terrorist nature of the activities of Vladimir Zelensky and his "gang" is obvious. The United States sponsors all this contrary to its own legislation.

Question: On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's message and the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh. Have there been any contacts with the Armenian side since then? Has Yerevan heard us and what constructive steps can be taken to normalize relations?

Maria Zakharova: Probably, it is better to ask about the reaction of the Armenian side to the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan. I think that even a deaf person would hear what is happening there. This is not only a matter of Moscow's reaction. The reaction swept around the world.

In general, contacts at various levels continue. We hope that our signals will be heard and taken properly. In many ways, our reaction is reciprocal. This is what our statement says.

Russia has always taken care of allied relations with Armenia and has never been the initiator of their aggravation, doing everything possible to support the people of Armenia in the most difficult situations. This will continue to be the case. We believe that all agreements on the development of bilateral cooperation will continue to be implemented in the interests of the peoples of the two countries.

Question: How would you comment on the following words of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Nakhichevan on September 25: "The Soviet government separated Western Zangezur from Azerbaijan, and thus the geographical connection between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan was interrupted"? We would like to know your opinion on Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement regarding the possibility of opening the Zangezur corridor soon.

Maria Zakharova: We see how dynamically the situation on the ground is developing. We know the history of the whole situation well: in the current period, in the Soviet period and before that. I would not comment on history now for only two reasons. The first is that now the situation is developing dynamically and requires rather prompt comments. Secondly, commentary on historical facts takes a very long time. I think that for this there are historians and relevant experts to whom it is better to address this question.

I will move on to the second point related to the current situation. Armenia and Azerbaijan have recognized each other's territorial integrity and will be guided by this principle in their practical actions. The Russian side is interested in a stable situation in the South Caucasus. He is in favor of resolving all controversial issues exclusively through political and diplomatic means.

At the same time, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are allied states. We have security obligations with Yerevan both bilaterally and within the framework of the CSTO. The Declaration on Allied Cooperation, signed at the highest level in Moscow on February 22, 2022, is being successfully implemented with Baku.

As for the topic of unblocking transport communications in the region, this issue is being carefully considered through the Trilateral Working Group co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. We are convinced that it is in this format that a mutually acceptable solution can and should be found that would guarantee the sovereignty and jurisdiction of each country over the routes passing through its national territory. Such agreements, based on a balance of interests, will benefit both the states of the region and their neighbors, including Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Question: Last week you met with Acting Chairman of the opposition Moldovan Renaissance Party Nicolae Paraska. A few days later, the Moldovan prosecutor's office searched her and other party members in the case of illegal financing of the political party. There were detentions of some party members. How would you comment on what happened?

Answer: It's funny and sad at the same time. Why is it sad? This applies to many candidates, politicians, public figures who claim to realize the right to be heard in modern Moldova. People come to them with searches, arrests, they are subjected to harassment. It's really sad, sad, tragic.

Why is this funny? On the eve of the general local elections in Moldova on November 5, the US administration is actively engaged in the "reform" of the Moldovan information security and law enforcement sector. The goal is to neutralize the Russian information presence and create police tools for the pro-American regime in Chisinau.

I would like to draw your attention to something else. Two US delegations went to Moldova to implement these plans: on September 18-19 of this year, headed by US Special Representative of the US Department of State and Coordinator of the Center for Global Interaction Dmitry Rubin, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Programs and Operations of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs R. Shiller. Question: Have the searches of the homes of Moldovan political statesmen who met with Dmitry Rubin and Robert Schiller already taken place? Or are searches carried out only at the homes of Moldovan citizens, politicians and public figures who meet with Russian representatives and journalists? It seems to me that it is necessary to check what officials in the Moldovan government were doing, who met with representatives of the US State Department and the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs? What were these meetings, how did they end, what is going on with them? This is if we act in line with the current regime in Chisinau.

As a result of these visits of the Americans and negotiations in the Moldovan government, a memorandum of cooperation was signed to combat foreign manipulation of information, and a meeting was held with the head of the Moldovan border service, R. Vasiloy, to discuss assistance in modernizing the country's law enforcement agencies according to Western standards.

All this is not interference in the affairs of Moldova before the elections? Is this not an American influence not just on the minds of the Moldovan voter, but on the tools that should be democratic, and now clearly biased by Westerners and working for their interests? Shouldn't those who guard the interests of Moldova check with whom and on what occasions the representatives of the Moldovan government met with these Americans?

As a follow-up to these contacts, a new training center for law enforcement officers was opened on September 21 this year within the framework of the United Nations Development Program project funded by the United Nations Development Program to strengthen the capacity of Moldovan police officers. That's it.

I very much hope that there is no direct connection between our meeting and Natalia Paraska and that the pressure on the Renaissance Party has nothing to do with Russia, given the long history of relations between our countries. But I see what is happening. It is impossible not to see this American landing before the elections in Moldova, directly related to the areas that regulate the pre-election situation in this country.

I would like to express the hope that the situation will not become a harbinger of a political crisis and will be resolved exclusively in the legal field. I am talking about Nicolae Paraska and many public and political figures in Moldova, including journalists.

Question: Is there any chance now to restore relations between Moscow and Yerevan at the same level and eliminate all the rough edges that have arisen recently? What is needed for this? Also, the authorities of Yerevan continue to insist on sending international observers to the region. Does the current situation require such a solution, given that Moscow recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan?

