Russia
Source: mid.ru

On April 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil Mauro Vieira on the sidelines of the BRICS Council of Foreign Ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

During their conversation, the ministers discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts, including specific parameters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s forthcoming participation in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The ministers engaged in a substantive exchange of views on key aspects of cooperation between the two countries in various fields. They emphasised their intention to further strengthen the entire range of Russian-Brazilian relations.

The parties paid special attention to the interaction between Moscow and Brasilia within BRICS, which is chaired by Brazil this year, as well as in other international platforms, in particular the United Nations and the G20. In addition, the ministers addressed a number of international issues, including the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Mr Minister,

Dear friend,

Colleagues,

Indeed, we meet regularly and frequently, which allows us to remain in good shape.

You said that we are likely to live for a long time in an era of change. As far as I know, there is an old Chinese proverb that says, “God forbid you should live in an era of change.” But that saying dates back a long time. Today, China is one of the main drivers of global change, and perhaps such change is indeed necessary.

As you mentioned, there is an ongoing struggle between those trying to preserve a unipolar system, rooted in colonial and neocolonial practices long used by the West to conduct world affairs, and those who are working to build a just, multipolar world order. This new order must be based, as stated in the UN Charter, on the principle of sovereign equality among all states.

Together with China, our BRICS and SCO partners, and other allies, we are active participants in this transformation and stand at the forefront of the movement for justice and equality. This imposes a special responsibility on us, especially in fulfilling the objectives set by the leaders of our countries.
We look forward to the official visit of President Xi Jinping to the Russian Federation to take part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, for which we are actively preparing.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

It is a pleasure to see you. It is gratifying that we have established an additional platform for regular engagement. We congratulate you on participating in BRICS events as a partner country.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin asked me to convey through you his warmest regards to President of Bolivia Luis Arce and to express his readiness to further deepen our collaboration.

We will work jointly with you to implement these agreements, taking into account, inter alia, the meeting held in Kazan in 2024.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

On April 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda of the Plurinational State of Bolivia on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting.
A comprehensive exchange of views was conducted on pressing issues of bilateral collaboration across various fields, including cooperation in trade and economic spheres, as well as prospects for the implementation of large-scale investment projects. The parties reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the multifaceted Russian-Bolivian ties.

The two states underscored their dedication to upholding the central role of the United Nations and the principles of international law. Matters pertaining to Bolivia’s engagement with BRICS in its capacity as a partner country were also addressed.

Russia
Source: en.interaffairs.ru

China and its partners in the Brics group of developing countries will increasingly stand up for international co-operation as the US withdraws under President Donald Trump, a top Brazilian diplomat said. “China and developing nations are today the main defenders of the multilateral system,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s top foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim told ‘The Financial Times’ in an interview. “What’s fundamental is to have rules which are multilaterally accepted.”

The comments reflect a global trend of countries focusing on relationships that do not involve the US, as Trump imposes blanket tariffs and threatens long-standing allies. “As the United States steps back from multilateralism, from the economic and social order which they themselves created after the second world war, the space for the Brics increases,” said Amorim, 82, who has guided Brazilian foreign policy over more than three decades, mostly at Lula’s side.

Brasília will push for deeper co-operation between the Brics grouping — led by founders Russia, India, China, and Brazil — at a July summit in Rio de Janeiro. The focus will be key Lula priorities such as tackling poverty and boosting sustainable development, as well as energy and economic co-operation.

Latin America’s biggest nation, Amorim is at pains to point out, “does not have exclusive alliances” but wants good relations with all major powers.

He argued that if Brazil boosted the Brics, this would help the G20 group of developed and developing nations. “The strengthening of the Brics has given force to the G20,” he said, citing last year’s well-attended G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro as an example.

Ultimately, Amorim thinks a world order without Washington is impossible. “Little by little, we will have to attract the United States again,” he said. In the meantime, Brazil will try to avoid conflict with the US but “we’re also not going to stop giving our opinion”.

Trump’s tariffs, he believes, create “an enormous risk of returning to the 1930s”.

Washington’s big rival China is by far Brazil’s main export market and relations between Beijing and Brasília are close, with Amorim counting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as a “very good friend”.

But he stressed that each country had its own path and that “we don’t have to copy anyone’s model”.

Brazil has not signed up to Beijing’s flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, in contrast with most of Latin America.

