“Don’t you dare insult Russia! Don’t look away!” – Russian diplomat scolds UK counterpart

Tempers flared at a UN Security Council discussion on the current situation in Syria, when Russian envoy to the organization, Vladimir Safronkov, snapped at his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft: “Look at me when I’m talking to you! Don’t look away! Why are you looking away?”

Speaking earlier at the meeting held on 12 April, Rycroft had accused Russia of siding with president Bashar Assad, ‘a murderous, barbaric criminal’, rather than with their international peers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAx6tyLnaiw

This was what prompted the outburst from the Russian diplomat:

“You lose sleep over the fact that we might work together with the US. You are scared, and you do everything to undermine it.”

“You make insulting demands. Well, what have you done to advance the ceasefire? You welcome various opposition groups to London and Paris – illegal armed groups… Many of them have been murdering Christians and other minorities in the Middle East. What do you do about them?”

“You certainly are afraid that things move towards peace and a political solution.”

“Don’t YOU dare insult Russia!” Safronkov said, once again addressing Rycroft, using the familiar ‘you’ form in the Russian language unacceptable in public addresses.