Overview
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the United Kingdom should be called simply Britain, arguing it is the only country that calls itself 'Great.'
- He compared the usage to Muammar Gaddafi’s defunct 'Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,' adding that it 'no longer exists.'
- The remark was delivered while Lavrov discussed colonialism following comments about Greenland and Arctic issues.
- Addressing Sky News correspondent Ivor Bennett during the exchange, Lavrov added, 'No offence.'
- The comment aligns with Russian state media’s adversarial portrayal of the UK and comes against strained ties over Ukraine and espionage claims, with no diplomatic change indicated.