Russian and Ukrainian delegates clashed at an official event in Turkey on Thursday. What started as a flag fight – ended in a two-round scuffle.
– Please please! don’t fight, don’t fight, says a security guard.
The degenerate row arose at Thursday’s meeting of the Black Sea Economic Forum, PABSEC, in Turkey. The Parliamentary Assembly has been trying to hammer out the agreements governing grain exports from Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.
As Russian delegate Olga Timofeeva addressed the assembly – Ukrainian members unfurled their flag behind her back.
An uproar quickly arose in the entire hall.
Shoving, grunting and screaming
The official meeting was broadcast live, including on Turkish television. Photos from the meeting show how Russian delegates approach the Ukrainian representatives and a tug of war for the flag begins. There is pushing, shoving, pulling and shouting – and the meeting is quickly in a state of dissolution.
The Turkish chairman appealed to the assembly for calm but the violent screams continued to echo in the hall.
And it would get worse, when the countries’ representatives would meet the press after the meeting.
The second round begins: “Russian bastard!”
Once the turbulent summit ended, many strong emotions remained. Olga Timofejeva had left the meeting and summed up her thoughts in the media zone outside – when a second round started.
The Ukrainian member Oleksandr Marikovskii then again unfurled the flag behind the Russian one. This time another representative of Russia, Valery Stavitsky, had seen enough. He stepped forward and snatched the flag from Marikovsky’s hands and walked away.
However, Oleksandr Marikovskij was quick on his heels – and after a couple of quick steps he was caught up. First a push is given, then two fist blows quickly came flying in the Russian’s direction.
Stavitsky’s glasses flew all the way and it was an obviously surprised Russian who then in turn had the flag ripped from his hands, before security guards stepped in and broke up the fight.
After the fight, Marikovskij himself published pictures from the fight and wrote the accompanying comment:
“Paws away from our flag, paws away from Ukraine, Russian bastard!”.