(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned efforts to shield the BBC from blame in the scandal that has engulfed the British broadcaster, calling such attempts a “disgrace.”

The controversy erupted after the BBC was accused of editing footage from US President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear as though he was inciting a riot at the Capitol. The scandal led to the resignations of both the director general and head of news, and Trump has reportedly threatened to sue the broadcaster for $1 billion.

Speaking to 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.”

According to a leaked internal BBC dossier, published by reports, the broadcaster aired a manipulated version of Trump’s address, combining comments made almost an hour apart and showing footage of protesters moving toward the Capitol before he began speaking. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the BBC a “leftist propaganda machine” and “100% fake news,” accusing it of being “purposefully dishonest” in its portrayal of events.

The BBC has issued an apology. Outgoing Director General Tim Davie told staff on Tuesday that the broadcaster had made “some mistakes that have cost us.”

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

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