A diplomatic conflict between Moscow and the Italian press has erupted after the newspaper “Corriere della Sera” refused to publish an interview with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, labeled by Russian officials as “outrageous censorship“.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov answered “comprehensively” all the questions submitted by Corriere della Sera, but the newspaper refused to publish the text, arguing that “Lavrov’s statements contain too many questionable assertions that need to be verified or clarified, and their publication would exceed reasonable limits”. The Ministry also specified that it proposed to publish a shortened version in the printed edition, with the full text on the website, but the proposal was rejected.
As a result, the transcript of the interview was published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry and picked up by the TASS agency, as well as by the Russian Embassy in Romania, which presented on Facebook the “main theses” of the discussion.
The newspaper’s position
The leadership of the Italian newspaper reacted quickly: “The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the questions sent in advance by Corriere della Sera with a long text, full of accusations and propaganda. Our request to conduct a real interview, as a discussion, and to challenge the points that needed clarification was categorically rejected by the ministry”, it is stated in a statement published online.
“Obviously, Lavrov thought he could apply to an Italian newspaper the same criteria as in a country like Russia, where freedom of information has been abolished. When Minister Lavrov will want to give an interview in accordance with the principles of free and independent journalism, we will always be available“, emphasized Corriere della Sera.
The Italian newspaper, published in Milan and founded in 1876, has an average circulation of 221,558 copies and is known for its slogan: “Freedom of ideas”.
What Lavrov said in the interview
In the responses sent to the Italian newspaper, Lavrov addressed several controversial topics: “the rise of Nazism in Europe”, the financing of Ukraine by European governments to distract attention from internal problems, and the characterization of Russia as a “civilizational state, with a history of a thousand years”.
Also, Lavrov stated that he hopes Washington will avoid actions that could escalate the conflict in Ukraine. “We rely on common sense and the fact that maintaining this position will prevail in Washington and that they will refrain from actions that could escalate the conflict to a new level“, said the Russian minister, mentioning that US President Donald Trump supports dialogue and “has demonstrated a commitment to finding a lasting peaceful solution”.
Lavrov also highlighted Russia’s concerns about NATO expansion, stating that this is one of the reasons for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine: “Essentially, this is what Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia have been warning about for the last 20 years”.
Details, HERE