“I told him I don’t have anything against Belt and Road but it has to come with content,” the veteran Brazilian diplomat said of his talks with Wang. “It can’t be something we sign up to and then see what happens. He understood perfectly.”

Brazil has also taken a different line on Brics expansion to China. It welcomed the entry of Indonesia but did not want, Amorim said, to reproduce a previous developing world bloc, the Non-Aligned Movement, because that group was too large to agree on practical action.

Reflecting Brazil’s all-embracing diplomacy and his own long diplomatic career, including two stints as foreign minister and one as defence minister, Amorim said he had good relationships with key aides to Russia’s Vladimir Putin and with top Americans, such as Jake Sullivan when the latter advised Joe Biden as president.

Brazil
Source: brics.br

The first day of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro City, held this Monday, April 28, ended with one common belief: multilateral cooperation is the answer for the promotion of peace and development. Addressing global and regional crises; Reforming international institutions for a more inclusive and sustainable governance; and the Role of the Global South in strengthening multilateralism were the guiding themes for the three discussion panels.

During his opening statement, Brasil's Foreign Minister, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, highlighted the unique position of the group in primoting dialog and stressed the sovereign equality of the nations. “As a group, BRICS recognizes the strategic interests and the legitimate economic and security interests of each of its members, both in their respective regions and across the globe. This is part of our contribution to the fair distribution of power on global issues, which is required to enable us to reach peace, development, and sustainability. We defend diplomacy instead of conflict, and cooperation instead of unilateralism,” stated the Ambassador.

The meeting marks a historic milestone as the first official agenda of BRICS Foreign Ministers following the group's expansion. Considering that the full compositor lasted for fourteen years (Brasil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), the increase in the number of member and partner countries formally implicated in the goals of Global South cooperation represents 300%. Tomorrow (29), the ministers are expected to finalize and publicize a joint declaration that will subsidize the BRICS 2025 Final Declaration. The document will be validated by the group's heads of State and government at the Leaders Summit in July, also in Rio de Janeiro.

In defense of peace

Another issue that marked Vieira's statement was a call for peace, pointing out conflict situations in several regions of the globe. In 2023, the world registered a total of 183 conflicts, the largest record in decades, with wars and confrontations within and among nations. This number represents an unprecedented peak in the last 30 years, coming close to the levels recorded during the Cold War.

“Human suffering must never be instrumentalized. BRICS must continue to uphold a global humanitarian system that is neutral, unpoliticized, and genuinely universal. The path towards peace is neither easy nor linear. But BRICS can and must be a force for the good, not as a confrontation bloc, but as a cooperation coalition,” stated the minister and meeting coordinator.

Highlights included the deterioration of the humanitarian security and economic situation in Haiti, the escalating tensions in Sudan and in the Great African Lakes region, the impact of the conflict in Ukraine, and the devastating landscape in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Regarding Ukraine, the minister emphasized the urgent need for a diplomatic solution that upholds the principles of the United Nations Charter and recalled the “Friends of Peace Group”, established in September last year by initiative of Brasil and China, during a High-Level Meeting of Global South Countries held in New York, United States.

In relation to the situation in Palestine, the Ambassador once again condemned the continuous obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the resuming of Israeli bombings. Vieira stressed the need to ensure the total removal of Israeli forces from Gaza, as well as the release of all hostages. Brasil is among the countries that signed the Two-States solution, which proposes a fully independent and viable Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Bilateral opportunities

Gathering ministers from different countries of the world in one same place provides a unique opportunity to discuss high-level issues. In this sense, the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting has become an even more special venue. In this scope, Brasil – in its role as forum president and event convener – participated in several bilateral sessions, a strategic meeting model held between two State entities to advance cooperation on a variety of issues.

In this case, as the host, Brasil does not request bilateral meetings, but is at the receiving end of requests generally presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the embassies of the corresponding countries. During these meetings, country representatives have the chance to highlight the issues of greater relevance for their nations and to anticipate interventions that will be made during the general sessions, for example.

Yesterday, April 27, the day prior to meeting, Minister Mauro Vieira received his counterparts from Indonesia (Sugiono), Russia (Sergey Lavrov), Thailand (Maris Sangiampogsa), and Uganda (Abubakher Jeje Odongo); this Monday morning, April 28, he received Ethiopia (Gedion Timothewos).

Russia
Source: mid.ru

On April 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Council meeting.

