Italy slams Russian blacklist as Kremlin ‘propaganda'
Published by Russia's foreign ministry, the list accuses several European leaders of fueling anti-Russian sentiment over the war in Ukraine, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed the move as 'yet another propaganda operation' meant to deflect from Moscow's actions. In a statement, she said the accusations are 'well-known and condemned by the international community from the very beginning.'
President Mattarella was cited over past remarks comparing the invasion of Ukraine to Nazi aggression and condemning the 'inhuman tragedy' faced by Ukrainians.
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