Russian Photographer Who Filmed Lavrov, Trump: Hysteria over My White House Shoot Is Nonsense

Local Editor

A Russian photographer from the TASS news agency, who was the official photographer for Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov during his US trip, has spoken out about the hype surrounding his recent work assignment, describing the criticism as "absurd and ludicrous."

On Wednesday, photographer Aleksandr Shcherbak, together with an American photojournalist, were in the Oval Office ahead of the closed-door meeting between Lavrov and US President Donald Trump and tasked with taking official pictures to be distributed to international media.

"Proper protocol was followed in this procedure," the White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said at a Thursday press briefing, adding that the White House also "had an official photographer in the room."

However, the routine assignment triggered hysteria in the US media and spurred a range of conspiracy theories. There was even a suggestion that Shcherbak could have planted a spying device in the Oval Office.

"I cannot understand the hysteria around this issue," Shcherbak told RT, rejecting such insinuations as ridiculous. "Everyone who's has to undergo a standard screening procedure. First they checked me, then my belongings and devices, and only afterwards took me to the Oval Office."

"I think this media outcry is due to their anger of not being allowed in for such an important meeting. But I'm not surprised anymore by what Western media outlets say. As we have seen they do not hold themselves to any ethical standard," the photographer added.

Describing the whole situation as "nonsense," the Russian photographer posted an "address to the US media" on his Facebook page. "I am an individual who is not in the public eye and I've never commented on my work before, but this hysteria around my photoshoot at the White House has forced me to write this post," Shcherbak wrote on Thursday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team