British Foreign Secretary David Lammy made some very undiplomatic comments about Russia, calling it, in effect, a fascist state. Moscow called this an insult to the millions of Soviet citizens, and others, including British subjects who died fighting the Nazi scourge during World War II. Speaking to Sky News on Sept. 15, Lammy claimed there was “a lot of bluster” from Russian President Vladimir Putin, but “we cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist” who “wants to move into countries willy-nilly,” [reported The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/15/biden-pushes-back-storm-shadows-decision-until-end-of-month/). Lammy said: “Putin said, ‘Don’t send tanks.’ We sent them. Putin said, ‘Don’t send any missiles.’ We sent them. Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons. What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”
The Russian Embassy in London issued a comment the same day rebuffing Lammy’s statement. “The Embassy strongly rejects U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s derogatory remarks articulated on Sept. 15 during an interview with a British TV channel when he went so far as to accuse the leadership of the Russian Federation of ‘imperialist fascism,’” the Russian Embassy statement read. “David Lammy’s remarks mainly offend not the leadership of our country but rather the memory of those who fought against the ‘brown plague’ during World War II, including his own compatriots. At the same time this is by far not the first time when doubts arise about his actual understanding of the terminology he uses. It is worth recalling that the ideology of ‘fascism,’ which relies on theories of racial superiority, is closely associated with the crimes of German Nazism. These are the very crimes that our people and the citizens of other former Soviet republics put a stop to through their unparalleled heroism.”
Lammy apparently has a record of making such inflammatory statements. The embassy said, “We took note long ago of the current Foreign Secretary’s propensity for inappropriate and provocative statements, which he had been known for even before assuming office. The Labour politician’s fixation on indiscriminately labeling ideological opponents as ‘fascists’ had previously bewildered many, including among Britain’s allies. … However, holding the position of Foreign Secretary generally entails special responsibility and duty to adhere to standards of diplomatic ethics,” states the Embassy.