The parties praised the current state of bilateral relations, which are developing amidst ongoing global turbulence. They also discussed the progress in implementing the agreements reached by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping, including current issues of practical cooperation.

Special focus was placed on the preparations for the Chinese president’s upcoming official visit to Russia to attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The ministers noted the key importance of the leaders’ diplomacy for further deepening the relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between the two countries, including coordination in the international arena.

An in-depth discussion took place on the current state and development prospects of BRICS, with the parties noting the association’s growing international authority and its role in developing a constructive dialogue regarding the global agenda. Additionally, the sides reaffirmed mutual intention to further step up coordination in the UN, SCO, BRICS, and other major international organisations and multilateral formats.

The conversation took place in an atmosphere of trust typical of Russia-China dialogue.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Question: Expanding trade among BRICS countries is one of the objectives for Brazil’s chairmanship in this group in 2025. What kind of opportunities does Russia see in terms of increasing the share of trade transactions in national currencies?

Sergey Lavrov: We are witnessing an accelerating trend in the fragmentation of the global economy. Against this backdrop, it is quite natural for the countries of the Global South and East to reduce the share of Western currencies in their mutual settlements. No one wants to suffer from sanctions, considering that the West has been imposing them on undesirable countries by exploiting its monopoly on financial markets. Using reserve currencies as a competitive tool is unacceptable. Payment transactions can be blocked for political reasons, even when dealing with supplying socially important goods.

We have been working within BRICS to ensure that there are no disruptions when carrying out payments and have been quite effective in our efforts. To give you an example, the rouble and currencies of our friendly countries accounted for 90 percent of Russia’s settlements with BRICS countries in 2024.

Establishing resilient payment mechanisms is also among our priorities. Adopted in Kazan, the declaration of the BRICS 2024 Summit mentions the Trans-Border Payment Initiative, as well as payment and clearing infrastructure, a re-insurance company, and the New Investment Platform. These initiatives are designed to create favourable conditions for increasing trade and investment within BRICS. Russia hopes that we will continue working on these projects this year as part of Brazil’s chairmanship.

Question: Does the creation of a single currency remain a long shot for BRICS?

Sergey Lavrov: The effort to move away from the dollar, also known as the dedollarisation, has been one of the defining global economic trends, which is attributable to the lack of trust towards the Western-led international financial institutions.

It would be premature to discuss a transition to a single currency for BRICS. We are working together to create a payment and settlement infrastructure for carrying out cross-border settlements among BRICS countries. In particular, as I have already said, this includes increasing the share of national currencies in our transactions.

We can come back to the question about a common currency or a single payment unit for BRICS once the necessary financial and economic conditions are in place.

Question: Reinforcing global governance and promoting multilateralism is another major topic for BRICS. What do you think BRICS countries can do to this effect?

Sergey Lavrov: BRICS has become much stronger compared to when this group took shape back in 2006. Today, it stands as a focal point with a mission to coordinate the interests of the Global Majority’s leading countries. BRICS fully adheres to the principles of equality, mutual respect and balance of interest among its participants. Russia views this group as one of the pillars of a multipolar world and an important mechanism for international cooperation.

BRICS tends to attract countries seeking equal partnerships for the sake of fostering shared development. It was during Russia’s chairmanship in 2024 that BRICS leaders reaffirmed their decision to invite Indonesia to join BRICS. We also created a special status for partners. Nine countries have obtained it so far.

That said, BRICS countries are not seeking to take someone else’s place. Their aim consists of creating a favourable environment for building capacity. The group has other priorities too, including supporting countries within the Global Majority in addressing the urgent challenges they face, as well as increasing the representation of the Global South and East in global governance.

Question: Brazil calls for expanding the UN Security Council. What is Russia’s current stance on this issue? Would it vote for making Brazil a permanent member?

Sergey Lavrov: Russia believes in a balanced reform of the Security Council as one of the main UN bodies, which is primarily responsible, as per the UN Charter, for maintaining international peace and security.

It is absolutely obvious to us that the shaping of a multipolar world should include broader representation of the countries of the Global South and East, that is, Asian, African and Latin American countries, at the UN Security Council.

We believe that Brazil, which is conducting an independent foreign policy and can make a substantial contribution to settling international problems, is the right candidate for a permanent seat on the UNSC. We also support the nomination of India, on the condition that Africa would be represented at the Security Council as well.

