Overview
- In New Delhi at a BRICS media briefing, Sergey Lavrov paused to tell a man on a phone to leave, saying, “It’s either you yourself or your phone.”
- When the call continued, he warned, “If you don’t surrender your phone, they will take out the gun,” as staff moved to take the device and the man resisted.
- Laughter followed in the room and video of the exchange spread widely online, while the person’s identity has not been confirmed.
- During the visit, Lavrov briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on progress in India–Russia cooperation since their December 2025 summit and discussed Ukraine and West Asia.
- He also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with both sides saying the partnership remains strong during the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Delhi.