Italy and Russia are friendly nations. But the good relationship between the two countries is threatened by a “war of words”, as described by AFP, after the Italian newspaper La Stampa having accused Moscow of sending spies among health professionals.
The newspaper report says that the contingent of 104 doctors and specialists sent from Russia – in an attempt to support the European country most affected by the pandemic – were certainly officers from the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU).
“There are undoubtedly GRU officers among them,” former NATO chemical weapons expert Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told the newspaper.
It is worth remembering that Britain accuses members of the Russian intelligence services of having tried to poison former Russian agent Sergei Skripal in 2018. US intelligence agencies also believe that Moscow spies hacked into the computer servers of US President Donald Trump's Democratic rivals during the 2016 election campaign.
“We can assume that [the Russian team] wants to find out as much as possible about the Italian [military] forces and create intelligence networks,” the former NATO expert added. Moscow reacted to the statements quickly and fiercely.
“Anti-Soviet propaganda,” Moscow accused
The Russian embassy in Rome posted a statement on Twitter on Thursday from the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense condemning the "Russian-phobic Cold War fake news."
The Moscow representative accused the italian newspaper of “hiding behind the ideals of freedom of speech” to spread stories reminiscent of “anti-Soviet propaganda.”
La Stampa is one of Italy’s leading newspapers and the Italian government has also reacted. And in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was forced to “reprimand” Russia.
“While grateful for Russia’s support, one cannot but criticize the inappropriate tone of certain expressions used by the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman,” the government said in a statement cited by AFP.
“Freedom of expression and the right to criticize are fundamental values of our country,” Conte said.
The Italian prime minister also said that Russia had “the right to respond (to the allegations), but in a formal and correct manner.”
Meanwhile, heated reactions had already spread and included the Russian Foreign Ministry and La Stampa itself.
Italians near Milan “welcomed the line of Russian trucks with applause, singing the Russian national anthem,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in Moscow. Zakharova accused La Stampa of “standing out by publishing a series of defamatory articles about Russian humanitarian aid.”
The Italian newspaper made its mea culpa, but also expressed surprise at the number and tone of Russian reactions.
“Our articles have raised questions – both from Italians and others – about the possible presence of secret service officers in the Russian mission,” the newspaper’s website reads.
La Stampa also wrote that despite the suspicions raised in the articles, it was also said that Russia is “showing friendship and solidarity at a time of great difficulty” for Italy.
Meanwhile, the government revealed that Russian doctors will begin treating patients infected with Covid-19 at a field hospital near Milan after completing the training phase.
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