INSIDE RUSSIA
Russian defense chief sets task to outline process of development of robots for army
The defense ministry ordered the relevant officials and the organizations to determine the order of developing ground-based systems and address their flaws based on the current needs of the army
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister AndreyBelousov has ordered the relevant officials and organizations to determine the procedure of developing combat robotic platforms and address their flaws, the Defense Ministry said in a statement following a science and technical conference.
“The defense ministry ordered the relevant officials and the organizations to determine the order of developing ground-based systems and address their flaws based on the current needs of the army, as well as to establish a feedback mechanism connecting the army with production facilities, ensure the use of unified and standardized parts for the production of robots, determine a modular approach for their production and draft the documents necessary for completing the relevant missions,” the statement reads.
The scientific and technical conference hosted by the Defense Ministry brought together senior officials from the ministry, federal government agencies, research organizations under the Defense Ministry, and production facilities.
TASS archives preserve truth about WWII
While visiting the TASS photo exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the top Russian diplomat drew attention to the West’s attempts to rewrite history
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. The European Union would like people to forget about what happened during World War II, but TASS archivists will keep alive the legacy of victory over Nazism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
While visiting the TASS photo exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 (the Eastern Front during WWII where the former Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany), the top Russian diplomat drew attention to the West’s attempts to rewrite history. “In such an environment, TASS is a reliable custodian of historical truth. War-time documents are an effective tool against the falsification of history,” Lavrov said.
“Today, many in the European Union prefer to forget such accounts, and try to erase that history, but facts cannot be deleted from our history,” he said. “Preserving the truth about WWII is our common duty to those who gave up their lives for peace and freedom.”
He suggested that the TASS exhibition should be displayed not just in Russia, but abroad as well at Russian cultural centers.
“This exhibition is a tribute to the memory of 17 TASS employees who were killed during WWII and our colleagues from the foreign ministry commissariat who lost their lives on battlefields while delivering diplomatic mail and accompanying foreign reporters to the frontline,” he added.
Kremlin spokesman slams Latvia’s plans to demolish WWII memorials as ‘national disgrace’
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said earlier that Latvian authorities plan to remove all World War II memorials in the country in a bid to spoil the celebration of the 80th victory anniversary
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has slammed Latvia’s plans to demolish war-time memorials as a national disgrace.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said earlier that Latvian authorities plan to remove all World War II memorials in the country in a bid to spoil the celebration of the 80th victory anniversary.
“To show such blatant disrespect for the memory of those who saved your country from Nazism — that is a national disgrace. And it’s a tragedy for any people to turn against their own past,” Peskov said.
According to the SVR, Latvia plans to “remove about one-third of the monuments erected over the mass graves of Soviet liberators as soon as possible.” “A ‘search team’ has been contracted to carry out this macabre plan, a group whose leadership has allegedly agreed, for a ‘reasonable’ fee, to desecrate the graves and falsify excavation records to show no signs of burial,” it added.
Russia, Iran, China at consultations in Moscow consider scenarios after JCPOA
“Various options and scenarios are being considered regarding what will occur after the current Security Council resolution expires on October 18 of this year,” Deputy Foreign Minister AndreyRudenko said
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russia, Iran, and China are currently engaged in consultations in Moscow to consider possible scenarios following the expiration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which formally governs Iran’s nuclear program, as well as Resolution 2231, which approved the plan.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that consultations between the three countries at the expert level would be held in Moscow on April 8.
“Various options and scenarios are being considered regarding what will occur after the current Security Council resolution expires on October 18 of this year,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister AndreyRudenko has told the media.
He added that the sides will be closely watching what “will happen to the nuclear deal next in the face of the United States’ current attempts at forceful resolution of the issue.”
Iran’s nuclear issues
In 2015, Iran, along with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to resolve a crisis that began in 2002 due to Western accusations of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. However, in 2018, US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal from the JCPOA and reinstated all US sanctions against Iran.
