Italian media invited Lavrov for an interview, Zakharova said

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov . File photoMOSCOW, May 3.The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the criticism of the Italian authorities against the television company that initiated the interview of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. declared as an interview, but in fact it was a session of political agitation, said (Mario) Draghi. I want the citizens of Italy to know the truth, because Italian politicians are fooling, misleading their public, «wrote Zakharova in the Telegram channel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry demanded an apology for Lavrov's words about the Jews «Agitation is what is published at the initiative of the speaker. Like advertising. The initiative for the interview did not come from the Russian Foreign Ministry, but from Italian journalists. We receive hundreds of requests for interviews with Sergey Lavrov, representatives of the ministry and embassies. The Italian journalists were insistent, saying that it was important to show all points of view. Where are they wrong?» — Zakharova emphasized. She added that the questions that the host asked, he formulated himself. «We did not make adjustments either to the questions or to the final version of the interview,» Zakharova explained.Israeli Prime Minister urged not to use the Holocaust for political purposes On Sunday, Lavrov gave an interview to the Rete 4 TV channel, in which he stated that there is “Nazification” in Ukraine, “captured Azov militants and battalions” (against whose fighters criminal cases have been initiated in the Russian Federation — ed. .), «Aidar» and other units wear … the symbol and tattoos of the swastika, the Nazi battalions.» Lavrov added that Volodymyr Zelensky «puts forward an argument: what kind of Nazism can they have if he is a Jew.» According to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, «Hitler also had Jewish blood», «it means absolutely nothing, the wise Jewish people say that the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews.» , criticized Lavrov's statements. Mauro Crippa said that they confirm the unwillingness of the Russian authorities to go for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Lavrov's statements and the very fact of his invitation to the TV channel were also criticized by the leader of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, and the president of the Jewish community in Rome, Ruth Duregello.