Mobile phone, watch and T-shirt from the USA: Lavrov embarrasses himself with this video Two “liberations”, two impressions – this is how Kherson reacts to the Ukrainian soldiers

A report circulated from Indonesia on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had to be treated in hospital for a heart condition. These messages were denied later in the day. The ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova spoke first, then the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – and finally Lavrov herself.

The Russian government published a video on Telegram showing Lavrov on a terrace in Bali. This is proof to show that the Secretary of State must be okay. Lavrov himself says in the video that Putin is constantly talking about alleged health problems, so he is not surprised by the reports. Yet he launched a total attack on Western media: they should be “more honest” and “less one-sided”, according to Lavrov.

In public, however, the words of the foreign minister quickly faded into the background. The video made headlines, but for a different reason: The 72-year-old was carrying several distinctly Western products when he showed up in Bali – although the Russian government has repeatedly tried to emphasize that they don’t depend on them. According to “Bild”, both the watch and the smartphone are products of the American company Apple: an Apple Watch and an iPhone.

The video was also hotly debated on social media. So Lavrov’s team also felt compelled to respond. Spokeswoman Zakharova initially indignantly rejected the fact that the foreign minister was wearing an Apple Watch. When a Russian commentator then asked whether the minister’s iPhone posed a risk due to possible access by secret services, Zakharova thanked him for his security concerns.

Openly gay artist t-shirt

Lavrov’s T-shirt in particular caused quite a stir. This one has a design by American artist Jean Michel Basquiat – a man who doesn’t really represent the values ​​of the Russian government. Basquiat was open about his love of men, anti-colonialist, and died of a drug overdose in 1988.

Lavrov is now reaping a lot of malice on social media for the surprising video. “You wonder where Lavrov got the latest iPhone from – Apple left Russia in the spring. Where are all the Russian phones rumored to be replacing iPhones?” mocks Ukrainian political adviser Anton Gerashchenko. The Russian government has yet to comment on the controversial Lavrov shirt. (dab)