In response, Iran announced in 2020 that it would reduce its commitments under the JCPOA and limit access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. Negotiations to restore the nuclear deal took place in Vienna from 2021 to 2022 but ended inconclusively. Upon returning to the White House in 2025, Trump signed an executive order to resume a policy of maximum pressure on Iran and threatened military action should Tehran refuse to agree to a new deal with Washington.
On March 7, Trump stated that he had sent a message to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks on the nuclear program. While Tehran rejected direct dialogue with the US, it indicated that discussions through mediators could be a possibility.
On March 30, Trump announced he would impose additional duties on Iran in two weeks if the nuclear talks failed, also threatening unprecedented bombing of Iran, if it completely rejected the deal. In response, Khamenei expressed skepticism about the likelihood of US military intervention but warned that any attempts by Washington to incite unrest in Iran would provoke a strong reaction.
On October 18, Western countries will have the option to activate the snapback mechanism, which allows for the automatic reinstatement of UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Iran has warned that, in such a scenario, it would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, despite Khamenei’s 2003 decree that officially prohibits the development of nuclear weapons.
Russian lower house ratifies Treaty on Strategic Partnership with Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the document to the State Duma in March
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament) has ratified the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the document to the State Duma in March. The treaty was signed during Iranian President MasoudPezeshkian’s visit to Moscow in January. The document provides the legal framework for the long-term development of relations between Moscow and Tehran. It designates Russia and Iran as strategic partners, and covers all areas, including defense, the fight against terrorism, the energy sector, finances, transportation, industries, agriculture, culture, science and technology.
State Duma Chairman VyacheslavVolodin pointed out earlier that the treaty would strengthen relations between the two countries both in terms of bilateral cooperation and coordination on international issues. He also pointed out that the document paid special attention to boosting interparliamentary ties, including within international parliamentary organizations and through the commission on cooperation between the State Duma and Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Moscow ready to ‘lend hand’ in US-Iran nuclear talks
“We sincerely wish our Omani friends success in their mediation role,” AndreyRudenko said
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Moscow fully backs the upcoming talks between Washington and Tehran on the nuclear deal, and is ready to do anything it can to help this process along, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister AndreyRudenko said.
“At least the dialogue continues. We sincerely wish our Omani friends success in their mediation role. We are also ready to lend a hand – and heart,” he told journalists.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia welcomes the upcoming dialogue between the US and Iran in Oman aimed at de-escalating tensions around the Iranian nuclear dossier.
On March 7, 2025, US President Donald Trump said that he had sent a message to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks on the nuclear program. It was announced on Monday that the sides agreed to hold the first round of talks in Oman on April 12.
Serbia, Russia launch expansion of BanatskiDvor gas storage facility — minister
According to DubravkaDjedovic-Handanovic, investments in 12 additional wells to expand the storage facility will total 145 mln euros
BELGRADE, April 8. /TASS/. Serbia and Russia have launched the work on expanding the Serbian underground gas storage facility BanatskiDvor, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy DubravkaDjedovic-Handanovic announced.
“The capacity will be expanded to 750 million cubic meters of gas. <…> Thanks to these investments, we will significantly increase the level of gas reserves in our country. This means that we will be able to respond in case of unforeseen situations,” the Radio and Television of Serbia quotes the minister as saying.
According to her, investments in 12 additional wells to expand the storage facility will total 145 mln euros.
As Srbijagas CEO, DusanBajatovic, noted, the drilling of wells will be carried out by NIS company.
“We will do the rest together with our Russian colleagues, as well as with some European and American equipment suppliers,” he said.
Bajatovic expects that the work will be completed by the end of 2026.
The underground gas storage facility BanatskiDvor near the city of Novi Sad has been in operation since 2011. Russia’s Gazprom hold a 51% stake in it while the stake of Srbijagas is 49%. The storage facility’s current capacity is 450 million cubic meters.
