The Russian advertising company behind numerous adverts featuring the current US President have hit back at claims that the ads are racist.
There has been outrage from the west at the adverts for products such as Chocolate-Vanilla Ice Cream. The ads feature a cartoon character thought to be based on Barack Obama.
However, Yuri Bigotiev attempted to calm the storm. "In Russia we have a different attitude to race relations than you do in the west. This is just a harmless little joke. A bit of fun. Ethnic groups in Russia join in with this fun. It's not like we have gangs of skinheads roaming the streets attacking foreign looking people. Next you will be claiming that the Militsia actively discriminate against foreigners. You westerners need to lighten up."
A spokesperson for Barack Obama said "The President doesn't like ice cream anyway."
