The Russian foreign minister has made a bizarre argument, while trying to justify the illegal invasion of Ukraine.
At a press conference in Moscow on Friday, Sergei Lavrov likened Ukraine and Russia to Ireland and Britain.
He suggested that the UK would not be happy if Ireland stopped using the English language.
He also made similar arguments around the use of French in Belgium.
Mr Lavrov claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants people who see themselves as Russian out of Ukraine.
"Something like that was also said by President Zelenskyy when he demand that those people who think themselves part of the Russian culture they should go away from Ukraine.
"For example if in Ireland, if they prohibited [the] English language, what would the UK think about it?
"Or if in Belgium they would have forbidden [the] French language?
"I can't image that a law like that would last for more than a couple of days or even hours.
"But in the west, they only see it through the prism of their own egotistical interest".
Quite the take from Sergei Lavrov.
"If in Ireland they prohibited the English language what would the UK think about it?" https://t.co/B8A9G6pSxW— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) February 25, 2022
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney hit out at the comparison on Twitter.
"Don’t bring Ireland into an argument trying to justify and unjustifiable war", he wrote.
"Ireland/UK are an example of how 2 countries, with a difficult past, found a way to shape and sustain a peace process, guaranteeing an absence of violence."
Mr Lavrov also suggested Moscow was ready for talks with Kyiv if the Ukrainian army surrenders.
"We are ready for negotiations at any moment, as soon as the armed forces of Ukraine respond to our call and lay down their arms," he said.
He claimed the aim of the invasion was "to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine" so that "Ukrainians could freely determine their future".
He also said "nobody is going to attack people of Ukraine".