Top diplomats of BRICS member states to meet on April 28-29 in Rio de Janeiro
Alexey Labetsky noted that the Brazilian side has actively taken up the work of the BRICS presidency
MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. The BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will take place on April 28-29 in Rio de Janeiro, and Russia is actively preparing for the event, Russian Ambassador to Brazil Alexey Labetsky said in an interview with TASS on Tuesday.
“We are actively preparing for the Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting, which will be held on April 28-29 in Rio de Janeiro,” he said. “Preparations for the April 30 meeting in Brasilia of high-level representatives in charge of security issues are also in our focus. Therefore, we can state without any hesitation that the BRICS agenda under the Brazilian chairmanship is very busy.”
“At the same time, meetings on environmental protection and artificial intelligence are being held at the working level in the Brazilian capital. The Brazilian chairmanship opted to center most of the BRICS expert consultations in the country’s capital, which is convenient for diplomats’ work. Rio de Janeiro is set to host only the Council of Foreign Ministers’ meetings and the summit itself,” Labetsky continued.
The Ambassador also noted that the Brazilian side has actively taken up the work of the BRICS presidency.
“We see that they want to carry on with the active course that was established during the presidency of Russia and reflected in the Kazan Declaration, as well as with all of the projects that we are promoting,” the ambassador said.
“Brazil’s priorities in the expanded organization are aligned with ours. They are about the health, artificial intelligence, climate and financial issues,” he stressed. “The issue of further institutional development of the BRICS format itself has become important from the point of view of the task of working out the interaction in the expanded format.”
According to him, the work is active in all directions, and the Brazilians do not slow down the pace.
“Since Indonesia was admitted as a full member of BRICS in January, several important events have taken place. On February 25-26, the first meeting of the sherpas and sous-sherpas of the organization was held in Brasilia,” Labetsky said.
“Then, already in March, productive consultations were held involving the heads of foreign policy planning departments of the BRICS Foreign Ministries. In late March, traditional consultations of BRICS deputy foreign ministers on the Middle East and North Africa were held, with the participation of the Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov,” he added.
The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011.
On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates became full-fledged members of the organization.
Brazil took the helm as BRICS chair on January 1. In 2024, the bloc was headed by Russia. The keystone event of its presidency was the summit in Kazan on October 22-24, where a decision was made to expand the organization’s membership.
The first partners were Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. On January 6, Indonesia became a full member of the alliance. On January 17, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced Nigeria was becoming a BRICS partner.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Russia ready for dialogue on Ukraine, will not let it be used to strengthen Kiev
VasilyNebenzya also noted that the scenario being discussed by Russia and the United States is aimed at finding a sustainable, long-term solution to the Ukrainian conflict
UNITED NATIONS, April 8. /TASS/. Russia is prepared to engage in a serious dialogue regarding a peace settlement for the Ukrainian crisis; however, it will not permit the negotiation process to be exploited to bolster the military capabilities of the Kiev regime, stated VasilyNebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN.
“We are open to a meaningful and practical dialogue, but we will not allow anyone to deceive us or to use this negotiation process, directly or indirectly, to enhance the military potential of the Kiev regime,” he asserted during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Nebenzya also noted that the scenario being discussed by Russia and the United States is aimed at finding a sustainable, long-term solution to the Ukrainian conflict.
“To achieve this, it is essential to address the root causes, one of which is the influx of Western weapons into Ukraine. As we all know, this flow began long before the start of our special military operation and was facilitated under the cover of the Minsk agreements,” Nebenzya stated.
On February 18, Russian and US delegations held the first round of talks in Riyadh regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. Russia was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide YuryUshakov, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev. The US delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Presidential National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Presidential Representative Steven Witkoff. On February 27, Russian and US technical teams met in Istanbul to discuss issues related to the operations of the two countries’ embassies.
On March 24, Russian and US representatives convened in Riyadh to discuss the resumption of the Black Sea grain initiative. The Russian delegation was led by GrigoryKarasin, the chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB). The US delegation included Andrew Peek, the Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council, and Michael Anton, the Director of Policy Planning Staff at the Department of State.
