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In a new row of “Putin” propaganda, a close aide to Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini held covert talks to pump Russian oil money to his far-right party, BuzzFeedNews reported, also providing a transcript of the alleged talks.
According to the narrative, six men – three Russians and three Italians met in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow on October 18th, 2018.
The alleged deal that the men were discussing was focused around a deal to secretly channel tens of millions of dollars of Russian oil money to Matteo Salvini’s right-wing Lega party, currently in power in Italy.
“Their nominal purpose was an oil deal; their real goal was to undermine liberal democracies and shape a new, nationalist Europe aligned with Moscow.”
“We want to change Europe,” said longtime Salvini aide Gianluca Savoini. “A new Europe has to be close to Russia as before because we want to have our sovereignty.”
Salvini, who BuzzFeedNews labeled as the “European Trump” [according to some mysterious Russians] didn’t attend the secret meeting.
The Russians in the meeting remain unidentified, but the tape allegedly shows “clear indications” (sic) that high-level officials from the Russian government were aware of what was going on.
The Russian negotiators can be heard referring to “yesterday’s meeting” without specifying the attendees, saying twice that they would have to feed details back to the “deputy prime minister,” and explaining they were hoping to get the “green light” from “Mr. Pligin” the following week.
Salvini’s Lega party denied receiving any foreign money to fund their election campaign.
According to BuzzFeed, the tape is hard evidence of Russia’s “clandestine attempts” to fund Europe’s nationalist movements, and the apparent complicity of some senior figures from the far right in those attempts.
This video of secret meetings with Russians reminds strongly of another recent incident, in which The leader of Austria’s far-right FPÖ party, Heinz-Christian Strache, was forced to resign in May after being caught in a sting in which he was filmed discussing the exchange of public contracts for alleged Russian campaign support.
He was filmed speaking to ‘the daughter of a Russian oligarch’, which subsequently turned out to be a Bosnian university student that simply was blonde and spoke Russian.
Of course, BuzzFeed said that it remained “unclear” who set up the sting, but several people were accused of it, all of whom had little in common with Russia.
Regardless if the meeting is real or not, it does appear to signal a worrisome tendency of fabricating situations which would discredit various officials, since it appears the right-wing is on the rise in Europe.
And, of course, with all the anti-Russian hysteria, evidence is hardly needed – make a video or, in this case, an audio recording, have some “anonymous Russians,” and you’re on your cause to fabricating a scandal.
Scandal notwithstanding, Gianluca Savoini did express how some of the Italian elite feel, and that they should ensure themselves from the deep state of EU and the US.
“SAVOINI: It is very important that in this historical geopolitical period that Europe is changing. Next May will be the European election. We want to change Europe. A new Europe has to be close to Russia as before because we want to have our sovereignty. We want to really decide for our future, Italians, for our children, for our sons. Not depending on decision of illuminates [the enlightened] of Brussels, of USA. We want to decide. Salvini is the first man that want to change all Europe. Together our allies and colleagues and other parties in Europe. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs in Austria, German Alternative für Deutschland, France Madame Le Pen, and other other countries the same, Hungaria with Orban, in Sweden Sverigedemokraterna. We have our allies. We really want to begin to have a great alliance with these parties that are pro Russia, but not pro Russia for Russia but for our countries. Because to stay well with Russia, good relations is for our countries. So this is my only beginning to the political situation. Now I want our technical partners who can continue this discussion. Thank you very much.”
There is a chance that BuzzFeedNews has ‘uncovered’ more or less ordinary business contacts between representatives of Russian and Italian politicians and government-affilated businessmen.
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Oh, we know the only democrats welcome to Washington are the Ukrainians of the Azov battalion, or the anti-Russian racists of the Baltic republics. Italy has always been a friend of the USSR and subsequently of Russia, the mafia thugs like Bolton and Pompeo will have to start again in Italy the season of massacres and murderers like Enrico Mattei and Aldo Moro to make the Italian government change its mind.
BuzzFeed = ButtFeed. Definition of fake news, run by CIA. First Austrian vice chancellor, now Italy’s deputy prime minister. CIA is removing non-obedient European politicians. I guess Victor Orban is next. Make Europe Vassals Again
Putin was teaching the Italians how to wear a suit. Look at the photo, it speaks for itself.
Ha!
Buzzfeed just spewing frustrations of NATO and the Central Banks.