GENEVA, December 28. /TASS/. Europe is beginning to realize that Russia cannot be defeated in the fight for a just cause, Russia's permanent representative to the UN headquarters in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said.

"In Europe and in international Geneva we feel more and more clearly that here they are beginning to realize a simple truth - in the fight for a just cause Russia and its spirit cannot be defeated. Our ill-wishers will have to come to terms with this fact, and we, in turn, will remind them of it from the podiums of the United Nations platforms," Gatilov said in a New Year's address published on the Russian mission's Telegram channel. "In doing so, we rely on the growing support of like-minded people who understand and share Russia's calls for the creation of a multipolar world based on equality and consideration of the interests of all states: large and small," the diplomat pointed out.

The Russian envoy recalled that "the outgoing year of 2023 was rich in events," and "unfortunately, for Russia and the world as a whole, they were not always joyful." "However, despite the unprecedented scale of challenges and threats, our country and its people managed not only to withstand, but also to strengthen unity, consistently defending the legitimate interests and sovereignty of the Motherland," Gatilov said, stressing that this is the merit of all Russians and compatriots, who "were united by love for the Motherland and our people's inherent keen sense of justice." "Today, in the era of global geopolitical changes, we look forward to the coming year with hope and faith in the best," the Russian envoy concluded.