‘All Russians are bastards!’ declares Ukrainian delegate to PACE

Tempers have been running high at the PACE this week as the rights body is about to reinstate Russia as a fully-fledged member. One of Ukraine’s delegates went as far as declaring in English all Russians are ‘bastards’.

The outburst came from Borislav Beryoza, a Russophobic Ukrainian MP with a long record of disruptive behavior that marks him even among the, to say it politely, expressive delegation from Kiev. The insult came on Tuesday as he was entering the Palace of Europe, the gathering site of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The independent MP is hardly a stranger to verbal and even physical abuse, although he usually prefers his insults in the Russian or Ukrainian language. His favorite target over the last few years has been Russian journalist Olga Skabeeva, who covers PACE meetings for the Russian news channel Rossiya 24 and also hosts a political talk show with her husband Evgeny Popov, who published the video.

Last year he tore a microphone from Skabeeva’s hands to deliver an angry rant about the Russian government and dropped it on the floor.

During another incident he shoved her away from a fellow member of the Ukrainian delegation, Deputy Speaker Irina Goncharenko, as she was briefing several journalists.

Beryoza and the entire Ukrainian delegation to the PACE are currently fighting a desperate battle to prevent Russia’s voting rights from being fully reinstated after five years. The foul-mouthed legislator had this remark to make:

“The gates of hell are open and the Russian demons will be at the Parliamentary Assembly. What is there to say? That’s how scum do – slither through every crack.”

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