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Italy's Defense Minister Fires Back at Zakharova Over Fedorov Appointment
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Conflict & Security

Italy's Defense Minister Fires Back at Zakharova Over Fedorov Appointment

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Russia criticized Italy's appointment of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as an adviser on military technology.
  • Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the appointment highly ridiculous, while Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy would consult Rome rather than Moscow or Kyiv.
  • Fedorov, a 35-year-old technology specialist, left Ukraine's defense ministry in July after reports of disagreements with the country's military leadership.

Italy's decision to bring in former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as a military technology adviser triggered a sharp exchange with Moscow.

Highly ridiculous

— Maria ZakharovaThe Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson's description of Italy's appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed the appointment as "highly ridiculous" and compared it to a satirical tale by the late children's writer Gianni Rodari. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto responded immediately.

"They would like Italy to consult Moscow first," Crosetto said. He defended the choice of Fedorov and his experience, adding, "We think only about Rome, not Moscow or Kyiv."

They would like Italy to consult Moscow first.

— Guido CrosettoThe Italian defense minister's response to Zakharova's criticism.

Fedorov, 35, is described as highly knowledgeable about technology. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed him as defense minister in July, after reports that he had disagreed with the country's military leadership.

We think only about Rome, not Moscow or Kyiv.

— Guido CrosettoCrosetto's defense of Italy's decision to appoint Fedorov.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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