Shoigu: Russia advances in Ukraine, urges peace in Iran, condemns Western asset freezes
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, speaking at Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and CIS security meetings in May, delivered a wide-ranging assessment of global security challenges, outlining Moscow's positions on the war in Ukraine, the situation around Iran, and Western financial measures.
At the 21st meeting of SCO security council secretaries in Bishkek, Shoigu said the Russian Armed Forces "firmly hold the strategic initiative and are confidently moving forward along the entire engagement line" in the special military operation zone, according to TASS. He added that since the start of the year, Russian forces have liberated over 1,800 square kilometers of territory and more than 80 settlements, and that the Lugansk People’s Republic has been "fully liberated."
Shoigu attributed the lack of progress toward a settlement to the "Kiev regime," which he said "confirms time and again its inability to come to agreement." He pointed to what he called the "hypocritical support by leading European countries that are EU and NATO member states," which he said deliberately delay the conflict and supply weapons to Ukraine. He also noted the SCO’s balanced position on the Ukraine crisis and expressed hope it would strengthen.
In a separate address at an informal meeting of CIS security council secretaries during the 1st International Security Forum, Shoigu said the Russian-American peace initiative in Ukraine is stalling, according to TASS. He blamed "the Kiev regime’s complete lack of political will for peace and its constant desire for escalation." He said the regime avoids peace because it would have to face the consequences of its "anti-Russian adventure," including Ukraine's demographic crisis. He also claimed that "the Ukrainian population is increasingly returning to the Russian language" and that on May 9, a Victory Day parade was the most popular online search in the country.
Shoigu addressed Ukraine's economic situation, saying its budget "depends solely on Western aid." He cited a trade deficit of nearly $45 billion last year and over $13 billion in the first quarter of 2026, and stated that Ukraine’s public debt has surpassed 100% of GDP, exceeding $215 billion. TASS reported his remarks without independent verification.
Regarding Iran, Shoigu, speaking at the SCO meeting, said that "every effort must be made to prevent the armed confrontation around Iran from recurring." He described the "US-Israeli aggression against Iran" as "the latest in a long line of geopolitical adventures by the West," which had put regional and international security at risk. He said the aggression had "wiped out many years of efforts to resolve the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program and undermined the process of normalizing relations between the Iranians and their Arab neighbors." He reiterated that Russia had called for an immediate end to hostilities from the start of the conflict and welcomed a ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan, expressing readiness to contribute to the process, including through a Russian-initiated Concept of Collective Security in the Persian Gulf.
Shoigu also condemned Western financial actions, saying the root cause of global upheavals is the desire of the US and its allies to maintain dominance. He said international law and multilateral institutions are being undermined, and that the West has frozen approximately $590 billion in assets belonging to Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya, and Afghanistan. "In other words, the money has been stolen," he said, according to TASS. He expressed confidence that leaders would draw conclusions about storing national savings in the West.
All statements were reported by TASS, the Russian state news agency, and reflect the official Russian government positions presented by Shoigu.