Russian Spokesperson Slanders Italian President; Italian PM: 'An Insult to the Entire Nation | WPN World People News

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday (14th) accused Russia of "offending the entire Italian nation" and defended the Italian president's comparison of Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Nazi Germany.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in a speech at a university last week, likened Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the Third Reich's aggression in Europe, describing it as a "war of conquest." Mattarella referenced Nazi Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia and Austria in the late 1930s, which ultimately led to the outbreak of World War II when Germany invaded Poland.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later responded, condemning Mattarella’s remarks as fabricated lies and blasphemy, sparking outrage in Italy.

In a strongly worded statement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared that Russia's comments had insulted Italy’s head of state and, by extension, the entire Italian nation. She reaffirmed her and the Italian government’s full solidarity with President Mattarella and strongly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa took to social media, calling the Russian Foreign Ministry’s remarks "inappropriate and out of line."

As former U.S. President Donald Trump takes office, European leaders are struggling to determine the next steps in the Russia-Ukraine war—especially as Trump has directly engaged in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense has stated that Ukraine cannot join NATO and that restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic expectation, raising concerns among European nations about the prospects for peace in Ukraine.