The presenter did not mince his words.
Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yuriy Filatov attempted to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a tense interview on RTÉ’s Six One News with presenter David McCullagh.
The pre-recorded interview saw McCullagh grill Filatov over an Amnesty International report published on Friday.
The report states that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been marked by “indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on protected objects such as hospitals”.
“Will you let me explain some basic facts?” Filatov responded.
“What we are talking about is the sad truth that the war has been going on in Donbas for almost eight years waged by the Kyiv regime against the people of Donbas.”
Cutting him off, McCullagh stated: “I’m sorry, Ambassador, but that war was started by Russia. It was fermented by Russia. It was continued by Russia. Russia has been arming the separatists in those areas you mention.”
Filatov denied this, with McCullagh then asking: “Why should our viewers believe the Russian version of events when Russia has been misleading us in recent weeks?”
“I don’t think we have been misleading anyone,” Filatov responded.
This was before McCullagh highlighted a Prime Time interview last week in which the Ambassador dismissed claims of an imminent Russian invasion on Ukraine.
“It was not our preferable choice,” Filatov said of the invasion.
“If you are a little bit patient, you would listen through what I have to say.
“We tried all efforts to settle things politically through the Minsk process. They have failed.
“There was no other choice to go ahead the severing of Donbas to real humanitarian intervention,” he later added.
“That’s what the special operation is exactly about.”
McCullagh then asked if by “special operation,” the Ambassador meant the “invasion of a sovereign nation”.
“The only aim of the operation is to neutralise the ability of the Ukrainian military to inflict any more suffering on Donbas,” Filatov responded.
“Ukrainians should not be afraid of that.”
McCullagh then put to the Ambassador: “Ukrainians are being killed by your forces. How can they not be afraid?”
“Simply because they are not the target of this operation,” Filatov responded, before saying he himself had “no such proof” of civilian targets in Ukraine being hit by Russian munitions.
The interview concluded with McCullagh raising calls by various Irish politicians to have the Ambassador expelled.
“Why should our Government entertain your presence here when you’re acting as an apologist for slaughter?” he asked.
“It’s a good question. You might ask that to your Government,” he replied.
“It’s up to them. I can leave anytime.”
You can watch the interview below.
RTÉ Six One interview with Russia’s Ambassador to Ireland Yuriy Filatov | Live updates: https://t.co/65zqcDbQ9X pic.twitter.com/1y7QfJUkh7
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 25, 2022
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