League leader Matteo Salvini said
Thursday that a report on possible Russian influence in the
crisis of government that led to the collapse of outgoing
Premier Mario Draghi's executive last week was "fake news".
Thursday's edition of daily newspaper La Stampa ran a report
about possible contact made between Antonio Capuano, an advisor
on international affairs to Salvini, and Oleg Kostyukov, a
Russian embassy official.
It reported that Moscow had asked about the possibility of the
League withdrawing its ministers from Draghi's government.
"Let's be serious," Salvini said on the fringes of a conference
of farmers' association Coldiretti when asked about whether
Russia had a hand in the crisis of government.
"A official denial is on the way. It is extremely serious that
fake news is being spread.
"We are with the West and with democracy".
Cabinet Secretary Franco Gabrielli's office said that it was not
true that Italy's intelligence services had reported on alleged
contacts between Capuano and the Russian embassy.
La Stampa defended its piece though, saying it was based on an
informal summary of intelligence work on this issue.
Draghi's ruling coalition broke down last week the the League,
Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and the 5-Star Movement
(M5S) failed to back a confidence vote, leading to the
dissolution of parliament and snap elections on September 25.
In the past Salvini expressed his admiration for Russian
President Vladimir Putin on several occasions.
Salvini has, however, condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the centrist IV party
called for an urgent explanatory report in parliament in the
Lower House on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called for clarification too.
"These issues are very worrying," Di Maio said.
"I say to Salvini that he has to explain the relations with
Russia".
Even the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, a League ally, said it
was in favour of clarification.
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