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Becca Monaghan
Feb 11, 2022
Russian foreign secretary says Liz Truss meeting ‘like talking to a deaf ...
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Social media have declared foreign secretary Liz Truss the new Margaret Thatcher after a hilarious tweet went viral comparing the two.
This week, Truss made headlines after travelling to Moscow to discuss the tensions over Ukraine – but it wasn't her diplomacy that had people talking.
Instead, her round fur hat caught the attention of social media, who drew comparisons between Truss and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher – who happened to wear something similar during a visit to Russia in 1987.
The collation of photos, in what can only be described as Thatcher cosplay, Truss was pictured recreating many of the Iron Lady's iconic images.
The first shows Truss wearing protective gear, including a bulletproof vest and helmet, on a trip to Estonia. The photo is reminiscent of a 1986 photo of Thatcher in a British Army tank on a visit to troops in West Germany.
Speaking to BBC Politics in December, Truss shut down comparisons by saying they're just coincidences. "Lots of politicians visit tanks," she said in reference to the first shot.
Another shows the foreign channelling Thatcher's publicity shot in 1979, where she cradled a calf named after her for more than 20 minutes.
And you thought she died in 2013.pic.twitter.com/NrRTdd7csj— Danny Morrison (@Danny Morrison) 1644517266
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Inevitably, Twitter did its thing and found the comparisons hysterical. One joked that Thatcher had been "reincarnated", while another called her a "carbon copy."
A third candidly slammed the shots as "blatant and embarrassing."
Is being reincarnated as Liz Truss punishment for wickedness in a previous life?— David Jackson (@David Jackson) 1644520067
Has Liz Truss got a photo album of Margaret Thatcher publicity photos she is slowly emulating?\n\nShe's currently on page 6, but I think there are plenty more in her portfoliopic.twitter.com/vxcBWhQBEt— Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote (@Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote) 1644492260
I thought people were pushing it a bit when they said Truss was trying to look like Thatcher\u2026. #r4todaypic.twitter.com/MwJcA01RmM— Jan Harvey (@Jan Harvey) 1644563372
The Liz Truss cosplay album\n\nWhat next\n\nCome on, vogue!pic.twitter.com/OxnalMyIIj— Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote (@Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote) 1644497298
OMG she's actually stealing all Thatchers shots...how sad is this. I'd also suggest her trip to Russia is another attempt to mould her public image as Iron Lady 2.https://twitter.com/molloy1916/status/1491839657340026885\u00a0\u2026— #Greenbhoy65 (@#Greenbhoy65) 1644567739
Imagine sending the Thatcher impersonator aka Liz Truss on a diplomatic mission to represent your country. This is best the can muster\n\nThe response from Lavrov, was that UK diplomats came \u201cunprepared\u201d to their meeting and said it was \u201clike a mute talking to a deaf person\u201dpic.twitter.com/Uuw9iqn7Ci— BremainInSpain (@BremainInSpain) 1644508798
On Thursday, Truss' conversation with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov didn't go as well as expected.
“It was like a conversation with a deaf person,” he said. “Who is here, but doesn’t hear.”
It got worse. When Truss said the UK “is resolute in pursuing a diplomatic path” to avert a war with Ukraine, something “Boris Johnson is very much behind”, her Russian counterpart sighed.
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