Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on
Thursday rejected Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's claim
Italy was leading the effort to help Ukraine against Moscow
because an anti-Russian stance had been forced upon it.
He said it was not Rome that was anti-Russian, but Russia which
was against the West.
"We are not the anti-Russian front, it is Russia that has made
the anti-Western front because by invading Ukraine it has made a
choice by violating international law," Tajani told Agorà on
Rai3, responding to a question on yesterday's accusations
against Italy by Lavrov.
"We defend international law, we defend the rules, we defend a
democratic country.
"Nobody is imposing anything on us, we are a free and democratic
country, where there is a parliament that decides what to do".
Lavrov said Wednesday Moscow was surprised that Italy is among
the leaders of the international effort to support Ukraine in
the war against Russia.
"It was a surprise for us to see Italy becoming one of the
leaders in the anti-Russian front", Lavrov said in answering an
ANSA question at a press conference in Moscow.
The Russian foreign minister went on to say that he loved
Italians and that Rome's stance against Russian aggression had
been forced on it.
"I like Italians, they are very similar to Russians, and
Russians like the Italian way of life. I cannot see them as
people who build walls and barriers. The attitude of
confrontation (with Russia) has been imposed on Europe", and
therefore also on Italy," Lavrov told ANSA at the press
conference.
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