🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s statement on the expiry of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (November 1, 2026) 💬 On October 31, the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara expired. Although consensus on a final settlement of the Western Sahara issue has yet to be reached, the US, seeking to artificially accelerate the settlement process, began insisting on the eve of that date on a drastic reduction in the Mission's powers, including abandoning the organisation of a referendum, even though the directly interested parties, including Morocco and Algeria, agreed on the importance of giving the people of Western Sahara the opportunity to determine their own destiny. ❌ Russia could not support the intention to deprive the people of Western Sahara of their right to vote, but the US opposed extending the previous mandate, thereby bringing the Mission to the brink of liquidation. We regret the removal of the basis for the presence of UN representatives in Western Sahara. Nevertheless, we expect the political settlement process to continue, making it possible to find, among the various options for the territory’s status, the solution best suited to the local population. We remain in close contact with our Algerian, Moroccan and other partners on this issue.