The man did not miss his target: a Ukrainian journalist questioned him during a press conference using Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Ankara on Wednesday.
The Russian diplomat was in Turkey to discuss Establishment of safe corridors for Ukrainian grain exports. The press conference of Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish envoy Mevlut Cavusoglu ended despite several attempts by Muslim Umerov to fail to ask his question.
Then he stood up and shouted at Sergei Lavrov: “I’m from Ukrainian public television, I totally want to ask a question!” He started. The Russian minister, apparently ashamed, accepted this unexpected intervention in the protocol that carefully designed the exchanges.
“Apart from grain, what other items did you steal from Ukraine and to whom did you sell them?” Started the Muslim Umero.
“We do not stand in the way of grains”
Before the counter-attack on Sergei Lavrov, he was asked to ask his question again.
“You Ukrainians are always worried about what you might steal, and everyone thinks so!” He changed, all smiling.
“Our intentions are clear there, we want to save the people from the pressure of the neo-Nazi regime. We are not blocking the grain. [Volodymyr] Zhelensky [le président ukrainien, NDLR] Gives orders, that’s all, “he added.
“I decided to speak louder”
Later, our colleague AFP, Muslim Umerov, based in Istanbul for Ukrainian public television, explained that he had “raised his hand during the entire Q&A session.”
“I finally realized that they would not let me speak, so I decided to speak louder,” he said, adding that “the whole of Ukraine took the risk of disrupting the press conference because it was waiting for an answer to that question.” Added.
On Friday, Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara accused Russia of “stealing” and exporting Ukrainian grain, especially to Turkey.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov, the target of Western sanctions, has made rare trips abroad.
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”