I would like to use this occasion to point out that we are against giving more seats to Western countries and their allies. There are too many of them at the Security Council as it is. We are not ready to support the nominations of Germany and Japan because of the revival of the militarist ideology there and their openly unfriendly policy towards Russia.

Question: During consultations between foreign policy planning departments of the BRICS countries' foreign ministries, the Russian delegation mentioned talks with the United States on the Ukrainian conflict. What conditions should be created for launching Russia-Ukraine peace talks?

Sergey Lavrov: During our contacts with representatives of the US administration, we provided the details of the root causes and genesis of the Ukrainian crisis. We explained the parameters necessary for its final settlement, with due regard for Russia’s legitimate interests, primarily in the sphere of security and human rights.

We got the impression that our American counterparts now have a better understanding of Russia’s stance on the situation around Ukraine. We hope that this will help them during their dialogue with Kiev and individual European countries. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed me of the engagements he had in Paris on April 17 later the same day. He noted that the discussion was held in the spirit of the Moscow-Washington consultations.

We remain open to negotiations, but the ball is not in our court. Kiev has not shown readiness for negotiations so far. The latest evidence of that is the Ukrainian armed forces’ inability to respect the 30-day moratorium on strikes on energy facilities (March 18 to April 17) or the 30-hour Easter truce (from 6 pm on April 19 to midnight on April 21). Zelensky’s regime has shown that is lacks the political will for peace and the ability to stop the war, which is being fuelled by the Russophobic circles of certain EU countries, primarily France and Germany, as well as Britain.

Question: Do you think that other countries should take part in the potential peace talks, for example, Brazil, which maintains dialogue with both sides?

Sergey Lavrov: Russia appreciates the striving of our partners to help create conditions for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Over 20 countries and a number of regional associations in Latin America, Asia and Africa have put forth such initiatives.

Brazil is one of such countries. In January 2023, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed creating a multilateral negotiating format. That idea was reflected in the Brazilian-Chinese initiative for establishing the Group of Friends for Peace in Ukraine at the UN. Its operation is gaining momentum. The Group has held three meetings, and there are grounds to assume that it can become a respected platform of the countries of the Global South and East.

It is essential that all members of that Group of Friends for Peace take the root causes of the crisis into account and are guided in their activities by the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and as a whole. The principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states should not be applied in isolation from the right of nations to self-determination and the protection of human rights without distinction of any kind, such as language, race, sex and religion.

Question: On what terms would Russia agree to come to the negotiation table with Ukraine at this point?

Sergey Lavrov: I have already given you part of the answer to this question. It was Kiev which withdrew from the negotiating process in April 2022. It acted this way at the request of its Western curators. In September of the same year, Vladimir Zelensky outlawed all talks with Russia. This piece of legislation remains in force. It must be cancelled. Otherwise, talks cannot resume. In his recent interview with CBS, Vladimir Zelensky once again spoke out against talks with Russia. Let me quote his words: “We can't trust Russia. It's that we can't trust negotiations with Russia.”

We have made no secret regarding our position on the settlement. Russia proceeds from the premise that Kiev’s non-accession to NATO, as well as reaffirming its neutral and non-aligned status as per the 1990 Declaration on Ukraine’s State Sovereignty – these factors form one of the two pillars for a final settlement to the Ukraine crisis that would meet Russia’s security interests. The second pillar consists of overcoming the legacy of the neo-Nazi regime which took power in Kiev after the February 2014 putsch, including the initiative by its perpetrators to eradicate and cancel, in both physical and legislative terms, everything Russian, be it the Russian language, media, culture, traditions, or the canonical Orthodox faith.

The international recognition of Crimea, Sevastopol, the DPR, the LPR, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia is another imperative.

All the commitments Kiev assumes must be legally binding, contain enforcement mechanisms and be permanent.

Demilitarising and de-Nazifying Ukraine is also on the agenda, along with lifting sanctions, withdrawing lawsuits and cancelling arrest warrants, as well as returning Russian assets subjected to the so-called freeze in the West.

We will also insist on obtaining solid security guarantees for the Russian Federation in order to shield it from any threats emanating from hostile activities by NATO, the European Union and some of their member states along our western border.

Question: What do you think about the role and actions by the EU and the United States in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the current stage?

