During a press conference in Moscow, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that Britain should consider dropping the word “Great” from its name, drawing a comparison to Libya under Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. Lavrov pointed out that “Great Britain” is unique in using “Great” in its name and highlighted the now-defunct “Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” as another example.
In Russian, the UK is commonly referred to as “Velikobritaniya,” translating to “Great Britain” due to “veliko” meaning “great” or “large.” While informally known as Great Britain, the country’s official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain historically served as a geographical descriptor to differentiate it from “Little Britain” or Brittany in France, a distinction dating back to the Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD.
Following his remarks, Lavrov addressed questions, including one from a UK Sky News correspondent, emphasizing that his comments were not intended to cause offense. The discussion on colonialism arose in light of current events, such as the Greenland crisis, where Lavrov expressed views on Denmark’s colonial history, stating that Greenland was not a natural part of Denmark or Norway but a colonial acquisition.
Contrary to assertions by US President Trump, Lavrov dismissed claims that Moscow seeks control over Greenland for NATO interests. He also criticized European leaders, accusing them of preparing for war against Russia and aiming to inflict a strategic defeat on the country. Lavrov highlighted the need to address the root causes of crises, particularly regarding Ukraine, where he criticized Western actions in turning Ukraine into a perceived threat to Russia’s security and supporting what he described as an openly Nazi regime following a 2014 coup.