Cernobbio (Como), 4 Sept. (LaPresse) – “Is Vannacci Russia’s Trojan horse? I’m concerned about what Russia is doing; you only need to read a few history books to understand what disinformation is. When personal matters are involved, things need to be proven; I hope that what this leading newspaper has said is completely untrue. The problem is Russia, not Vannacci or anyone else.” So said Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, commenting on the Financial Times article which had described the leader of Futuro Nazionale as “Russia’s Trojan horse” in the West. “We have seen how Russia intends to intervene to undermine the democratic fabric of European countries; we have seen what happened in Germany; we have seen what happened in Italy: we expelled two Russian spies, two military attachés, who a few weeks ago were trying to bribe some retired intelligence officials. This means we are under pressure; it is nothing new. Disinformation and espionage are part and parcel of a certain culture. We have a duty to build protective walls for our democracy; we are vigilant and we certainly will not be intimidated; the important thing is to have the political, scientific and technological tools to respond to these attacks, to block cyberattacks, to block hybrid warfare – which is not merely technological in nature – but thanks also to the work of the intelligence services, and thanks to cooperation between the countries of the European Union, we are able to overcome this challenge too.”
Tajani: “Is Vannacci Moscow’s Trojan horse? The problem isn’t him, but Russia”
Cernobbio (Como), 4 Sept. (LaPresse) – “Is Vannacci Russia’s Trojan horse? I’m concerned about what Russia is doing; you only need to read a few history books to understand what disinformation is. When personal matters are involved, things need to be proven; I hope that what this leading newspaper has said is completely untrue. The problem is Russia, not Vannacci or anyone else.” So said Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, commenting on the Financial Times article which had described the leader of Futuro Nazionale as “Russia’s Trojan horse” in the West. “We have seen how Russia intends to intervene to undermine the democratic fabric of European countries; we have seen what happened in Germany; we have seen what happened in Italy: we expelled two Russian spies, two military attachés, who a few weeks ago were trying to bribe some retired intelligence officials. This means we are under pressure; it is nothing new. Disinformation and espionage are part and parcel of a certain culture. We have a duty to build protective walls for our democracy; we are vigilant and we certainly will not be intimidated; the important thing is to have the political, scientific and technological tools to respond to these attacks, to block cyberattacks, to block hybrid warfare – which is not merely technological in nature – but thanks also to the work of the intelligence services, and thanks to cooperation between the countries of the European Union, we are able to overcome this challenge too.”