By: ABID SIDDIQUE CHAUDHRY

TWA

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ISLAMABAD: In a wide-ranging assessment of its foreign policy outcomes in 2025, Russia says it made decisive diplomatic, security, and multilateral efforts to reinforce a multipolar global order, grounded in the UN Charter and international law. The developments come amid shifting global alliances, renewed diplomatic engagement with major powers, and ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe — key issues shaping world news, global politics, and international relations today.

Russia Marks 80th Anniversary of World War II Victory

According to a Russian Embassy spokesperson, The year 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in World War II, which Russia described as a central reference point for reaffirming the inviolability of the post-war world order.

Within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 2025 was officially declared the Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight against Nazism.
In May, a solemn UN General Assembly session commemorating WWII victims was held at Russia’s initiative at UN headquarters in New York.
In December, an annual UN resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism and neo-Nazism, co-sponsored by 44 countries, was adopted.

These initiatives were presented as part of broader diplomatic engagement within the international community.

Strengthening Strategic Partnerships

Russia reported tangible progress in several key bilateral relationships:

China: Comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China intensified through high-level diplomacy, including reciprocal visits by President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping — to Moscow in May and Beijing in September.
Iran: A new stage in relations with Iran was marked by the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in January, which entered into force in October 2025.
North Korea: Relations with the DPRK deepened following what Russia described as allied assistance from Pyongyang in the liberation of the Kursk Region and post-conflict stabilisation efforts under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.

Renewed Dialogue with the United States

Following the inauguration of a new US administration in January 2025, Russia said political dialogue with Washington was restored at the highest levels.

During the Russia–US summit in Anchorage on August 15, both sides reportedly reached understandings that could form a basis for resolving the Ukraine conflict, including addressing NATO expansion and concerns regarding the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations.

Eurasian Integration and CSTO Security Measures

Russia highlighted progress in Eurasian integration, including:

Advancing economic and political cooperation across the region
Strengthening the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) by enhancing the combat readiness of collective forces
Approving an anti-narcotics strategy through 2030

These efforts were framed as part of regional stability and collective security priorities.

UN Initiatives and Anti-Sanctions Diplomacy

At Russia’s initiative, the UN General Assembly adopted two significant resolutions in December:

December 14: Proclamation of the International Day for the Elimination of Colonialism in all its forms
December 4: Proclamation of the International Day for Combatting Unilateral Coercive Measures

Both initiatives were advanced with support from the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter.

Religion, Migration, and Information Policy

Russia also pointed to domestic measures with foreign policy implications:

Steps taken to protect Orthodox Christianity and other traditional religions were said to create favourable conditions for the resettlement of foreign nationals under a Presidential Executive Order on Humanitarian Support.
Efforts to counter what Russia described as untruthful information in foreign media intensified, including cooperation with international partners within the International Fact-Checking Network.

These developments come at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and realignment, affecting global diplomacy, security frameworks, and the role of international organizations such as the United Nations. For countries including Pakistan, which closely monitor world news and shifting power dynamics, Russia’s foreign policy trajectory remains a key factor in broader Eurasian and global stability.

Russia stated that firm defence of its national interests led hostile governments to acknowledge the impossibility of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on the battlefield, contributing to calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Ukrainian theatre. How these diplomatic efforts translate into lasting political outcomes will remain a central focus of international relations in 2026.