Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ukraine delegate hits Russian at Black Sea summit in Turkiye

Share
ISTANBUL -

Ukrainian and Russian delegates have had to be separated after a scuffle during a meeting of Black Sea countries in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Oleksandr Marikovski, a Ukrainian member of parliament, landed several blows to the head of a Russian official after his Ukrainian flag was ripped from his hands during a summit at the Turkish parliament building on Thursday.

A video posted on Marikovski's Facebook page shows him waving the flag behind Russian delegate Ola Timofeeva as she records a video on her phone. A man approaches, grabs the flag and is chased by Marikovski.

During a brief altercation in parliament's hallway, Marikovski grabs the flag back, pushing the man in the face. Others separate the men and plead "please, no fighting." Marikovski replies: "It's our flag. We're going to fight for this flag."

In a caption to his Facebook video, Marikovski wrote: "Paws off our flag, paws off Ukraine, Russian filth!"

The outburst happened at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation, a grouping of 13 countries. It came a day before officials from Russia, Ukraine and Turkiye were scheduled to meet in Istanbul to discuss extending the deal for exporting grain and fertilizer through Black Sea ports, which is due to expire on May 18.

The deal, which was first agreed last July, has allowed cargo ships to transport millions of tons of food for export safely through the Black Sea, despite the war in Ukraine.

Thursday's summit was earlier disturbed when Ukrainian delegates interrupted a speech to the assembly by Timofeeva, waving Ukraine's yellow and blue flag by her side as she spoke.

Mustafa Sentop, the Turkish parliamentary speaker, condemned the "provocative and physically offensive actions of some members of the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation" in a Twitter post.

He added: "I condemn this behavior that disrupts the environment of peace Turkiye is trying to achieve."

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.