Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sharply responded to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement that in 2017 in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov forced him to drink a large amount of vodka, writes Komsomolskaya Pravda.
According to Zakharova, in reality, everything was the opposite: no one forced Johnson to drink; moreover, he himself repeatedly asked for his glass to be refilled.
"He could have chosen the wine placed before him, but he preferred vodka. I remember that dinner very well. Johnson kept asking for more to be poured," Zakharova said.
The Russian diplomat also recalled another dinner involving former British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, implying that her behavior did not particularly shine with diplomatic restraint either.
"Even the men were surprised here. The English pub atmosphere that came with the British woman did not fit at all within the walls of Morozov's manor," Zakharova mocked.
The reason for this story was Johnson's earlier statement. The former British Prime Minister claimed that during his 2017 visit to Moscow, Lavrov forced him to drink a huge amount of vodka while sitting in front of a heated stove.
According to Johnson, he went to Moscow intending to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and normalize bilateral relations, but Putin refused to receive him. As a result, he met with Lavrov.
"I was trying to restore relations with Russia, but it all ended in disaster. Eventually, I met with Lavrov. He's a terrible man, absolutely hopeless. He forced me to drink a huge amount of vodka while sitting in front of an extremely hot stove. It literally reminded me of punishments used in private Victorian-era schools. It was terrible," Johnson recounted.
