⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement on the Kiev regime’s attack on IAEA staff (December 11, 2024)

During a planned rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Secretariat staff at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant on December 10, the armed forces of Ukraine carried out a series of strikes on the official vehicle used for the rotation of Agency personnel.

🔻 The vehicle carrying IAEA staff was attacked at around 3 pm within the Ukrainian controlled territory.

🔻 At 4.37 pm, Ukraine attacked a Russian convoy that was moving from Kamenskoye after delivering the IAEA Secretariat team to the frontline.

❗️We share the outrage of the IAEA management over these provocative and irresponsible actions by the Kiev regime, which not only continues to commit crimes, endangering and attacking Russian nuclear facilities, but has now decided to put at risk the lives of international personnel and the Russian servicemen responsible for the rotation.

That attack, which could have claimed lives, is evidence of the Ukrainian authorities’ complete disregard for the universal norms of humanitarian law and the agreements reached, as well as their undisguised contempt for the immunity of international staff.

We strongly condemn these actions of the Kiev regime, which believes in its impunity. <...>

☝️ We would like to point out that this latest action of Kiev is an obvious provocation staged ahead of the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, which will convene on December 12 at Kiev’s initiative. We call on the US, Great Britain and their allies to withdraw any support from Zelensky’s regime and to take measures to bring to account the culprits and those responsible for organising and carrying out that provocation.

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🎙 Excerpts from President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at the Plenary Session of the AI Journey international conference

💬 Vladimir Putin: Russia’s experience in the practical implementation of artificial intelligence is needed in various countries. Today, nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, as well as our partners from the #CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, the #SCO, #BRICS, and other associations are forming promising economic sectors and introducing innovations.

Russia unquestionably shares and supports their commitment to developing, and also supports domestic companies in creating AI-based products and services both for themselves and for the whole world.

We will provide the countries of the Global South and East with consultative and technical assistance in the domain of artificial intelligence. Of course, we hope that we will also borrow our partners’ achievements and implement joint projects based on equal access to knowledge, technology, and scientific achievements. This priority is enshrined in the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.

We are ready to help create and apply generative models not only in Russian, but also in other languages. As I have said, these systems’ algorithms must be trusted, that is, clear, open, and unbiased. They must also be developed considering cultural and national peculiarities of each civilisation with its history, identity and traditions, which we, in Russia, deeply respect.

❗️I am confident that an international alliance of AI National associations and development institutions of the BRICS countries and other interested states will give a boost to this cooperation. This Alliance will be launched at the AI Journey conference today.

I hope that new foreign participants, including my colleagues, leaders of state, will attend this event.