Sergey Lavrov: The European Union has been sticking with its policy to offer all-round support to the Kiev regime. Brussels does not want anything but Moscow’s unconditional defeat. Any other outcome would amount to losing the geopolitical game for it. The EU believes that by ending its support to Ukraine it would demonstrate its strategic incompetence and impotence. In other words, the bureaucrats in Brussels focus on saving their reputation rather than achieving a fair and lasting peace.

Instead of facilitating a settlement, the European Union has been seeking to undermine agreements by arguing that there has been little, if any, effort to invite it to contribute to these talks. At the same time, the EU is preparing to send military units from NATO countries to Ukraine despite all our warnings that this would be unacceptable. Arms deliveries to Kiev are continuing. The EU also plans to ramp up defence manufacturing. They are creating all these coalitions of the willing and discussing ways of creating extra-budgetary mechanisms for procuring more weapons for Kiev.

Against this backdrop, the fact that the current administration in the United States is trying to understand the root causes of the crisis is quite encouraging and contrasts with the Joe Biden administration, which pumped the Kiev regime full of lethal weapons and was proactive in its efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO. President Donald Trump has said many times that there would be no conflict if the preceding administration did not seek to drag Ukraine into NATO. Moscow and Washington maintain a dialogue to find a path towards a settlement. We hope that this paves the way for mutually acceptable results.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Good afternoon, Mr Minister.

I am delighted to see you.

I had several bilateral meetings yesterday evening with our friends participating in this event as BRICS partner countries.

The last time we met was in Nizhny Novgorod in June 2024, when you were our guest. At that meeting, we unanimously decided to grant Thailand the status of a BRICS partner country.
We hope to enrich our bilateral and multilateral agenda through cooperation within this important and forward-looking format.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

On April 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Gedion Timotheos on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

The ministers reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further expanding multifaceted bilateral cooperation in areas of shared interest. They also expressed support for deepening Russian-Ethiopian engagement within various multilateral formats, primarily at the UN and BRICS.

In addition, the ministers held a constructive exchange of views on a broad range of current global and regional issues, focusing on Moscow-Addis Ababa interaction to ensure peace and security in the Horn of Africa. They confirmed their countries’ readiness to intensify cooperation in support of strengthening the legal foundations of a multipolar world.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

On April 28−29, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the Brazil-chaired meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

The meeting also included an expanded ministerial session with the participation of representatives of BRICS partner states (Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan). The decision to establish this category of states was made at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.

The ministers held an in-depth exchange of views on a wide range of current international issues and on interaction at multilateral venues. They also discussed further cooperation under the BRICS auspices and preparations for the upcoming 17th BRICS Summit scheduled for July 6−7. They reaffirmed their countries’ intent to continue working in all three key strategic partnership areas: politics and security, the economy and finances, culture and the humanitarian ties.

The participants in the meeting unanimously called for strengthening multilateralism and preserving the UN’s central role in maintaining peace and security, ensuring sustainable development, and aligning efforts for the fight against climate change.

There were earnest discussions on the state of and prospects for a reform of the international system with an eye to ensuring a fair and equal security, sustainable development, and long-term economic growth for all states without exception.

The Russian Foreign Minister pointed to the relevance of joint efforts to ensure sustainable development of the Global South and East countries and reduce the conflict potential in various regions of the world. In this context, he stressed the importance of the concept of new equal and indivisible security architecture in Eurasia, put forward by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

Russia
Source: mid.ru

Colleagues,
First, I would like to once again thank our Brazilian friends for their traditional hospitality and the perfect arrangements for the BRICS ministerial meeting, as well as for holding the additional meeting between BRICS participants and their partner countries.

These countries were able to take part in today’s meeting following the Kazan Summit. Held as part of Russia’s chairmanship, it made a historical decision to create this partner category, which includes Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

We agreed to remain proactive in attracting partner countries and engaging them in our joint undertakings in various formats, from ministerial meetings to expert-level events and initiatives by specific ministries.

We spoke out in favour of further enhancing the contribution by BRICS and the countries of the Global Majority in general to addressing the key challenges the world is facing today. We noted that collective actions by our group can play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals, ensuring security and fostering economic growth.

