Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused Russia of “offending the entire Italian nation” on Friday as she stood by comments by the Italian president that compared modern-day Russia to Nazi Germany.

In a speech last week, President Sergio Mattarella criticised the “wars of aggression” that led to World War Two. “This was the project of the Third Reich in Europe. The current Russian aggression against Ukraine is of this nature,” he said.

Reacting to those statements with some delay, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday lambasted Mattarella’s remarks as “blasphemous inventions”.

Meloni said in a strongly-worded statement: “The insults of the spokeswoman (…) offend the entire Italian nation, which the head of state represents.”

“I express my full solidarity, as well as that of the entire government, to President Mattarella, who has always firmly condemned the aggression perpetrated against Ukraine,” she added.

Italy has traditionally been one of the countries in Europe with the closest political and economic ties to Russia, but under Meloni it has firmly stood by Ukraine, including with military aid.

  • Skiluros
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    6 days ago

    Elmo is 100% not going to tolerate Meloni after she criticized russian imperialism and debauchery.

    It’s too bad we can’t send Elmo and all the other oligarchs (not only American ones) to a russian prison in the arctic for several decades.

    • @FelixCress
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      6 days ago

      It’s too bad we can’t send Elmo and all the other oligarchs (not only American ones) to a russian prison

      Volunteer them for Ukraine war on Russian side - and send real soldiers to Ukraine to help Ukrainians. With a bit of luck we won’t be worrying about Elon and the rest of them anymore.

      • Skiluros
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        06 days ago

        Elmo and the American oligarchs will get tortured to death by drunk russian soldiers who will think they are american spies.

        • @FelixCress
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          36 days ago

          This is a sacrifice we will overcome.