🎬 ”Unthinkable Allies” — the first documentary feature produced by the RT.Doc team as part of the series "The Unknown Cold War".

Watch the feature on the RT.Doc website

🎞 The film explores how the Western allies of the Soviet Union in the anti-Hitler coalition — whose peoples, side-by-side with our nation crushed Nazism — eventually abandoned allied solidarity forged in fire of #WW2. Under the pressure of ideological differences and their profound rejection of the post-war model of development promoted by Moscow, the Allies embarked on the path of confrontation and containment of the USSR.

The evidence, files and testimonies presented in this feature elucidate facts behind some pivotal political decisions by the UK and US leaders driven by the determination to “defeat”, as they put it, the 'Red Menace'. Those political superstitions reigning in the minds of the Western leaders and hostility toward the Soviet ideology effectively put the world into an era of bipolar confrontation with the unprecedented risks of mankind descending into nuclear catastrophe.

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#WeWereAllies

In the summer of 1945, the Potsdam Conference was held on the defeated Nazi German soil.

The Leaders of the victorious powers — the USSR, the United States, and UK — framed together the post-war world order and reached the final settlement of the German issue by dismantling Nazi military and industry, having eradicated Hitler’s ideology.

Nazism was defeated. The Reich was no more.

In the aftermath of the #GreatVictory, it seemed that a new era was upcoming — the final and, seemingly, long-awaited moment when the Great Powers, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, would build their relations upon the principles of constructive cooperation, mutual trust and respect, cemented by the common background of years of the allied fight against the evil of Nazism.

Yet, the Western block, emboldened by the successful testing of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos (at first, designed as a means of deterring Nazi Germany, but, following its final surrender, the bomb was further seen by US leadership as the deadliest instrument of blackmail) and by the bomb's subsequent use against the civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the hostility toward the Soviet Union and Soviet people was just increasingly growing and seemed implacable.

👉 In the UK government, the discussions were held on the possibility of a preemptive strike against Moscow — the infamous plan later exposed as the top secret Operation 'Unthinkable'.

Instead of seeking better understanding and trust, the former #WWII Western allies were nurturing aggressive plans that further evolved into dangerous Cold War confrontation.

🎥 © RT.Doc

#Announcement

🗓 On June 17-18, Kazan will host the Russia-ASEAN Summit, marking the 35th anniversary of relations between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

During the anniversary meeting, the Leaders will review the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership and outline new areas of cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres. They are also expected to exchange views on current international and regional issues.

✍️ A number of joint documents are expected to be adopted, including the Kazan Declaration and the Russia-ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action.

During the Summit, President Vladimir Putin will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations of ASEAN member states.

On June 17, Kazan will also host the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum, where entrepreneurs from our country and Southeast Asian nations will discuss prospects for trade and economic cooperation.

#RussiaASEAN

✉️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the participants and guests of the Russia – ASEAN Business Forum (June 17, 2026)

✍️ I welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum.

The current forum, which has brought together leading representatives of the business communities of our country and #ASEAN member states in Kazan, the hospitable capital of Tatarstan, is of special importance.

2026 marks the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations. Over these years, we have accumulated solid experience in multifaceted cooperation, established sustainable ties – including between the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and the Russia-ASEAN Business Council – and laid a good foundation for the future.

Today, new tasks stand before us. Among them are the active introduction of digital products based on artificial intelligence and the development of sustainable digital platforms.

Significant opportunities are opening up in energy and food security, the exchange of advanced technologies, cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy, transport and logistics. Importantly, our partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Union and other associations, whose representatives are present at the forum, are working in the same areas.

I am confident that the decisions of the Russia-ASEAN Summit will provide opportunities to further promote mutually beneficial trade, investment and industrial cooperation, expand direct dialogue between business communities and thereby contribute to the socioeconomic development of our states.

🤝 I wish you success in implementing your plans and all the best.

VLADIMIR PUTIN

⚡️ Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on the attack by Ukrainian militants on a bus carrying Belarusian children in Russia’s Bryansk Region

🔉 Audio statement by Maria Zakharova (in Russian)

On June 17, the Nazi regime in Kiev committed yet another monstrous crime.

On the A-240 highway in the Pochep District of Russia’s Bryansk Region, Ukrainian drones equipped with shrapnel attacked a civilian bus carrying children from sports schools in the Belarusian cities of Gomel and Rechitsa to Gelendzhik for vacation.

There were 44 people on board, including 28 children. The woman accompanying the minors was killed. Eight people, including six young athletes, were injured.

All those injured were promptly taken to the Bryansk Regional Hospital, where they are receiving medical assistance. One man and two children are in serious condition. The remaining passengers will be returned home shortly.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has classified this crime as a terrorist act and opened a criminal case. Work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of this crime and identify those involved. We are confident that all perpetrators will be brought to justice.

We express our deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured.

