Lead
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu addressed a meeting of senior BRICS officials responsible for security issues in New Delhi, presenting a range of concerns about global stability. His remarks, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, focused on the interconnectedness of security and the economy, disruptions to energy and fertilizer supplies, and the expansion of US military-biological laboratories.
Coverage Comparison
TASS's English-language reporting on Shoigu's statements was the only coverage provided, with multiple articles from the agency covering different aspects. One report centered on Shoigu's critique of the collective West, whom he accused of causing "unprecedented instability" through actions such as "tariff wars" and unilateral sanctions. Another focused on the implications for global food and energy security, citing the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and attempts to attack Russian vessels. A third compiled key statements, including about the resurgence of Nazism in Europe and the expansion of US military-biological laboratories.
Key Claims
Shoigu, speaking at the BRICS national security advisers' meeting, asserted that the shortfall in energy and fertilizer supplies caused by the situation in the Middle East and attempts to attack Russian ships and facilities cannot be offset by global reserves. He specifically pointed to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz as a threat to global food and energy security, noting that a significant share of exports of energy resources and mineral fertilizers passes through it. According to Shoigu, this negatively affects development prospects and creates a threat of hunger for dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
He further stated that these attempts, including pirate attacks on gas carriers and other transport, are aggravating the situation and threatening global food and energy security. The loss of Russian and Middle Eastern supplies, he said, cannot be compensated for by existing global reserves.
In addressing the root causes, Shoigu said at the BRICS High Representatives meeting that "the desire of the elites of the collective West to maintain its dominance while disregarding the formation of a polycentric world order" is the main reason for unprecedented instability. He accused "neocolonialists" of using methods including "tariff wars" and unilateral sanctions, involving entire regions in armed conflicts, and even kidnapping and physical elimination of leaders of sovereign countries. He also highlighted the crisis in the Middle East as an example that security is closely linked to the economy and supply chains, attributing it to "American-Israeli aggression against Iran."
Shoigu also discussed the situation in Ukraine and Europe, saying events there "create fertile ground for extremism, violence, and interethnic strife." He stated that it is a "shared sacred duty to suppress any attempts to rehabilitate Nazism and glorify Nazi criminals," referring to a resurgence of Nazism in Ukraine and Europe.
Regarding US activities, Shoigu claimed that the US is expanding its network of military-biological laboratories worldwide, with about 120 facilities in total, including 40 in Ukraine. He said these laboratories "work with dangerous pathogens and conduct potentially risky experiments with viruses."
Finally, Shoigu proposed that the response to these threats should include developing alternative logistics, trade, and resource solutions, as well as enhanced coordination among BRICS countries on pressing international issues.