Sergey Lavrov Is an Anti-Mask Hero

Lavrov is on a three-day visit to China and had to mask as it’s mandatory there, and he didn’t mind sending a message:

Sergey Lavrov during his visit to China put on a mask with the inscription "FCKNG QRNTN" 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/xGPv7APfyP

— spriters (@neccamc1) March 22, 2021

#China– #Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov arrives in China wearing a mask that ……… pic.twitter.com/P9oks9a6Kb

— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) March 22, 2021

This may be only the third time ever Lavrov has been seen in a mask. Last October the media reported:

On Monday, Lavrov was on a working visit to Athens where he was photographed wearing a mask during meetings with Greek officials.

According to Russian daily Kommersant, this was only the second time Lavrov was seen wearing a mask at a public event since the start of the outbreak.

In fact, Lavrov made fun of mask-wearing on that occasion as well:

Russian Foreign Minister is in Athens today meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

Lavrov's mask makes me laugh. pic.twitter.com/feA4FYYiRv

— Paul Antonopoulos 🇬🇷🇨🇾 (@oulosP) October 26, 2020

Time and time again Lavrov has not worn a face diaper even when his guests or hosts have:

Very brave of Lavrov to make meetings without a mask in a city where Covid-19 is spreading without control. pic.twitter.com/JO5LBHhxuh

— Ruslan Trad (@ruslantrad) September 7, 2020

#Mask on or off? | Iranian FM #Zarif meets #Lavrov #StayHome #خليك_بالبيت #Iran pic.twitter.com/Cp13OJXRGI

— Zolfa moeil (@ZolfaMoeil) June 16, 2020

I met with Foreign Minister Lavrov today to discuss EU – Russia relations, which are at the lowest point following the poisoning & imprisonment of Mr @navalny. In an open and frank debate, I requested an impartial investigation into the attempt against his life & his freedom – 1 pic.twitter.com/9gaB3X4sfk

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 5, 2021

Lavrov is a 71-year old ex-chain smoker. (He’s still a smoker, just not a chain one.) One thing he is not, is a COVID bedwetter. Either he’s not afraid of a little germ thing, or he doesn’t think cloth stops viruses.

The Moscow Times which is outraged at Lavrov’s heresy against the COVID religion explains the FCKNG QRNTN mask he wore in China was handed to him by journalists accompanying him (which must be familiar with his views on face diapers). Not only did he not mind donning it, but his Ministry of Exterior happily posted it to their official TikTok:

And on Monday, the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov let his own opinions on self-isolation orders be known with a profanity-laced face mask.

Lavrov posed for a video in the black mask, which featured the words “FCKNG QRNTN,” while on tour of the Lijiang River in southeastern China.

“Pool journalists gave S.V. Lavrov a mask. Both the mask and the text suit the minister just right,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in its TikTok post.

The government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta said the pool reporters gifted the mask to Lavrov, who turned 71 on Sunday, as a birthday present.

“The mask jokingly describes an attitude to quarantine measures imposed around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the paper wrote.

Subsequent footage from Lavrov’s visit to China showed the Russian diplomat wearing different face masks.

Observers drew parallels between the flippant inscription and the Russian authorities’ casual attitude toward safety measures, most recently at a packed, maskless Moscow stadium concert Thursday celebrating the seventh anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

@midrussia

Журналисты пула подарили С.В.Лаврову маску. И маска, и надпись пришлись Министру впору

♬ original sound – МИД России