We are in direct contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and the Embassy of the of Belarus in Moscow.

We stand in solidarity with our Belarusian friends and are ready to provide them with the necessary assistance.

❗️ We strongly condemn this vile crime by the Zelensky regime, which, despite its hypocritical claims of allegedly being committed to protecting children, deliberately puts them in danger and, without hesitation – as was the case in Starobelsk – makes them the target of planned AFU strikes.

We call on international structures, national governments and the global public to give an honest assessment of the Zelensky regime’s criminal acts and strongly condemn this terrorist attack.

Silence will mean approval of this crime and encouragement for Kiev terrorists to commit new bloody atrocities.

#KievRegimeCrimes

🇷🇺 President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at a formal reception in honour of the Heads of delegations taking part in the #RussiaASEAN Summit (Kazan, June 17, 2026)

💬 Vladimir Putin: Our Summit is dedicated to the 35th anniversary of relations between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It has brought together Leaders, Heads of government, senior politicians and statesmen from all 11 ASEAN countries.

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Such a representative line-up of participants is convincing proof of the mutual desire of Russia and the countries of Southeast Asia to strengthen our partnership, take it to a new, more advanced level, and expand mutually beneficial ties and contacts in every area – politics and security, the economy, trade and investment, culture and humanitarian cooperation.

☝️ We believe that our current Summit, as well as the documents prepared for approval following its results – the Kazan Declaration and the Joint Plan of Action – will fully contribute to achieving this comprehensive goal.

I am confident that we can look to the future with optimism, as Russia-ASEAN cooperation rests on strong bonds of friendship and mutual assistance, as well as the positive experience of partnership accumulated over many years.

At one time, the Soviet Union helped many peoples of Southeast Asia free themselves from the legacy of the colonial era, supported the development of their statehood and economic foundations, and helped strengthen their defence capabilities.

Tens of thousands of students from Southeast Asia graduated from our higher education facilities. The knowledge and professions they gained – as engineers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, economists and many others – have brought, and continue to bring, practical benefit to the citizens of your countries.

🤝 Today, Russia and ASEAN countries continue to jointly develop and multiply the good traditions of mutually beneficial cooperation, while working to deepen our partnership.

Importantly, we stand together for the formation of a fair #MultipolarWorld and uphold the principles of the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs.

Both Russia and ASEAN nations share common moral values, respect each other’s national identity and recognise the cultural and civilisational diversity of the world. All our states follow their own development models and do not impose their views on anyone. ✊ This, without doubt, is our strength.

Russia is ready to continue active joint work with ASEAN member states to strengthen our strategic partnership – in the interests of security, well-being and prosperity of our countries and peoples, as well as the Eurasian region as a whole.

🥂 I would like to wish all of us success in this constructive work and propose a toast: to the health of the heads of delegations and all those present; to the further strengthening of the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership; to the development and prosperity of our countries; to the happiness and well-being of our peoples; and to the success of the anniversary Summit.

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#RussiaASEAN

✍️ Kazan Declaration 2026 “Russia-ASEAN: Unity in Diversity – 35 Years Together” (adopted on June 18, 2026)

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We, the Heads of State and Government of the Russian Federation and the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (#ASEAN), gathered on June 18, 2026 in Kazan, Russia, at the Kazan Summit to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the Russian Federation and ASEAN.

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Hereby reaffirm our readiness to:

1. REAFFIRM our friendship, mutual trust and respect as well as a common vision for the peaceful, stable and secure future of the wider Asia-Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and Eurasia region;

2. PROMOTE our shared interests in ensuring that the open, inclusive and ASEAN-centred regional architecture continues to foster peace, security, stability and prosperity;

3. UPHOLD high-level engagements, including ASEAN-Russia Summits and ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conferences with the Russian Federation, which serve to further advance the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership;

4. STRENGTHEN dialogue on security matters to better address traditional and non-traditional security challenges;

5. PROMOTE closer cooperation and joint practical initiatives through ASEAN-led mechanisms, such as the East Asia Summit (#EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (#ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (#ADMMPlus) as well as the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (#EAMF);

6. FOSTER maritime cooperation, as well as promote security, safety, and stability, peaceful resolution of disputes, freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commercein accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (#UNCLOS); enhance research activities with regard to biodiversity and sustainable use of marine resources, address challenges such as sea piracy, armed robbery against ships and threats to critical underwater infrastructure (#CUI); and explore the possibility of establishing a dialogue mechanism;

7. STRENGTHEN regional biological safety and security aimed at preventing and reducing public health hazards caused by infectious diseases and pandemics, climate change, urbanization, ecological shifts and potential bioterrorism and to that end explore establishing a dialogue between ASEAN and Russia to facilitate coordination on tackling existing and potential biosecurity threats;

8. STRENGTHEN and support capacity-building and sharing best practices, as well as explore further cooperation on combatting transnational crimes, including those with the use of information and communication technologies (#ICTs), on the basis of mutual interest;