At the meeting, we paid special attention to the need to continue our efforts to promote reform within international financial institutions, primarily by revising IMF quotas, which must reflect the role of the Global South and East in the global financial system and economy. In this context, most of the delegations talked about the destructive nature of the policy coming from the collective West. By the way, the West may have become less united lately, even if all Western representatives have the same goal, which consists of continuing to live at the expense of others by relying on neo-colonial practices. This includes unilateral illegitimate sanctions, abusing their currencies within the international financial system and using unjustified protectionist measures in trade, as well as tariff wars, which have been the talk of the town these days. We noted that the Western Minority is rocking the international financial and economic architecture and could cause major disruptions as it attempts to hold on to its waning dominance and continue to benefit from competitive advantages at the expense of others.

There was quite a lengthy discussion on the latest regional and international developments, including the multiple crisis situations around the world. The deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories and across the Middle East in general, as well as in many regions of the African continent is a matter of special concern.

Russia emphasised that relying on the principles set forth in the UN Charter could help find effective solutions to all these challenges, as long as these provisions are used in an integral, holistic and complementary manner instead of on a case-by-case approach which consists of cherry picking principles depending on the specific goals they must fulfil.

We reaffirmed our support for reforming the UN Security Council, including our support for India and Brazil becoming permanent members of the UN Security Council, while also addressing the issue of Africa’s representation.

Of course, much has been said about the Ukraine situation. Once again, we offered a detailed insight into our principled approaches to settling this conflict by addressing its root causes. These causes consist of NATO’s long-standing eastward expansion efforts all the way to the Russian border and its attempts to drag Ukraine into the alliance. This creates immediate security threats along the Russian border. Another important factor I would like to highlight is the Kiev regime’s policy of eliminating and cancelling anything related to Russia and the Russian world, including the Russian language, culture, Russian-language media outlets, and the canonical Orthodox Church. Most of the participants are becoming increasingly receptive to our approaches, judging by their remarks on the Ukraine situation. We will continue these efforts.

The Brazilian chairmanship will circulate the meeting’s outcome document.

We would like to wish our Brazilian friends every success in preparing and holding the 17th BRICS Summit. It is scheduled to take place on July 6 and 7, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro. I am certain that the summit will be a success and yields tangible results, enabling us to further reinforce our strategic partnership. Russia will do everything to facilitate this process.

Question: Do the BRICS countries share a unified position on the trade war waged by Donald Trump?

Sergey Lavrov: We do not mention any names in the final document. The document will be circulated. It outlines our overarching policy approaches to current developments in the global economy.

The final document affirms the overall conclusion on the adverse effects of global economy fragmentation, expresses concerns regarding the erosion of multilateralism, the violation of the principles of fairness and inclusivity that must underpin the trade system. The World Trade Organisation, properly adapted to contemporary realities, must remain at the core of this system. We have explicitly articulated our concerns about unilateral protectionist measures and sanctions, including secondary sanctions, that contravene WTO principles.

The document explicitly states that it is unacceptable to obstruct decisions on WTO reform – especially regarding the blocking and revival of the Dispute Settlement Body. Broadly, our partners and allied nations share this position. It will form the basis for relevant drafts developed in preparation for the July 6−7 summit in Rio-de-Janeiro.

Question: Are BRICS participants watching the developments in Russia-US talks? What opinions, including about the impact on BRICS, have been voiced?

Sergey Lavrov: Certainly, it is imperative that all parties have a clear understanding of the evolving dynamics between Moscow and Washington. This point has been emphasised in multiple remarks and during numerous bilateral engagements I conducted on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. We keep our partners informed regularly, after nearly every interaction between Russia and US representatives. We communicate assessments through both our own ambassadors and the ambassadors of our partners in Moscow. This is not a case where we have to keep it strictly confidential.

We advocate for an honest and equal dialogue aimed at building a balance of interests. The United States has reciprocated with similar signals. Russia and the US are working together across multiple domains. In fact, they continue to cooperate literally as we speak.

The positive side of these developments is widely recognised. There is hope that the promising trajectory of Russia-US dialogue will become reality. I anticipate a solid confirmation of the reciprocal interest between Moscow and Washington in the near term. I want you to know whether we can translate this mutual interest into tangible outcomes is to be seen imminently.

Russia remains committed to fostering transparent relations with the United States, which is in no way detrimental to the traditionally close ties with our strategic partners and like-minded nations.

Question: The establishment of a BRICS Pay system for settlements in national currencies between the group’s members was announced at last year’s BRICS Summit in Kazan during Russia’s chairmanship.

