Moscow Calling – June 18
Zakharova slams G7 summit as ‘disgrace’
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova strongly criticized the recent G7 summit, calling it a “disgrace.” Using the colloquial cynical saying, she said the participating countries resembled “mice that were stinging themselves, crying, but insisting on eating a cactus,” referring to the West recognizing the pain it inflicted upon itself from imposing sanctions. According to her, the key outcome of the meeting was the realization of the billions in losses caused by the sanctions policy. She also stated that the G7 no longer has any values or ideas capable of setting a constructive tone, which, in her opinion, Russia provided during the G8 era (TASS).
Russian MFA: Nuclear threat in the Middle East has become real
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the nuclear threat in the Middle East is not hypothetical but actual. Speaking on Sputnik radio, she stressed that strikes against peaceful nuclear facilities pose a direct threat to regional and global security. “This is not just an escalation, it is a real threat,” Zakharova said, adding that Iran “had, has, and will have the right” to operate peaceful nuclear facilities (TASS).
Ryabkov: BRICS gives Russians hope and real opportunities
BRICS opens up equal opportunities for cooperation and improving the lives of ordinary Russians, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Russian Sherpa to BRICS Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with the TASS Analytical Center. According to him, “Russians feel better due to BRICS” because the alliance covers almost half of the world economically and geographically. Ryabkov stressed that the most important thing is the absence of diktat in this group and the broad opportunities it offers: from combating natural disasters with satellites to cultural festivals and medical research. He noted that BRICS is already developing methods for treating dementia and creating a medical journal without the restrictions typical of Western companies, which are primarily focused on profit (TASS).
Russians claim new head of MI6 has Russian roots
Despite her Georgian-sounding surname, the new head of MI6, Blaise Florence Metreweli is more Russian than Georgian, RIA Novosti columnist Dmitry Krutikov said. Her real surname is Dobrovolskaya, and Metreweli is the name of her grandfather, a White-Russian émigré. Born in London and having worked her way up from Cambridge to the intelligence service, Metreweli became the first woman to head Britain’s foreign intelligence service, the author of the article states. He also notes that during her career, she strengthened Department Q, expanding its functions to include cybersecurity, AI, and quantum technologies. Metreweli speaks Arabic, has worked in the Middle East, and is well-versed in regional issues. According to the article, she is expected to modernize MI6’s technology and increase its focus on Russia without changing the overall ideology of intelligence (ria.ru).
Gazprom may demand €16 billion from Slovakia for refusing gas
Russia’s Gazprom may demand that Slovakia pay a penalty of up to €16 billion if it stops gas supplies to the European Union, the Slovak state-owned company SPP stated. The reason for this was the European Commission’s discussion of a ban on Russian gas supplies to the EU from January 1, 2028. SPP emphasizes that Slovakia is bound by a long-term contract with Gazprom, and its unilateral termination could have serious financial consequences. The company considers Brussels’ initiative to be politically motivated and harmful to the EU economy. Earlier, Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he would not support such a ban: if adopted, gas prices for the population could rise by 30-50% (EADaily).