Milan, 5 Sept. (LaPresse) – “I am convinced that the Russians are attempting to exert influence within our armed forces: they have always done so. But I am certain they are not achieving any results.” This was stated in an interview with *La Repubblica* by General Maurizio Fioravanti, former commander of the Folgore Brigade and special forces units, for whom Roberto Vannacci’s alignment with the Kremlin’s positions is an exception: “He has been to Moscow and has certainly had his own circle of contacts. However, I believe that in this case he is speaking more as a politician than as a military man.” Italian and Russian military personnel worked together “in Bosnia and then in Kosovo, but even there (the Russians, ed.) played a trick by sending a column of armoured vehicles to occupy Pristina airport before NATO’s arrival: it was Russia’s first show of force following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.” “At the time,” recalls Fioravanti, “there was cooperation within the framework of United Nations operations. In 2014, the invasion of Crimea changed everything and laid bare their imperialism. I remember a meeting of European special forces commanders in Bucharest: our colleagues from Eastern Europe were the most concerned and, at the same time, the most determined because they knew the Russian mindset well.” Vannacci “served in Moscow, had his own circle of contacts, and I cannot say to what extent these influenced the formation of the views he expresses. I have the feeling that he speaks more out of the calculated stance of a party leader than that of a military officer. And he is not the only one to do so: Matteo Salvini and Giuseppe Conte also hold very similar positions regarding Ukraine.”
Russia, General Fioravanti: “Attempts from Moscow to influence the Italian armed forces”
Milan, 5 Sept. (LaPresse) – “I am convinced that the Russians are attempting to exert influence within our armed forces: they have always done so. But I am certain they are not achieving any results.” This was stated in an interview with *La Repubblica* by General Maurizio Fioravanti, former commander of the Folgore Brigade and special forces units, for whom Roberto Vannacci’s alignment with the Kremlin’s positions is an exception: “He has been to Moscow and has certainly had his own circle of contacts. However, I believe that in this case he is speaking more as a politician than as a military man.” Italian and Russian military personnel worked together “in Bosnia and then in Kosovo, but even there (the Russians, ed.) played a trick by sending a column of armoured vehicles to occupy Pristina airport before NATO’s arrival: it was Russia’s first show of force following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.” “At the time,” recalls Fioravanti, “there was cooperation within the framework of United Nations operations. In 2014, the invasion of Crimea changed everything and laid bare their imperialism. I remember a meeting of European special forces commanders in Bucharest: our colleagues from Eastern Europe were the most concerned and, at the same time, the most determined because they knew the Russian mindset well.” Vannacci “served in Moscow, had his own circle of contacts, and I cannot say to what extent these influenced the formation of the views he expresses. I have the feeling that he speaks more out of the calculated stance of a party leader than that of a military officer. And he is not the only one to do so: Matteo Salvini and Giuseppe Conte also hold very similar positions regarding Ukraine.”