The Russian Ambassador to Australia is asked uncomfortable questions in a TV interview.
The presenter gives him no time to catch his breath.
Munich/Canberra - Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Russian politicians and diplomats have seldom answered critical questions from western journalists.
This is exactly what happened in Australia now.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine: ABC presenter cross-examines ambassador
Specifically: moderator Sarah Ferguson cross-examined the Russian ambassador to Australia, Alexei Pavlovsky, in a TV interview for the ABC channel.
Among other things, she confronted the diplomat with allegations of alleged Russian war crimes, called the government of President Vladimir Putin a dictatorship and asked him how many more deaths Russia could bear.
In short: A veritable exchange of blows developed in which Pawlowsky - visibly unsettled - dodged questions and instead railed uncontrollably against the West.
How would you describe this form of government if not as a dictatorship?
ABC presenter Sarah Ferguson to the Russian ambassador
In order: “You are in Australia enjoying the benefits of a free and open society.
How can you live with that when you represent the repressive, dictatorial Putin regime?” Ferguson asks at the beginning of the interview, which is available on YouTube (see video below).
The ambassador starts laughing maliciously.
"You find it funny?" Ferguson replies, to which Pawlowsky replies, "What I find funny is your way of opening an interview."
ABC host Sarah Ferguson: Russian ambassador dodges questions about Ukraine
Ferguson tells him how she feels about the Kremlin: "It's a regime that has invaded its neighbor." It's a regime that suppresses protests and the free media, in which dissidents are murdered or imprisoned, the Journalist: “How would you describe this form of government, if not as a dictatorship?” Pawlowsky replies: “Sarah, um, actually I don't think we need to discuss the form of our government with you.
Actually, I was preparing for substantive questions, about Russia's politics and about Russia's position on various issues, about Russia's role in the world."
Ferguson now reminds him that the ambassador once said that Australians were "brainwashed" for supporting Ukraine.
Pavlowsky does not dispute his statement.
To put this in perspective: At the beginning of April 2022, the Australian armed forces made 19 armored troop carriers "Bushmaster" available to the Ukrainian army for defense after the Russian invasion.
In August 2022, Moscow then exhibited captured military equipment in Ukraine - including a burned-out "Bushmaster".
Ukraine war: Australia also supports Kiev - Russia criticizes that
This did not detract from Canberra's support for Kiev.
At the end of January 2023, the Australian and French defense ministers, Richard Marles and Sébastien Lecornu, announced that both countries would jointly produce several thousand 155mm shells for the Ukrainian army.
Made in France with Australian powder.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a criminal act.
The Russian military terrorized the Ukrainians.
Understand that you don't have to be brainwashed to understand that," says Ferguson, listing the war crimes the United Nations (UN) accuses the Russian army of, including kidnapping more than 1,000 Ukrainian children.
Ukraine war: Russian ambassador to Australia denies war crimes
He then asks her whether the same documents “say anything about war crimes committed by the Ukrainian side?” She replies that the International Criminal Court has only opened investigations against the Russian side.
Ferguson adds: "Russia has caused the deaths of more than 8,000 Ukrainian civilians since February 2022.
But in his speech to the Russian Federation last month, your President Putin said: 'We are not at war with the Ukrainian people.'
My question to you is: why are you killing her then?”
+
In August 2022, the Russian army exhibited an Australian "Bushmaster" in the Moscow area, which was apparently destroyed in the fighting in Ukraine.
© IMAGO/Evgeny Biyatov
Russia ambassador calls Australian society 'brainwashed'
Pavlowsky's answer?
"That's why I said the public was brainwashed.
Because she hears a lot of words about evidence and footage, but never gets a chance to do the fact check," he says.
She stubbornly repeats: "My question was: why are you killing her?" Instead of answering, he accuses the West of having installed an allegedly ultra-nationalist government in Kiev.
Ferguson interrupts him not to repeat "Russian propaganda from the past."
He accuses her of repeating "Western propaganda".
Finally, Ferguson asks, “How many more hundreds of thousands of casualties can Russia take without a revolt?” Pavlovsky: “I don't agree.
I don't see any signs of it." Ultimately, he doesn't want to accept the term war either: "We're talking about the military special operation." The ABC presenter corrected: "It's a war.
It's a war."
(pm)
Rubric list image: © Screenshot Twitter@FergusonNews
