The U.K. Foreign Office has brushed off Moscow's complaints about Prince Charles reportedly likening President Vladimir Putin to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, and has told a Russian diplomat who came in for explanations that Moscow should take a step back from meddling in Ukraine.
Sian MacLeod, the Foreign Office's additional director for eastern Europe and Central Asia, met Thursday with Russian Deputy Ambassador to the U.K. Alexander Kramarenko at his request, according to statements by the two diplomatic agencies.
"In response to Mr Kramarenko's representations, the director said the Foreign Office could not be expected to comment upon reports of private conversations, and restated the government's hope that ahead of the Ukrainian presidential elections Russia would step back from comment or actions provoking instability in Ukraine," the U.K. Foreign Office said in an online statement.
The Russian Embassy appeared irked by the response, saying in its own statement that MacLeod had "in effect, avoided giving explanations regarding this matter, saying that it is a case of nothing but media reports about a private conversation."
"All of this cannot but cause regret," the embassy said in a statement on its website.
The diplomatic spat has prompted a series of taunts in Russia and overseas.
Ekho Moskvy radio host Tonya Samsonova summarized the British response on her Facebook page, saying MacLeod told the Russian ambassador: "We don't comment on Prince Charles here... but since you dropped by, we wanted to tell you once again: Ahead of the elections in Ukraine — stay away from them."
Across the Atlantic, The New Yorker magazine's Andy Borowitz posted a satirical "apology from Prince Charles," mocking the supposed parallels between Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938 and Russia's annexation of Crimea this spring.
"What I should have said, and what I say to you now, is that this Putin chap can be a bit Hitlery at times," Borowitz said in his fake "Prince Charles" letter of apology. "Let's take, for example, his penchant for taking territory that doesn't belong to him and then adding it to his country and so forth.
Borowitz also took issue with British politicians who called for Prince Charles to abdicate over his remark — made during a conversation with a Polish refugee — that by meddling in Ukraine, "now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler."
"If memory serves, back in the nineteen-thirties another chap went around trying to punish people for speaking their minds," Borowitz wrote. "I'm not going to name names, but if the shoe fits..."
See also:
Prince Charles 'Compares Putin With Hitler' in Off-the-Cuff Remark
Russia Bites Back at Prince Charles' Rumored Hitler Comparison
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.