Support The Moscow Times!

Russia's Lavrov Calls UK's Williamson 'Minister of War'

Sergei Lavrov AP

A day after British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson accused Moscow of "trying to goad the West" in a bellicose speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called him Britain's minister of war.

Williamson, addressing the Munich Security Conference on Friday, accused Russia of "illegal activity" on land and at sea, and called on Moscow to reset its relationship with Western countries through dialogue.

Lavrov addressed the meeting on Saturday and seized the opportunity to jibe back at Williamson when asked about the security situation of the Arctic.

"We want to understand what kind of mandate NATO is going to have in the Arctic," he said.

"If you listen to some people like the minister of war — oh,sorry the minister of defense — of the United Kingdom then you might get an impression that nobody except NATO have the right to be anywhere," he added to laughter.

It was not the first time Lavrov and Williamson have clashed verbally.

Last year, after Williamson told Russia to "go away and shutup", Lavrov retorted: "Maybe he lacks education."

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more