On Thursday, Ukrainian and Russian Black Sea cooperation delegates fought and slapped each other in Ankara, Turkey.
The altercation started when Valery Stavitskiy, the secretary of the Russian delegate, stole a Ukrainian flag being held up for a photo op in the lobby, and Marikovski grabbed it back, striking and slapping the Russian in the process.
Video Shows Flag Thief’s Pursuit
On May 4th, an incident happened in Ankara, Turkey, during the 61st Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Community (PABSEC).
An image showing Oleksandr Marikovsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s parliament, seemingly posing with a female representative, was posted to Twitter from a mobile phone and has now gained over 1.4 million views.
He is proudly waving the Ukrainian flag as they pose in front of the event’s official exhibit.
The Ukrainian lawmaker can be seen in the video pursuing the flag thief, who has since been revealed to be Russian diplomat Valery Stavitsky, secretary of the Russian PABSEC mission.
Stavitsky takes four glancing strikes to the head, neck, and shoulders from Marikovsky as he moves. As onlookers and security personnel rush to break up the fight, the Ukrainian snatches the flag back from the thief.
Another man, who looks to be Stavitsky’s coworker, then leads him away from the scene as the video concludes. One can see him fiddling with his glasses, seeming confused.
Mixed Reactions To Stavitsky’s Punch
Viewers condemned Stavitsky’s obscene behavior after the video went viral. Stavitsky was called small and weak by some, but others praised the Ukrainian politician for standing up for himself.
According to TASS, the incident was an attack. Stavitsky’s flag grab from Marikovsky was not mentioned in the report.
Marikovsky and Stavitsky fought after the Ukrainian delegation stood with flags during Timofeyeva’s address.
Therefore, there was some pushing and shoving. After the meeting, Turkish organizers requested that the Ukrainian flag be removed.
Read more: Montana Judge Strikes Down Restrictive Medicaid Abortion Coverage Rule