Despite US President Trump’s threats of “draconian” tariffs if BRICS replaced the US dollar as a reserve currency, Brazil, which has taken over from Russia this year, has declared its support for that Russian initiative. What is the progress of this dialogue? What else can the group do in response to the Western attempts to use global reserve currencies as a weapon?

Sergey Lavrov: This dialogue is progressing.

The BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors have recently held a meeting during which they discussed, as per the instructions of the Kazan Summit, the task of creating independent payment systems. It has been decided to more actively use national currencies in mutual trade. The final document we have adopted today emphasises the importance of continued efforts in this sphere.

National currencies account for over 65 percent in trade between BRICS countries, while the share of the US dollar has diminished to one third. Other tasks stipulate the creation of payment instruments and platforms, including discussing the possibility of creating a cross-border payment system and an electronic depository and clearance system (BRICS Clear), and a unified mechanism for exchanging trade and economic information.

We continue discussing insurance and reinsurance variants for new grain trading platforms and the possibility of spreading this experience to other raw material products. All this has been included in the final document.

It is a long-term policy based on principle, considering the current trends in the global economy created by our Western colleagues’ unilateral actions. This is one of our priorities.

Question: Is it possible to create an international court within BRICS as an alternative to the International Criminal Court, which has obviously discredited itself?

Sergey Lavrov: That issue was on the table, but it has not been included in the final document because BRICS should not create any independent judicial authorities. We believe that international trials should be based on a solid consensus of all participating states.

As you have correctly pointed out, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has fully discredited itself. It is being steered by Western countries. It protects some countries from criticism even though they openly violate international law, and adopts measures aimed at punishing other countries, up to and including arrest warrants, in the absence of factual proof.

Acting independently of BRICS on the international stage, including at the UN, Russia is promoting an initiative to encourage as many countries as possible to speak up for the depoliticization of international criminal justice. We must preclude situations when openly biased structures, such as the ICC, handle essential issues related to the immunities of states set out and sealed in international law.

It is a long process. The African Union countries previously called for withdrawing from the ICC, and they have not changed their stance.

Question: According to international experts, there was a 10 percent surge in military spending in 2024 around the world. They said that this was the worst result since the Cold War. Can BRICS help countries divert from this dangerous path that could pave the way for the third world war?

Sergey Lavrov: I am certain that this sits perfectly well with the position of BRICS, which consists of doing everything to prevent this from happening.

That said, efforts by this group alone would not be enough to make this a reality. Many other countries outside of BRICS have demonstrated their understanding that a third world war must not happen. This includes the leaders of the United States. In particular, Vice-President JD Vance has recently raised this point by sending a warning signal to those who encourage the Ukrainian regime to continue the war and those who are trying to draw Europeans into this conflict by deploying various forces in Ukraine, be it peacekeepers, stabilisation forces, or any other units.

It is essential that the five nuclear powers stick to the positions set forth in the statement of the P5 leaders. The heads of state from the countries with permanent seats in the UN Security Council adopted this statement at Russia’s initiative in January 2022. It is based on the long-standing agreement between the USSR and the United States and their joint statement saying that a nuclear war cannot be won and for that matter everything must be done to ensure that it is never fought.

This objective has become relevant these days, especially considering the reckless, aggressive actions and calls coming from senior officials in the European Union and London.

Question: President Vladimir Putin has recently met with US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin. What do you think about where Russia’s relations with its partners are headed, considering that meetings of this kind always serve as a signal for many other countries? Have these diplomatic contacts created new opportunities for Russia?

Sergey Lavrov: As I have already said, dialogue is always better, any other circumstances notwithstanding. I am a bit puzzled by the way in which certain countries have responded to the recent developments in Russia-US relations. Everyone tends to view these Russia-US contacts as being nothing short of sensational. But our two countries were locked in quite a fierce ideology-driven confrontation during the Cold War. Nevertheless, the dialogue between us never stopped.

Today, the doctrines set forth by the Joe Biden administration remain in force in the United States. Nobody cancelled them. They cast Russia as the main and immediate threat in the context of the Ukraine conflict, while designating the PRC as the main long-term adversary.

If you follow the statements by our Chinese friends and their comments regarding relations with Washington, as well as what the United States has been saying about China, you will see that there is also a lot of harsh rhetoric regarding Taiwan, the South China Sea, and many other matters. That said, there was not a single moment when Washington and Beijing stopped talking to each other. They keep up their conversation, their leaders remain in touch, foreign ministers hold meetings, and so do security specialists and defence ministers.

