COLOMBO — March 11, 2026
Russia’s ambassador to Sri Lanka has defended Moscow’s objections to photographs depicting the war in Ukraine that are currently displayed at an international photojournalism exhibition in Colombo, telling Jaffna Monitor that the images present a “biased and anti-Russian narrative.”
In written comments to Jaffna Monitor, the ambassador said the photographs featured in the World Press Photo Exhibition 2025 ignore atrocities, which he says were committed by Ukrainian forces and reflect broader Western efforts to shape global perceptions of the conflict.
“The materials presented at this exhibition are completely biased and anti-Russian in nature,” the ambassador said. “The photographs deliberately ignore the real atrocities committed by Ukrainian Nazis in 2014–2022 in Donbas and during the invasion in the Kursk region in 2024.”
“Such a presentation of materials is further proof of the West’s hypocrisy,” he added. “We call for an objective assessment of events and publications.”
Exhibition at Center of Diplomatic Dispute
The comments come amid a diplomatic dispute surrounding the World Press Photo Exhibition, a global showcase of award-winning photojournalism organized by the World Press Photo Foundation.
In Sri Lanka, the exhibition is hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Sri Lanka Press Institute, and the foundation.
The exhibition opened at One Galle Face Mall in Colombo on Feb. 27 and is scheduled to move to Sahas Uyana in Kandy from March 13 to 17.
According to the Dutch Embassy, the Russian ambassador visited the exhibition during the March 7–8 weekend and requested that photographs related to the war in Ukraine be removed. The Russian Embassy later raised the issue with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Dutch Embassy rejected the request, saying the move would undermine freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information.
In an interview with Jaffna Monitor, the Netherlands’ ambassador to Sri Lanka, Wiebe de Boer, said the request amounted to an effort to restrict what Sri Lankan audiences can see.
“Russia wants to apply the same rule they have in Russia to the people of Sri Lanka,” Ambassador de Boer said. “To see things that are freely available on the internet — it’s quite curious.”
Russia’s View of the Conflict
In his response, the Russian ambassador said Western governments have misrepresented the origins of the war and ignored Moscow’s security concerns regarding NATO expansion toward Russia’s borders.
“The West is waging war against Russia on the territory of Ukraine,” he said. “Before that, we repeatedly asked not to expand NATO eastward, but unfortunately, our requests were not heard.”
He compared the situation to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Soviet Union deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba.
“To understand the analogy, one can recall the Caribbean crisis,” he said. “When the USSR deployed missiles in Cuba, was the United States pleased?”
The ambassador also said proposals by Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit involving the five nuclear-armed permanent members of the United Nations Security Council had been blocked by Western governments.
Sri Lanka’s Neutral Position
Russia also praised Sri Lanka for maintaining a balanced approach to the conflict.
“We are well aware that despite Western pressure, Sri Lanka adheres to the principles of neutrality and non-alignment,” the ambassador said. “We appreciate Colombo’s balanced position and therefore ask that events be covered objectively.”
Sri Lanka has sought to maintain relations with both Russia and Western governments since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Colombo has abstained from several United Nations General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion, while continuing to pursue economic cooperation with Western countries and international financial institutions.
Claims of Double Standards
The Russian ambassador also criticized Western governments for applying double standards in international politics, citing restrictions placed on Russian athletes in global sporting competitions following the invasion of Ukraine.
“A limited number of athletes have been permitted to compete under neutral status, which entails a prohibition on displaying any state symbols of the Russian Federation,” he said.
He questioned why similar measures had not been applied to athletes from countries whose military actions have also drawn international criticism.
“We regard such a selective approach as a manifestation of double standards,” he said.
