Scuffle breaks out at PABSEC summit: Russia's delegate rips off Ukrainian flag

Фото: Anadolu

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Members of the Ukrainian parliament tried to disrupt the speech of the Russian delegation at the summit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Türkiye.

The Russian tried to touch the Ukrainian flag on the sidelines, Anadolu reports.

A member of the Ukrainian delegation, People's Deputy Oleksandr Marikovsky, published a video showing how Russia's representative snatched the blue-yellow flag with the Trident from the Ukrainian delegates and left the conference.

Marikovsky caught up to the Russian and returned the flag, landing several blows on the Russian. A fight almost broke out between the delegates.

This happened during the speech of Olga Timofeeva, a member of the State Duma from the United Russia party, who pinned the St George's ribbon, a symbol of Russian aggression, on her jacket.

The Ukrainian lawmakers tried to unfurl flags behind her back, but members of the Russian delegation tried to prevent the actions of the Ukrainians.

A scuffle broke out between Ukrainian and Russian delegates at a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Türkiye's capital Ankara

Tensions boiled over after Ukrainians interrupted a Russian official's speech👇 pic.twitter.com/AzZiQi2B6L

— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) May 4, 2023

Then the speaker of the Parliament of Türkiye intervened in the situation. Mustafa Şentop announced a break and demanded that the delegation, which had violated the rules of the event, be taken out of the hall.

The person who has been given the floor will speak here. I will not allow anyone to disturb the peace and order of the event. If someone has such intentions, they should leave the room, he said.

As he stated, everyone can express their opinions and ideas orally.

There is nothing wrong with this. However, if attempts are made to hold actions, the site of today's meeting will cease to be a parliamentary event and turn into a street movement, the Türkiye's speaker said.

The 61st PABSEC General Assembly is held in Ankara on 4-5 May.

On the eve of the event, the Praesidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people declared the inadmissibility of confirming the mandates of the members of Russia's delegation.

All persons included in the official delegation of the Russian Federation since February 2014, when it occupied Crimea, are personally involved in committing crimes on the territory of Ukraine and against citizens of Ukraine, the Mejlis stressed.