INSIGHTS
Fyodor Lukyanov: The West no longer leads – here’s what happens now
Russia, China, and the US form a strategic triangle of power
The United States still holds a commanding position in global affairs. Its influence – political, military, economic, and cultural – remains immense, the result of a historical head start built over decades. It would take a catastrophic event on the scale of the Soviet collapse to knock Washington out of the top tier of global power. That scenario seems unlikely.
However, what is changing – gradually, but noticeably – is the way the US perceives its own role. American leaders have begun to publicly acknowledge the emergence of a multipolar world. Even figures like Senator Marco Rubio now speak of it openly. Washington still considers itself the most powerful player, but no longer the only one. The era of universal hegemony has given way to a new understanding: that power is now distributed, not monopolized.
The term “multipolarity” entered the international lexicon in the mid-1990s, largely in response to Western triumphalism. After the Cold War, America and its allies promoted the idea that the liberal world order was the only viable system. Multipolarity, championed most vocally by Russia and China, emerged as a counterpoint – more slogan than strategy at the time, but an important statement of intent.
In the 1990s, the political West was far ahead in nearly every domain: economic strength, military reach, ideological influence, cultural exports. The only area where it lagged was demographics. Western nations represented only a small portion of the global population, but their overwhelming advantages elsewhere rendered this imbalance seemingly irrelevant.
That assumption has proven flawed. Today, we see that demography – long underestimated – is central to many of the challenges facing the developed world. Migration has become a defining issue. The mass movement of people from the Global South to the Global North is reshaping societies and economies. It creates internal tensions in host countries, triggering political crises, while also serving as a vital source of labor for aging, shrinking populations.
This dual dynamic has geopolitical consequences. On one hand, migrant-sending countries gain unexpected leverage over more powerful states, even as they remain dependent on remittances and host-nation goodwill. On the other, restrictive policies by host nations can spark turmoil in migrants’ home countries – creating the risk of instability that rebounds back to the West. Migration is no longer a domestic or humanitarian issue alone; it is now a key element in the global balance of power.
As the world transitions toward multipolarity, another important trend emerges: not all potential powers are eager to engage in global contests. The ongoing crises in Ukraine and Palestine have revealed the limited number of actors willing to take real geopolitical risks. Once again, it is the United States and Russia – superpowers of the 20th century – that are shaping outcomes in these key regions: Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Though their relative strength has shifted, what matters is not only capacity, but also the willingness to play the “big game” – to assume responsibility, to accept risk, and to act decisively. This is where the so-called Global South, including large powers like India, has hesitated. Many of these states prefer to observe, calculate, and engage selectively according to their own interests. Their demographic weight gives them long-term influence, but for now, they remain cautious players.
Meanwhile, a new strategic triangle has taken form: Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. Two of the three – Russia and the US – are deeply involved in shaping current global dynamics. The third, China, exerts enormous influence through its industrial and economic power, but still prefers to avoid direct political entanglements. Yet Beijing understands that it cannot remain entirely on the sidelines forever. Its role in shaping the future is too critical to ignore.
In contrast, Western Europe finds itself in an increasingly awkward position. The European Union wants to participate in global decision-making, but it lacks the tools to do so. Its military capabilities are limited, its political unity is fragile, and even its economic edge is fading. As a result, the EU risks becoming an object rather than a subject of global transformation—a realization that contributes to its erratic and short-sighted foreign policy moves.
The triangle of Washington, Moscow, and Beijing is not static. It will shift. India, due to its size and ambition, and Western Europe, due to its proximity to multiple crises, will remain important. Other regional players – Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, and US allies in East Asia – also have roles to play. But the core of today’s global configuration rests on three vertices, each with a unique approach to power.
This is what multipolarity truly looks like in April 2025: not a neat balance of equals, but a dynamic, evolving structure shaped by ambition, restraint, legacy, and demographics. By the end of the year, the picture may already look different.
