'Nonsense And Offensive': Nick Robinson Clashes With Putin Ally In On-Air Spat

Nick Robinson accused an ally of Vladimir Putin of talking “offensive nonsense” after he claimed Ukraine’s Jewish president was a neo-Nazi.

The veteran BBC journalist clashed with Sergei Markov during an ill-tempered interview on Radio Four’s Today programme.

Markov, a director of the Institute of Political Studies in Russia and a former Putin spokesperson, was speaking ahead of talks to later today between the Russian president and Donald Trump aimed at ending the Ukraine war.

Asked what Russia wanted from the talks, Markov said: “For Russia, it means first of all stopping the Russophobic, neo-Nazi [Ukrainian] regime which had been set up by the previous United States administration of Joe Biden and European countries.

“If Donald Trump is ready to help Russia in stopping this repressive Russophobic regime, the Ukrainian crisis will be resolved.”

Asked by Robinson what that meant in practice, Markov said the Russian language should get “official status” in Ukraine.

“Secondly, neo-Nazi groups is part of the Ukrainian regime, led by Jewish Zelenskyy, who is a neo-Nazi,” Markov said. “These neo-Nazi groups should be disarmed.”

Robinson then interrupted him to say: “You’re saying that President Zelenskyy, a Jew, is a neo-Nazi? That’s not only nonsense, it’s also offensive, Mr Markov.”

As Markov repeated his claims, the presenter then said: “Just pause a second and let me ask you a question. You know that President Trump isn’t going to agree to that sort of language.

“I asked what was practical, not an opportunity for you to insult and abuse the current Ukrainian prime minister in a way that you can’t possibly justify with any evidence.

“What practical step does President Putin want President Trump to deliver?”

Markov replied: “Practical things could be first of all an agreement that the Ukrainian regime should be changed because this is a repressive, neo-Nazi regime.”

Robinson then said: “You think that President Trump will agree todaty to topple the president of Ukraine? There’s no chance of that taking place, is there?”

The presenter then asked Markov “who started the war”, to which he replied: “The war has been started by the Ukrainian neo-Nazi regime.”

Robinson then hit back: “Ah, they invaded themselves. Sergei Markov, thank you for your clarity, as ever.”

He added: “The voice there of someone close to Vladimir Putin who claims that Ukraine invaded itself and that a Jew is a neo-Nazi.”