Therefore, I do not think that Russia-US dialogue in its current state can be described as something incredible. We simply put it back on track, while those who thought that it was a sensational turnaround are influenced by the logic cultivated by the Joe Biden administration in its effort to cast Russia as a rogue nation, a country facing total isolation with a shattered economy, and so on. This is to say that we simply restored the sense of normalcy in our relations. I have a feeling that most countries of the Global South and East, our strategic partners and allies, have a positive attitude regarding these developments.

Question: President Vladimir Putin has announced another ceasefire during commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga urged Russia to establish a ceasefire right away for 30 days rather than three. What can you say about this? Is a ceasefire, even a short-term one, even possible considering where the Kiev authorities stand on this matter at this point?

Sergey Lavrov: Never read what representatives of the Ukrainian regime have to say, either at night, or in the morning. We know perfectly well what their words are worth. You may recall that two months or so ago Kiev was issuing threats and warnings saying they would not accept any kind of ceasefire. European radicals incited the Kiev regime to stay the course saying that ceasefire talks could begin only with Ukraine having an advantage on the battlefield. So, they went on to say, we will flood Ukraine with even more weapons and then, when “Russia gets weaker,” we will talk with it from a position of strength.

Now, they have suddenly - not suddenly, of course, but bearing in mind what is happening on the ground, on the line of contact, where the Ukrainian regime is increasingly yielding ground - reversed their position and came up with demand an immediate ceasefire without preconditions.

We’ve been there before when in February 2014, a truce, in fact, was declared between the opposition and then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich, and a peace instrument was signed to hold early elections and to create a government of people’s unity for the time before the election day. Come morning, they trampled upon the “truce” and seized administrative buildings.

The next “truce” was concluded as part of the Minsk agreements after the Kiev regime, which had launched an aggression against its own people, choked on its own calculations and asked for a truce. We concluded the Minsk agreements and had them approved by the UN Security Council. The Ukrainians didn’t give a hoot about these agreements.

Back then, Petr Poroshenko was still in office. When Vladimir Zelensky became president under the banner of complying with the Minsk agreements and establishing peace, and calling to stop discrimination against the Russian language and letting Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine speak the language they grew up with and which at that time was the official language in Ukraine. Zelensky was president when the French and Germans, as “guarantors” - they referred to themselves that way - of the Minsk agreements convened a summit in Paris in December 2019, which I had the honour to attend. Then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Zelensky, and President Putin took part in it. A document was drafted urging the sides to act upon the key point of the Minsk agreements, the key first step which was to declare a ceasefire and to enforce it along the entire line of contact.

By the time the document finalised by the ministers was on the table of the leaders, Zelensky said emphatically he wouldn’t sign it, because, he said, it was an impossible thing to do and he was against putting an end to hostilities, because Russia would then come out on top. He said he was ready to declare a truce on three segments of the line of contact and see what happens next. The French, the Germans, and we were surprised to hear that, but President Putin said it was at least something and we should go ahead with it. It was approved. A document was released calling for a ceasefire in three areas which also confirmed the importance of ensuring the autonomous status of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics. However, with the agreement in place, Ukraine didn’t act on it. The Ukrainian armed forces did not make it possible for us to secure truce in any of these three areas.

Then, of course, there was a ceasefire declared in connection with the Istanbul agreement in April 2022. The Ukrainians and Westerners specifically asked us to settle the situation, first and foremost, to stop hostilities. It’s as if they were asking us to make a gesture of goodwill and join them in stopping hostilities. Russia pulling back its forces from Kiev would send an important and positive message, they said. As you are aware, we did just that.

Everyone knows how it turned out. They immediately broke news that the Russians had withdrawn their forces. Then came Bucha provocation which to this day remains on the conscience of the West. Our continuous requests to publish a list of the names of those whose corpses were shown lying there remain unanswered.

Speaking about the most recent examples of the ceasefire, the ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Easter was not observed by the Kiev regime. A huge number of violations were documented.

The ceasefire proposed by President Trump in the form of a moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure was fully respected by the Russian side for 30 days, but had no effect on the Kiev regime’s aggressive behaviour. A couple of hundred violations were documented by our representatives. We have sent this list to the UN and US Secr