Russophobia will not be tolerated, a Russian regional head said, commenting on a Norwegian diplomat’s xenophobic remarks
Russia will not tolerate Russophobia, Murmansk Region Governor Andrey Chibis said in a scathing Telegram post about a scandalous incident involving a Norwegian consul that took place in his region.
A video posted on Saturday by news outlet Mash showed Elisabeth Ellingsen, a consul stationed in the northern Russian city of Murmansk, swearing at the staff at a hotel. “I hate Russians,” Ellingsen says in English. “You know, I’m used to [staying in] clean rooms. I’m from Scandinavia, not some Russian woman.”
“We will not tolerate Russophobia in our country. Everyone who hates Russians should get the hell out of Russia,” Chibis wrote. He echoed the remarks of Andrey Klishas, who chairs the committee on constitutional legislation and state building of the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament.
Also taking to Telegram, the senator urged the Foreign Ministry to expel Ellingsen, whom he described as “scum.”
The ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the Norwegian diplomat for her “hateful” speech, saying that Moscow is now “considering options on how to respond to this outrageous act of hatred, nationalism and xenophobia.”
Norway’s Foreign Ministry in a statement sent to RT on Saturday said that it “deeply regrets” the incident and that Ellingsen’s “sentiments” do not reflect “Norwegian policy or Norwegian attitudes towards Russia and Russian people.” It added that “the incident is being handled by the Ministry through the appropriate channels.”
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