A testy exchange after BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg doorsteps Sergey Lavrov at the Valdai Discussion Club outside Moscow. Here’s a transcript: BBC: “Russia and the West are trading accusations, the West is increasingly accusing Russia of waging a hybrid war against [other] European countries [and] you recently accused the... West of using brute force. So first, on this idea of hybrid warfare, do you accept that Russia is waging a covert hybrid war against [other] European countries? And if so, why?” Lavrov: “You mean when we shoot down drones and missiles that Britain and continental Europe give Ukraine, which they then use to attack us? Is that what you mean by “hybrid warfare”?’ BBC: “Not at all.” Lavrov: Well, if you accept that your weapons are being used to attack us, and we shoot those weapons down, call it whatever you want, but as far as I’m concerned, there’s no question that [Western] Europe is waging a war against us. We’ve been saying that for a long time.” BBC: “And on brute force, you accuse the West of using brute force?” Lavrov: “I don’t actually remember using the phrase “brute force.”” BBC: “You said the West resorts to brute force.” Lavrov: “Well, what was what happened in Venezuela, soft power? Or brute force? What happened to the Nord Stream pipelines, was that soft power or brute force? When Iran’s leadership was bombed and killed along with their families, including children, wasn’t that brute force?’ BBC: “But doesn’t Russia use brute force every day in Ukraine?’ Lavrov: “If by that you mean destroying infrastructure that the Nazi regime, with Western support, uses to wage war against the Russian Federation, then yes, we use brute force to eliminate that direct threat to us.”show more

The way Lavrov is keeping his hands behind his back is very significant. He was addressing someone he is considering as an enemy.

Lavrov eats clowns like that for breakfast😂

Where the similar debates between Russian journalists and let's say Ed Miliband? Or - though I doubt she even takes questions - with Kaja kallas?

Steve #Rosenberg did an interview with #Lavrov 4yrs ago n BBC License fee holders have never seen it. #DefundTheBBC It's dubbed in English.

Correction: I did this too quickly and misheard one word. Rosenberg says «например» (“for instance”), not «отнюдь» (“not at all”). So that BBC line should simply read: “For instance.” Apologies for the error.

useless discussions with war criminals

Lavrov might have been annoyed by Rosenberg's pretence that the Ukrainian drone attacks are just things for the Moscovites to get used to, in his recent BBC Russian elections report:

Mr. Rosenberg keeps trying to push his agenda, but fails as usual. Perhaps he should choose easier targets 🤣

Good exchange, but just one precision. In response to Lavrov, the reporter doesn't say "Not at all". He says, "For example" (naprimer).

Tens of thousands of videos and images can be found online showing Russia bombing civilian homes, yet here a Russian terrorist claims to be bombing military targets. Russians are terrorists.

Rosenburg would never include such context in his write ups for BBC stories. And since when can Russian journalists confront our leaders, they are banned in our "free country".

Classic echoes of Mikhail Pogodin there.

Плюньте ему в носатую рожу пожалуйста, хоть кто-нибудь. Я бы плюнул. Лавров меня разочаровывает. Есть люди, на которых даже смотреть не стоит. А тем более вести диалог. Не тронь говно и не воняет. На Колыму жирного пучеглазого уёбка. Навсегда. В одиночное. Чтобы с ума сошёл.

I corrected one thing for you: ̶B̶B̶C̶:̶ ̶“̶N̶o̶t̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶”̶̶ BBC: “For example”

Sneaky ziorat appeared.