Apparently frivolous exchange masks gravity of Nato concern at Russian incursions across Ukraine border

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Russia has struck back in the Twitter war of the maps after Canada offered some not-so-friendly travel tips for the Russian military: a map showing Russia and labelling Ukraine as “not Russia”.

Canada’s NATO Twitter account posted the map on Wednesday with the explanation: “Geography can be tough. Here’s a guide for Russian soldiers who keep getting lost and ‘accidentally’ enter Ukraine.”

Canada at NATO (@CanadaNATO) Geography can be tough. Here’s a guide for Russian soldiers who keep getting lost & ‘accidentally’ entering #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/RF3H4IXGSp

The tweet had been reposted more than 25,000 times by late on Thursday Canadian time, including by the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power.

But Russia’s mission to Nato responded by tweeting its own map showing Crimea as part of its territory, with the message “Helping our Canadian colleagues to catch up with contemporary geography of Europe”. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March.

Russians at NATO (@natomission_ru) Helping our Canadian colleagues to catch up with contemporary geography of #Europe @CanadaNATO pic.twitter.com/MjzRxpFFfN

Kiev accused Russia on Thursday of sending tanks, artillery and troops across Ukraine’s border.

“It’s important to look at this exchange through the current context,” said Rick Roth, the top spokesman for Canadian foreign affairs minister John Baird.

“The original tweet was in the context of Russian military personnel being found in sovereign Ukrainian territory, claiming they were lost. Nobody believes that.”



