Russian FM Spokeswoman Denies Lavrov Name-Calling Reporter at OSCE

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied that there was a verbal exchange between a Reuters reporter and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as reported in some media.

Several outlets covering a ministerial meeting of the OSCE countries in Hamburg have accused the Russian Foreign Minister of name-calling a Reuters journalist, citing a video recorded prior to Lavrov's meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In the video Lavrov smiles and asks a cameraman: "What do you want?" When he does not receive a reply, Lavrov is seen to walk away murmuring something. Several sites were quick to accuse the Russian Foreign Minister of calling the cameraman "an idiot."

Zakharova dismissed the accusations, claiming that Lavrov only asked a Reuters videographer, approaching him with a camera, what he wanted, and receiving no answer, turned away.

"I picture to myself a Reuters office in Germany," Zakharova posted to her Facebook account. "The execs ask correspondents whether they got the things done. The execs: ‘Did you approach Lavrov today?' Reporters: ‘Yes'. ‘How did he react?' — ‘He asked whether we wanted something' — ‘And what did you do?' — ‘Nothing' — ‘What happened then?' — ‘Well, it looks like he called us idiots, here on the video… but it's somewhat indistinct' — ‘Go publish the video. Everybody must know what happened!'"

The 23rd Ministerial Council of the OSCE kicked off Thursday, gathering together diplomats from the OSCE participating states, including Russia and Germany, as well as 11 other partners, to discuss cooperation in major security issues.