Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Sunday condemned the US for prohibiting Russian journalists from covering Lavrov’s speech before the UN in New York. Lavrov called the decision “a really stupid thing” in an appearance before reporters in Russia. The US State Department has not responded to Lavrov’s comments.

Speaking to reporters, Lavrov said he had not expected the US to deny the journalists’ visa requests. Lavrov said that in denying the visas, the US “showed the real worth” of its values of free speech and information. Lavrov then urged Russian journalists to keep track of his comments in the US before the UN, urging them not to repeat the “filtered” information he claimed US journalists provide. Lavrov’s final comments to gathered reporters warned the US that Russia “will not forget or forgive” them for their actions.

Russia’s embassy echoed Lavrov’s comments in a tweet on Monday, saying:

#US violated again its obligations under UNHQ Agreement having denied visas to 🇷🇺journalists who were supposed to accompany FM #Lavrov on his visit to #NY. This politically biased decision proves that postulates about importance of freedom & rights of media are empty words in 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZYBY28ZbRq

— Russia in RSA 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) April 24, 2023

Lavrov traveled to UN Headquarters in New York City on Monday to deliver remarks marking Russia’s chairmanship of the UN Security Council. In his remarks before the body, Lavrov condemned the West and demanded that it respect “all members of the international community.” Lavrov claimed that, while the UN has always tried to remain neutral, its recent moves have shown Western favoritism. Lavrov called upon UN Secretary General António Guterres to comply with the UN Charter’s Article 100 requirement for objectivity.

Russia assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council at the beginning of April. In the time since, tensions between the US and Russia flared when Russian authorities arrested American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich–the first such incident since the Cold War. Gershkovich is currently held in a Russian detention facility on espionage charges, having lost a recent appeal. The US and the Wall Street Journal have called for Gershkovich’s immediate and unconditional release.