Kathrine Frich
Moscow has delivered another sharp-edged remark aimed at London
The comments came during a wider discussion on colonialism and current geopolitical tensions.
They have added to an already strained atmosphere between Russia and the UK.
Barbed comparison
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested on Monday that Britain should remove “Great” from its name, arguing it is an unusual self-description.
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, he said:
“I think that Britain should be called simply Britain because ‘Great Britain’ is the only example of a country which calls itself ‘Great’.”
Lavrov then drew a pointed comparison with Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, whose state was officially known as the “Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya”. “But it no longer exists,” he added.
After making the remarks, Lavrov said “No offence” when taking a question from Sky News correspondent Ivor Bennett.
Name and history
In Russian, the UK is commonly referred to as “Velikobritaniya”, a literal translation of “Great Britain”, with “veliko” meaning great or large.
Internationally, Great Britain is often used informally, though the country’s official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Historically, the term “Great Britain” served as a geographical distinction rather than a boast.
The description dates back to the second century AD, when the Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy used “megale Brettania” to differentiate the island from “mikra Brettania”, or Brittany, in modern-day France.
Greenland debate
Lavrov’s comments were made during a discussion on colonialism prompted by developments around Greenland.
He argued the Arctic island was not “a natural part” of Denmark.
“In principle, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark, is it?” Lavrov said. “It was neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark. It is a colonial conquest.”
His remarks came amid protests in Greenland against US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on European countries unless Denmark agreed to sell the territory.
Broader accusations
Lavrov dismissed Trump’s claim that Russia seeks control over Greenland. He also accused European leaders of preparing for conflict with Moscow.
“If you read the statements of European politicians and leaders… they are seriously preparing for war against the Russian Federation,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS.
He added that Russia believes the “root causes” of the Ukraine war lie in what he described as long-term Western efforts to turn Ukraine into a security threat on Russia’s borders.
