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IV_NOR 🇪🇺🇺🇦

May 27 • 24 tweets • 8 min read

Italy, mystification and lies on the Ukraine issue. A thread 🧵

I am writing this thread because the situation has become intolerable and it is no longer possible to accept reading false narratives based on lies and mystifications regarding "the Italian position." 1/24

All sources will be listed at the end of the thread. Let's start:

1. Italy does not deliver arms to Ukraine, or does so slowly? FALSE, IT'S A LIE: Italy was among the very first European countries to supply armaments to Ukraine. 01/03/2022: Exactly 8 days after the start 2/24

of the war (24/02) we were already supplying the first arms deliveries to Ukraine. On some deliveries the Italian government put state secret [1] and all the first deliveries were under this rule. Putting this rule of state secret made it possible to send weapons to Ukraine 3/24

more quickly and not have a stick in the mud in doing so. How many flights and deliveries are we talking about? In the period March 1-13, spotters and independent outside observers counted 27 flights [2]. 4/24

We are talking about two flights a day, every day. We do not know the "unofficial" flights, but it is common practice for some flights to deactivate the transponder (many do this on "sensitive" deliveries). I, too, often report on Italian military arms and aid supply 5/24

flights, but as I have said in the past I don't do it every day because it would be boring and repetitive. I do it occasionally, just to remind people that yes, we have done it, we are doing it, and we will continue to do it. And we do it quickly. 6/24

2. Italy has increased its import of Russian oil by as much as 4 times more than before? FALSE, IT'S A MISTIFICATION: Italy is not importing 4 times more Russian oil than before. This narrative is a semantic trick that makes the reader understand that 7/24

if Italy was importing 10 before, now it is importing 40. But if we do a fact check on the numbers we actually find out that 10 not only never increased, but that 10 is owned by a Swiss company controlled in turn by a Russian company (operating in Italy, the refinery in 8/24

question is in southern Italy, Sicily). Italy is therefore not importing anything, a Swiss/Russian company operating in Italy because of sanctions has been forced to replace foreign imports with only Russian imports. Mystification already reported here [3] 9/24

3. Is Draghi a supporter of Putin or Russia? FALSE, IT'S A LIE: We were among the first countries to provide armaments and aid to Ukraine (see point nr.1) but Draghi did much more than any president of NATO countries: he struck the hardest blow for Russia. It was Draghi's 10/24

doing to freeze $643 billion of Russian reserves, it was not Macron, it was not Scholz, it was not Biden. "We were all waiting and wondering why it was taking so long," recalls an EU official interviewed by the Financial Times, "Then the answer came: Draghi has to 11/24

work his magic on Yellen. By the evening, the agreement had been reached."[4] Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakharova following Draghi's move said, "italy indecent on sanctions." Draghi replied that indecent is only the massacres we see every day at the hands 12/24

of the Russians."[5]. Speaking of sanctions and fake news: a telegraph reporter (Joe Barnes) made up out of whole cloth that the Italian government had asked for the exclusion of Italian luxury goods from sanctions [6], this hoax was later reported without fact checking 13/24

also by other. The Italian government's response came immediately: "Italy has made no requests for carve-outs on #sanctions. Italy's position is fully aligned with the rest of the EU" [6a]. Do you think Joe Barnes, author of this hoax, has taken steps to 14/24

apologize and rectify what he wrote? He didn't. To this day this hoax continues to circulate.

4. Draghi said that Ukraine should grant Russia some land? FALSE, IT'S A LIE: There is not a single statement in which Draghi said such a thing. There is not a single statement in 15/24

which Draghi said that Ukraine should make concessions to Russia. Draghi said the exact opposite. He said clearly and straightforwardly that it will have to be Ukraine and no one else to decide what and what 16/24

peace to accept (Prime Minister Mario Draghi's briefing to the Italian Parliament on May 19, 2022) [7]

Bottom line: I have reported only the main lies that continue to spin in my TL. I am noticing an increase in these direct attacks on Italy and its government and this 17/24

means only one thing: our full support for Ukraine annoys Russians and pro-Russian useful idiots all over. Reading about seemingly intelligent people on the right side of history (including Ukrainians) who fall into these traps, who go so far as to make cartoons based 18/24

on lies, who go so far as to call us bastards is annoying; knowing that these people (including Ukrainians) who follow and retweet this disinformation are playing the same game as the Russians without even realizing it, is frustrating. That said, my support 19/24

(and that of Italy) will not change: until the end alongside Ukraine, with Ukraine and for Ukraine. It will not be some dumbass who will make me (and us) change my mind. I add one last thing because maybe it's not clear (although it should be an elementary thing 20/24

to understand): the individual journalist's statements are not Italy, the unknown guy on twitter is not Italy, the individual article written somewhere is not Italy; even my opinion, is not Italy. ITALY IS WHAT WE ARE DOING. Finally, I expect the arrival among 21/24

the comments of some masterminds: you will be blocked instantly, I will not waste any more time with your bullshit. That's all, folks. 22/24

#ukraine #Italy #Draghi #Kyiv #disinformation