Propaganda exhibition on Mariupol's 'blossoming' to be held in Italy: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacts
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
An exhibition is to be held in Italy to show how Mariupol is experiencing "recovery" after the city was captured by Russians. Ukraine reacts to the plans to hold a propaganda event, according to the commentary by Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
What happened?
An announcement of an event to be held in the Italian city of Modena on January 20 was posted on Facebook. The description of the exhibition contains typical propaganda narratives, including the "rapid recovery process" after Mariupol was captured by Russian troops.
The exhibition and conference are organized by the cultural association "Russia Emilia Romagna". The organizers promise to show "the results of the work of the new city administration" after the occupation of Mariupol.
The event is scheduled to feature speeches by association president Luca Rossi, Russian Consul General Dmitry Shtodin, Italian representative of the international Russophile movement Eliseo Bertolassi, and "independent journalist" Andrea Lucidi.
screenshot facebook.com
Ukraine's reaction
In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko says that the exhibition in Modena about the "blossoming" of Mariupol under Russian occupation was a provocation.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has already instructed the Ukrainian embassy in Rome to prepare an official appeal.
"At the official level, Italy strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. And we expect that there will be an appropriate reaction to this propaganda event," Nikolenko adds.
Italy's assistance to Ukraine
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Italy has provided seven packages of military aid to Ukraine.
Recently, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto said that Italy has expressed its intention to provide Ukraine with an eighth package of military aid. The country is now considering what equipment it can provide to Kyiv.
Also in December, the Italian government passed a resolution allowing the country to provide military support to Ukraine until the end of 2024. This decision must now be supported by the country's parliament.
