(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned attempts to shift blame from the BBC amid the scandal engulfing the British state broadcaster, calling them a “disgrace.”

The controversy erupted after accusations emerged that the BBC had edited footage of US President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to falsely suggest he was inciting the Capitol riot. The fallout led to the resignation of the broadcaster’s director general and head of news, while Trump has reportedly threatened a $1 billion lawsuit.

Addressing Russian journalists on Tuesday, Lavrov highlighted what he described as “yet more instances of unprofessional and harmful coverage of certain events” by international media, particularly British outlets.

“What is happening with the BBC now is well known,” he said. “The fact that some ‘figures’ are trying to justify what happened and are talking about some kind of staged campaign is a disgrace.”

Leaked internal documents, published by media, suggest the BBC aired a manipulated version of Trump’s speech, merging statements delivered almost an hour apart and showing footage of protesters moving toward the Capitol before Trump even began speaking.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled the broadcaster a “leftist propaganda machine” and “100% fake news,” asserting it was “purposefully dishonest” in its coverage of the events.

The BBC has apologized, with outgoing Director General Tim Davie telling staff Tuesday that the broadcaster had made “some mistakes that have cost us.”

Lavrov also criticized the Financial Times for its reporting on a proposed meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, claiming the story contained “many lies.”

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