I am writing to you in connection with your coverage of events taking place around Ukraine, which we at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union feel is biased in favor of the government in Kyiv.
POLITICO’s coverage of the high-profile story about the Ukrainian Snake Island garrison, “‘Go fuck yourself,’ Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island tell Russian ship before being killed” (February 25), is a most notable example thereof. You did not even care to mention any Russian statements, supported by video evidence, that the “dead heroes of Ukraine” were safe and sound, having surrendered to the Russian army. It was only after the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that the soldiers defending Snake Island were alive and well that you published a much less eye-catching follow-up, “The ‘go fuck yourself’ Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island are alive, navy says” (February 28).
Yet, later in an opinion piece, “Get ready for a long war” (March 1), you linked to the original article, bringing shame on yourself and your colleagues, and indulging the government in Kyiv.
If your journalists are incapable of finding freely accessible videos of safe and sound Ukrainians, as well as the Russian point of view of current developments in and around Ukraine, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union will be happy to provide it.
Sergey Kovalevskiy
Press Attaché, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union
Brussels