Italy rejects Moscow’s accusation of ‘anti-Russian hysteria’ over sanctions

By AFP 19 March 2022, 10:50 pm

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Ukraine nationals living in Italy take photos outside the Colosseum lit with the Ukraine national flag in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in Rome, on February 24, 2022. (Domenico Stinellis/AP)

Italy reacts furiously to “odious and unacceptable” insults and threats by a senior Russian foreign ministry official attacking sanctions applied against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

Alexey Paramonov, head of the Russian foreign ministry’s European department, accused Italy of falling victim to “anti-Russian hysteria,” in comments to the state-run RIA Novosti agency. Italy forgot centuries-long relations and bilateral agreements “in a second,” he said.

Paramonov said Russia had provided “significant assistance” to Italy during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, at the request of Italy’s defense minister Lorenzo Guerini.

Italy’s foreign ministry says it “firmly rejects the threatening statements” from Moscow.

Rome and its partners will “continue to exert every pressure” to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it adds.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi condemns the “comparison between the invasion of Ukraine and the pandemic crisis in Italy” as “particularly odious and unacceptable.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the Italian parliament on Tuesday.