Since March 11, Russian- (1, 2), Ukrainian-, and Georgian-speaking Facebook users have shared a video of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in which he allegedly says, “After today’s barbaric attack from Ukraine, we urgently appealed to our partners from the United States with a request to close the sky over Moscow.” The video bears the logo of the Russian propaganda media outlet Russia Today (RT). Some users (1, 2) have shared only the text of Lavrov’s alleged statement.
The video, in which Lavrov is asking the U.S. to close the sky over Moscow, has been digitally edited and has not been published on RT’s website. Moreover, no reputable media outlet has reported that Lavrov requested assistance from the United States.
The Russian Foreign Minister’s video is edited. His mouth movements appear unnatural while speaking, which is noticeable from the first seconds of the footage. Additionally, Lavrov’s voice tone differs from his usual one. Many of his speeches can be found online, but his real voice is significantly different from the one in the manipulated video.
The logo of the Russian propaganda media outlet RT on the video has also been added digitally. No such video has been published on the RT website. No reputable media have reported Lavrov requesting assistance from the U.S.
Currently, Sergey Lavrov is engaged in negotiations related to the Russia-Ukraine war. He has stated that Europe is obsessed with the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, but that is not what is required to end the conflict. He also said that the West had launched the war against Russia through Ukrainians. On March 13, in a comment to RT, Lavrov addressed the issue of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, stating that since 2014, several ceasefires had been signed with Ukraine, but Ukrainians, with the support of their European partners, had deceived them.
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