Italy is becoming "part" of the conflict in Ukraine by supplying weapons to Kiev, which do nothing but "fuel and exacerbate the war".
This is the accusation launched by the Russian ambassador in Rome
Sergey Razov
, who agreed to answer written questions from ANSA on the eve of the first anniversary of the conflict.
The Russian diplomat calls the until recently privileged relations between Rome and Moscow a thing of the past.
And he insists on denouncing the "discrimination" to which, he claims, Russian citizens, entrepreneurs and above all artists are subjected in our country.
ANSA - Ambassador Razov, the anniversary of what Moscow calls a 'special military operation' in Ukraine is approaching and the world is calling war. Do you think Russia has achieved, or is about to achieve, its goals?
RAZOV – “He hasn't reached them yet, which is why the special military operation continues.
Its goals were formulated by the President of the Russian Federation a year ago and are being consistently pursued.
In terms of perspective, supplying the Kiev regime with ever more sophisticated weapons and military equipment does not bring peace closer, rather it only fuels and exacerbates the war, multiplying the victims, the destruction and the suffering".
ANSA - The coalition of Western countries, since last February 24, has lined up to help Ukraine, not only providing military aid, but trying to isolate Russia economically and politically with sanctions. I ask her, was it worth it?
RAZOV – “At one time, according to the Ptolemaic theory, it was believed that the entire universe revolved around the Earth and today some politicians are convinced that the whole world revolves exclusively around the 'collective' West.
They would do well to remove the Euro-Atlantic map from their desks and replace it with a real globe.
They will neither succeed in isolating Russia (as the experience of the last year shows) nor in bringing it to its knees with sanctions.
Believing that Russia can be strangled economically is like believing that a color-blind person can compose a Rubik's cube in three seconds.
If you recall, already eight years ago the President of the United States, Barak Obama, had publicly declared that 'the Russian economy is in tatters'.
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Russian economy has basically adjusted to all kinds of sanctions (experts already count more than fifteen thousand of them).
The socio-economic condition of the country is solid”.
ANSA - Italy had a privileged relationship with Moscow before the conflict. Now, together with the European countries, it has practically eliminated the import of energy products from Russia and has resolutely sided with the Western allies, also on the front of sending arms to Kiev.
RAZOV – “I welcome your statement with great regret.
Those ties, privileged until recently, belong to the past.
Many of the statements, actions of the authorities and the propaganda context built by the mainstream media towards Russia are in fact turning from hostile to openly hostile.
By supplying arms to Kiev, Italy, perhaps against its will (at least against the will of most of its citizens), gets drawn into a military confrontation, becoming a party to the conflict.
That Italy which had advantageously distinguished itself from many other Western countries for its balanced and thoughtful approach and for its attention to dialogue and constructive cooperation,
unfortunately it sided unconditionally with the united front of Russia's detractors who set out to inflict a strategic defeat on it.
I don't know who has more to lose from this development: Russia or Italy.
In any case, I am sure that it would be in the genuine interest of the Russian and Italian peoples to maintain a mutually respectful dialogue and constructive cooperation.
As for the cessation of energy imports from Russia, I frankly do not understand the meaning of the triumphalist rhetoric that occasionally echoes on this topic.
Yes, of course, Italy in the near future will probably be able to completely shut off energy supplies from Russia.
But I ask: why and at what price?
Liquefied natural gas, including that from the United States,
it is 4-5 times more expensive than the Russian one by pipeline.
The construction of regasification plants involves enormous costs and growing environmental concerns.
Natural gas prices for industrial enterprises and households have increased many times, causing a negative impact on the competitiveness of Italian products.
In Russia there is an expression: 'freezing one's ears to spite mom'.
A vain and useless sacrifice, especially since the Russians have always wished the good of the Italians".
In Russia there is an expression: 'freezing one's ears to spite mom'.
A vain and useless sacrifice, especially since the Russians have always wished the good of the Italians".
In Russia there is an expression: 'freezing one's ears to spite mom'.
A vain and useless sacrifice, especially since the Russians have always wished the good of the Italians".
ANSA - Your embassy has long denounced 'discrimination' against Russian citizens, entrepreneurs, artists and culture in Italy. But the new opera season of La Scala in Milan, in the presence of the president Sergio Mattarella, opened with Boris Godunov. Can you explain better what these discriminations consist of?
RAZOV – “Of course, just a few examples.
At the initiative essentially of the former Italian government, Russia was robbed of access to $300 billion of its foreign exchange reserves: Russian taxpayer money.
In Italy, the seizures of real estate, property and other assets of Russian entrepreneurs, for a value of 2 billion euros, continue.
On the initiative of the Italian side, direct air connections between our countries were interrupted, thereby reducing Russian tourism to Italy to a minimum.
The cost of visas for Russians has more than doubled.
In Italy, our citizens are refused the sale of consumer goods by some companies.
To prominent representatives of Russian civil society, awarded among others for
Unjustified refusals of banking services, forced closure of accounts and other restrictions on the basis of possession of a Russian passport or the simple indication of Russia as the place of birth in the documents have become a common phenomenon for our compatriots living in Italy.
Italy has canceled the performances of the world famous conductor V. Gergiev, pianist V.Lisitsa and dancer S.Polunin only for their political views.
If all of this isn't discrimination, come up with a better definition.
Or here is a recent case, in my opinion shameful.
The mayors of Bergamo and Brescia - cities where Russian representatives helped fight the coronavirus three years ago - at the request of the
Ukrainian embassy in Italy banned the planned performance of our virtuoso pianist Matsuev.
The embassy itself, by the way, as you know, tried to ban the performance of the opera Boris Godunov at La Scala in Milan.
In this regard, I ask a logical question: perhaps it will now be the Ukrainian embassy, which does not like Pushkin, Mussorgsky, Matsuev and others, who will establish which works and which performers are acceptable for the Italian public?”
ANSA - In his speech to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Russia's assistance to Italy during the most difficult weeks of the coronavirus epidemic. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reacting to these words from Kiev, said that 'it was another world'.
RAZOV – “I agree, the world has changed radically.
But I believe that some feelings inherent in people, in particular gratitude, do not depend on the current political situation".
ANSA - Ambassador, even if at the moment the conditions are not seen, all conflicts end with a negotiation, almost always mediated by third parties. Is a negotiation still possible? And who do you think can play this role of mediation between Moscow and Kiev?
RAZOV – “I too, like you, start from the assumption that sooner or later all armed conflicts end with a negotiation.
Good mediation by impartial parties can be helpful.
Russia, as our leadership has repeatedly stated, is ready to negotiate without preconditions and on the basis of the real situation.
In this regard, I recall that it was the Kiev authorities, together with their Western partners, who derailed the negotiations last spring in Istanbul, when the conditions for a political solution to the situation had been outlined.
But last fall, the Ukrainian president issued a decree expressly banning negotiations with the Russian Federation.
Obviously we must therefore wait either for a change in the position of the authorities in charge in Kiev or for a change in these leaders".
