Reports of League links fake - Moscow (2)

(ANSA) - Moscow, June 15 - Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted by Interfax on Friday as saying that reports of relations between Moscow and Italy's League party were fake news. Zakharova blamed philanthropist and liberal open-society advocate George Soros, who recently suggested Moscow could be financing the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic party, which has formed a new government in Rome with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S). "I'd like to say that this issue was raised by forces outside the Italian peninsula, to be precise American financiers like George Soros, who has been linked to international scandals and provocations for some time," Zakharova was quoted as saying.
    "The aim of this fake news was to scare Europe, undermine the friendly relations between Italy and Russia and cast a shadow over the new Italian government". The League has said anti-Russian sanctions are hurting Italian firms and the new government in Rome has called for them to be revised.