🎙 Statement by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Lyubinsky at the plenary session of the High-Level Conference of the International Conference on Humanitarian Action, Remedy and Responsibility in unilateral sanctions environment (Geneva, 9 April, 2026)

💬 We live in an era when the architecture of international law – built over decades – is being deliberately dismantled.

So-called 'unilateral coercive measures' [aka unilateral sanctions] have become, among other things, the instrument of that destruction. <...>

Russia's position on this issue is unwavering: any restrictions imposed in circumvention of the Security Council decisions are unacceptable.

At the same time, unilateral coercive measures have become the weapon of choice for "old democracies" desperately trying to hold on to what they once believed was their unshakable dominance on the global stage, which is increasingly slipping from their grasp. As their political influence fades and economic leadership shifts to new centres of power, the collective West is resorting to dictatorship in international relations.

Without exaggeration, we are dealing with a modern form of colonial policy. Behind the plausible slogans of defending some democratic values lies a desire to restrain the development of states that the West considers undesirable.

This is nothing other than an attempt to artificially slow socioeconomic progress and impose its will on those who have chosen the way of independence and sovereignty. <...>

Experience proves that the main target of these restrictions is not the authorities or the so-called elites – it is millions of ordinary citizens. Depriving ordinary people of access to food and medicine is not a political measure; it is a true crime against humanity, and that must be properly reflected in international law.

Those who impose sanctions are under the illusion that sovereignty can be bought or traded away for comfort. However, the experience of Cuba, Iran, and North Korea clearly demonstrates that pressure doesn't work. <...>

Today, they are trying to apply the same scenario against Russia. It has become clear that these sanctions are not temporary or targeted measures – they are a mechanism for systemic, strategic pressure on our country.

No matter the situation, no matter the system of international relations, our Western competitors will always seek to contain Russia and weaken its economic and technological capacity.

Moreover, while the collective West once tried to maintain at least a veneer of decency in its opposition, now it seems that it no longer feels the need to hold back. Not only do they regularly threaten Russia with new sanctions – they also churn out one sanctions package after another. <...>

❗️ However, the endless conveyor belt of sanctions packages from the European Union and the United States fails to bring them closer to their real goals. On the contrary, we see our society consolidated and our economy adapted. Our country's internal stability and our foreign policy course remain unwavering, while the sanctions machine continues to drain the resources of those who set it in motion. <...>

The countries that imposed unilateral coercive sanctions against Russia have suddenly realized that the sanctions sword cuts both ways. The European Union's self-imposed embargo on Russian energy imports, adopted in the context of the war against Iran, has plunged Europe into a severe energy crisis. <...>

Unilateral coercive measures are a neo-colonial practice with a destructive impact on all states and all segments of the population. The time has come to recognize their illegitimacy.

👆 The era of unilateral dominance is irrevocably over. It must be replaced by an era of equitable, mutually respectful dialogue and cooperation among sovereign states.

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