9. ENDEAVOR to intensify efforts to enhance trade and investment, including in services, in accordance with the Agreement between the Governments of the Member Countries of the ASEAN and the Government of the Russian Federation on Economic and Development Cooperation (2005) to bring economic benefits to the people of the ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation;

10. DEEPEN cooperation in key sectors including energy and food security, transport and logistics, agriculture, digitalisation, science and technology, including artificial intelligence, tourism and creative industries;

13. SUPPORT the strengthening of partnership between ASEAN and #EAEU, and ASEAN and #SCO, as mutually agreed;

16. STRENGTHEN cultural collaboration in accordance with the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the Governments of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Government of the Russian Federation (2010) with a focus on traditional culture, customs, eco-tourism, and the appreciation and preservation of cultural heritage, arts, and sports.

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#RussiaASEAN

💬 Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova:

I have sent appeals to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, requesting an objective assessment of Ukrainian UAV strikes on civilian facilities.

On June 17, a drone attacked a passenger bus in Russia's Bryansk Region. There were 44 people on board, including 28 children – a football team from Gomel Region, Belarus. The children were travelling to Gelendzhik for a summer vacation.

The strike resulted in the death of the woman accompanying the team. Eight people were wounded, including six children.

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I have also appealed in connection with the attacks on residential buildings in Oryol and Tula.

On June 14, Ukrainian UAVs struck an apartment building in Oryol. One person was killed. Nine people were wounded.

On June 15, residential buildings in Tula came under attack. Three people were killed and three were wounded. Among the injured was a one-year-old child.

❗️The international community must not remain silent. Attacks on civilians are war crimes. They must receive a public and principled assessment.

📰 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's article «Ukraine, Europe and Global Security» (June 19, 2026)

This article by Sergey Lavrov was originally planned for publication by the European outlet Politico Europe, but at the last moment, the editorial board decided to cancel its publication.

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«Ukraine, Europe and Global Security»

Some Reflections on Resolving the Ukrainian Crisis, Europe and Global Security

✍️ More than two decades of negotiation with Europe, as part of the collective West, leads to only one conclusion: engaging Russia in dialogue has served as a diplomatic smokescreen for the geopolitical expansion of Western institutions, above all NATO and the EU, eastwards, right up to Russia's borders.

☝️ Europe's complicity in fuelling the Ukrainian crisis is undeniable.

In 2013, the EU rejected outright our proposal for a compromise on the association agreement – a deal Brussels had long been pressing Viktor Yanukovich to sign.

It is worth recalling: Ukraine was offered unilateral market opening, without reciprocal commitments – terms that would have proved incompatible with Kiev's continued membership in the CIS free-trade zone. When Viktor Yanukovich requested a deferral, the Europeans incited street riots which swiftly escalated into a coup d'état in Kiev in February 2014.

Russia, for its part, explored every diplomatic avenue to defuse Europe's security crisis. However, in January 2022, the US and NATO rejected Russia's proposal for legally binding mutual security guarantees.

Following the launch of the special military operation, the united Europe threw its support behind the British Prime Minister's efforts to sabotage the Istanbul negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Boris Johnson's appeal to Kiev – "don't sign anything, just fight" – slammed the door on genuine diplomacy for the foreseeable future.

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Additional key points:

• The real current objective of Europe's leaders is not to negotiate with Russia. It is to shore up the Zelensky regime and preserve it as a launchpad for continued confrontation against Russia.

• European leaders are scrambling to secure a ceasefire as quickly as possible and for one reason only: to prevent the collapse of Ukrainian military on the battlefield. The plan is to "freeze" the conflict without addressing its root causes, and then rapidly deploy military contingents from the Anglo-French "coalition of the willing" onto Ukrainian soil.

• The united Europe continues to dream of expansion. It intends to absorb Ukraine and Moldova, while pulling Armenia into its sphere of influence. As for Ukraine, it is increasingly eyed as the "striking fist" of a future European military force, independent of the US and independent of NATO.

❗️ This state of affairs poses serious threats to global security. A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia could rapidly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences.

• European leaders should recognize that the model of regional security built in Europe over decades, ever since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, has been destroyed by their own hands. 👉 And it will never be restored.

• We must now move toward creating a continent-wide security architecture open to all Eurasian countries and that reflects today's #MultipolarWorld.

• The principle of equal and indivisible security trampled upon by the Euro-Atlantists, can be embodied within a new Eurasian architecture. When the time is ripe, Europe too will be able to join this great effort.

• Meaningful dialogue requires the restoration of trust, shattered by the anti-Russian actions of the West, and Europe as part of it, in the post-Cold War era.

❌ Trust cannot be restored, nor can dialogue be resumed, through ultimatums such as the one issued to Russia in London on 7 June 2026.

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