In rejecting the “outlandish” accusations of meddling in Italy’s political affairs, the Russiawith the leader of the Italian far-right League party, Matteo Salvini, being asked to explain the contacts of his entourage with the Russian embassy.
“It is strange to see that the political class and the Italian media (…) have begun to be guided by external factors and to imitate their worst practices and models in terms of election campaigns”taking refuge “to the trivial myth of Moscow’s meddling in the election process”commented the representative of the Russian diplomacy Maria Zakharova.
For Russia, “Italy is a sovereign country that exercises an independent internal and external policy“, she added in a statement she uploaded to the Telegram platform.
For this “relations between Russia and Italy have always been characterized by pragmatism, understanding and mutual respect”added Mrs. Zakharova.
The national unity government under Mario Draghi fell on July 14as the League (far right), Forza Italia (right) and the 5 Star Movement (populists) refused to participate in the confidence vote in the government in the Italian parliament.
last Thursday, the centre-right Turin newspaper La Stampa reported that a diplomat from the Russian embassy met in late May in Rome with a close associate of Mr Salviniwith whom they discussed the political situation.
The meeting took place while Mr. Salvini faced accusations of conducting parallel diplomacy with the Russian embassy, ostensibly to draw up a Moscow-Kiev peace plan, without the knowledge of the Italian government.
Several in Italy they demanded an explanation from Mr. Salvini after the Stampa publication.
Relations between Matteo Salvini and Russia have often been contentious, especially since the start of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in late February. The issue is likely to become a headache for his party and its allies, Forza Italia and the far-right Brotherhood of Italy, in the campaign ahead of the September 25 parliamentary election.
Source: News Beast
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