Maria Zakharova: I said at the beginning of the briefing that contacts are maintained. We should not pay attention to those who are now making extremist statements of various kinds, who are questioning our relations. This will all pass. We have already seen this in the example of other states. We understand who is standing and inciting such sentiments.

Believe me, the people of Armenia have gone through many life trials. Such life tragedies, perhaps, did not fall to any people. He knows who is the enemy, who is the friend, and who is so. The people of Armenia know that assistance in various forms and formats has always come from Russia. Is it on its territory, which received a huge number of people from Armenia at different historical moments. Either it was our peacekeepers, or our humanitarian aid, or economic support. It was different. The people of Armenia know and remember this. Despite the fact that colossal resources have now been thrown into the information processing of the media space within this country. Two thousand people are employees of the US Embassy, who are engaged in exactly this - information processing of the information space in Armenia.

Again, we see this. Like everyone around. And this too shall pass. I wish everyone that this will pass with minimal consequences, although we know that either where the American "leg" passes or what the American "hand" touches, unfortunately, is subject to the deepest crises. Now, unfortunately, we are seeing this in the region. Because over the past year, the Western world, Washington, Brussels, Paris have declared themselves as new mediators and guarantors. You can see what all this has led to.

Russia continues its mission. Our peacekeepers are in the region. This is the best confirmation of our intentions and a real, true attitude. I repeat, we have always taken care of our allied relations with Armenia. We have never been and will never be the initiator of their aggravation.

We believe that all agreements on the development of bilateral cooperation will continue to be implemented in the interests of the two peoples.

Question: In the statement of your Ministry of September 25 of this year, Armenia is called "a hostage to the geopolitical games of the West." How do you assess the goals of the US and NATO policy in Armenia? What can Russia and Armenia's other allies in the CSTO expect? In particular, how, in your opinion, can the situation in Armenia "destabilize the common Eurasian space", as noted in the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry?

Maria Zakharova: The Foreign Ministry's statement largely answers your questions. The text emphasizes that the United States and other NATO countries have set the goal of destabilizing our common Eurasian space. Westerners have previously viewed the post-Soviet territory as an arena of geopolitical rivalry with Russia. Against the backdrop of events around Ukraine, they have ceased to even hide the fact that their main goal is to squeeze Moscow out of the South Caucasus. In order to achieve this, we are ready for any adventures and sacrifices, whether it is a military escalation or undermining stability in a particular country.

We can see the destructive fanaticism with which the Americans are "processing" Yerevan: the head of the US Agency for International Development, known for its Russophobia, Stephen Power, acting Deputy Secretary of State Yoo Kim, who recently admitted during the hearing that they are engaged in reorienting countries away from alliance, interaction or cooperation with Russia, and a congressional delegation headed by Senator J. Peters. It is only in the last days and only something that no one denies, because it is on the surface.

According to incoming information, Washington and Brussels are convincing the Armenian leadership to withdraw from the CSTO, speed up cooperation with NATO, reorient military-technical cooperation, and sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan without taking into account the rights and security of Karabakh Armenians.

We also see that in pursuit of these goals and results, Westerners have forgotten about any values in the field of human rights. Some kind of another pseudo-democracy: they turn a blind eye to the harassment, beatings and arrests of demonstrators in Armenia. It has always been said that the internal affairs of the country, the country will figure it out on its own. But the U.S. sees every protester, for example, in Iran. If they saw from the rostrum of the State Department what is happening in Iran, they probably see what is happening in Yerevan. I think so, but no, they are silent. They do not see and do not want to comment on what is happening to the opposition, which is threatened if the rallies continue. These are no longer double standards. This is a lack of standards, an absolute violation of one's own democratic values. In fact, this is interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.

Q: Recently, China published a white paper titled "Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind: China's Initiatives and Actions."

There are lines in the book that the joint creation of a community with a common future for mankind is not the replacement of one system or civilization with another, but the path to mutual benefit, equal rights and obligations of all states. Over the past 10 years, this concept has been constantly evolving. How do you assess the content of this book and the importance of the concept of the "Community of the Common Future of Mankind" as a whole, its importance and content, if you had time to get acquainted with it?

Maria Zakharova: We believe that the content of this book is of interest to a wide range of readers and, above all, to international experts.

In the spring of this year, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin approved an updated version of the Foreign Policy Concept. The provisions of our document are in many respects similar and even unified with the Chinese concept of the "Community of a Common Future for Mankind".

In particular, we share the call for solidarity of the international community and joint efforts in responding to the common challenges of our time and confronting traditional and non-traditional security threats. Together with China, we stand for the formation of a fairer world order, equal partnership, and the development of interstate relations based on the UN Charter and international law, and not on some kind of "rules-based world order" promoted by the West.

Here are a few points of either convergence or global coincidence.

Lots of focus on the situation in Armenia, not so much on Ukraine. I added the last Q&A as it substantiates what I wrote in my article about that “book” and how it meshes with Russia’s foreign policy. The Armenian situation goes back several hundred years and involves the history of the Ottoman Empire along with the contest between the Ottoman and Russian Empires over the Caucasus. I agree that Maria was correct to defer the very complex history to experts. The Munich Agreement was included because of the links it contains to documents related to that event. The opening of Russia’s WW2 archives has revealed much in an attempt to set the record straight.

*

*

*

Like what you’ve been reading at Karlof1’s Substack? Then please consider subscribing and choosing to make a monthly/yearly pledge to enable my efforts in this challenging realm. Thank You!