WATCH: ‘Impartial’ BBC Reporter Hugs Ukrainian President Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky via Storyful
Kurt Zindulka

In an apparent breach of the BBC’s impartiality code of conduct, a reporter for Britain’s public-funded broadcaster embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a hug at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

During a visit to a military camp in Dorset, England alongside British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President Volodymyr Zelensky was greeted with seemingly fawning admiration by a reporter from BBC Ukraine, Natalia Goncharova.

When called upon to ask a question of the two leaders, rather than questioning President Zelesnky on the critical issues of the day, including his demand for Western leaders to supply fighter jets, BBC journalist Goncharova instead asked whether she could give the Ukrainian president a hug.

In comments translated by Bloomberg, the BBC reporter said: “Greetings Mr President, I would really like to hug you, but I’m not allowed.”

“Why not? Please do give me a hug,” Zelesnky responded before embracing Goncharova.

While the exchange was hailed by the BBC itself as demonstrating the “human” touch of Zelensky, others questioned the state of journalistic ethics at the public broadcaster.

The BBC’s own impartiality guidelines state: “Presenters, reporters and correspondents are the public face and voice of the BBC – they can have a significant impact on perceptions of whether due impartiality has been achieved. Our audiences should not be able to tell from BBC output the personal opinions of our journalists or news and current affairs presenters on matters of public policy, political or industrial controversy, or on ‘controversial subjects’ in any other area.

“They may provide professional judgements, rooted in evidence, but may not express personal views on such matters publicly, including in any BBC-branded output or on personal blogs and social media.”

The viral moment came after Mr Zelensky was received by the British Parliament in the historic Westminster Hall in London in which he thanked the UK government “in advance” for sending war planes to support the effort against Russia.

Though Prime Minister Sunak’s government has committed to sending main battle tanks to the conflict zone, it has yet to make a decision on sending in fighter jets. Mr Sunak did say that “nothing is off the table” in terms of potentially supplying Kyiv (Kiev) with military planes, however.

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