Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has been the mouthpiece of Vladimir Putin in the ongoing Russian nerve agent saga, took an embarrassing tumble in front of an audience in Moscow today.
The veteran 67-year-old diplomat fell as he came on stage at Russia the Land of Opportunities forum.
The embarrassing incident occurred as the Kremlin is embroiled in a huge spat with the international community over the alleged poisoning of a Russian spy on British soil earlier this week.
Mr Lavrov sprawled on his hands and knees and picked himself up awkwardly. A second later he told the audience: “You see, I tripped…
“It’s good it was not on a diplomatic front but on a step.”
Earlier today he slammed Britain over the spy row.
He warned that he would “soon” call on the British ambassador to inform him of Moscow’s response to the 23 diplomats being thrown out of London.
Mr Lavrov said Russia should first tell Britain about any retaliatory measures against London in the spy case before revealing them to the wider public.
He repeated Moscow’s position on the case, saying British allegations against Russia were “absolutely boorish.”
He said: “You do understand that we, as polite people, will first deliver our response to the British counterparts.
“This is, in my view, is being polite, this is how gentlemen behave.
“Proposals will be worked out by the Foreign Ministry and other agencies, but it is indeed the president who will make the final decision.”
Theresa May confirmed the expulsion of 23 high-level diplomats during an address to the House of Commons.
She announced her decision in the wake of last week’s “barbaric” nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia.
Mrs May said: “Under the Vienna Convention, the United Kingdom will now expel 23 Russian diplomats who have been identified as undeclared intelligence officers.”They have just one week to leave.”
The PM said it marked the “single biggest expulsion in 30 years” after the diplomats were identified as undeclared intelligence officials.
Additional reporting by Will Stewart in Moscow