Ukraine fatigue

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni targeted by Russian prank callers, says ‘fatigue from all sides’ when it comes to the war

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that “there is a lot of fatigue […] from all the sides” when it comes to Russia’s war against Ukraine and that Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive has not affected the course of the war, during a conversation with pro-Kremlin prank callers Vovan (Vladimir Kuznetsov) and Lexus (Alexey Stolyarov), who tricked the Italian leader into talking with them on the phone. One of them posed as an African politician.

On November 1, the prank callers posted the 13-minute audio recording of their conversation with Meloni on their social media. During the conversation, which was conducted in English, they discussed the migration crisis in Italy and Europe, the grain deal, and the Russia invasion of Ukraine.

During the call, one of the pranksters asked Meloni how she assessed the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and how long she thinks it will take to be resolved.

“Well, I see that there is a lot of fatigue, if I have to say the truth, from all the sides. We are near the moment in which everybody understands that we need a way out. The problem is to find a way out which can be acceptable for both without destroying international law. I’ve got some ideas about how to manage this situation, but I’m waiting [for] the right moment to try to put on the table these ideas,” answered the Italian leader.

Then, the prank caller says, “Ukraine hasn’t been as successful as we all expected in the spring.”

Meloni responds by saying that “the counteroffensive of Ukraine is maybe not going as they were expecting. It is going but it didn’t change the destiny of the conflict, so everybody understands that it really could last many years if we don’t try to find some solutions. The problem is [understanding] what kind of solutions are suitable for both.”

The Italian prime minister’s comments were published in Russian pro-Kremlin media, as well as in international media. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera wrote that Meloni repeated her position on international relations issues, which she had already stated publicly.

Tommaso Foti, the leader of the Brothers of Italy Party (headed by Meloni) in the Chamber of Deputies, agreed, saying that the prime minister didn’t end up in “the trap of a Russian impostor trying to get statements that could embarrass the government.” On the contrary, the deputy said he is confident that Meloni repeated the Italian government’s position on Russian aggression in Ukraine, support for Kyiv, and western partners.

The Italian outlet Affaritaliani, which is critical of Meloni, writes that the prime minister’s statements on Ukraine put her on par with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and the newly-elected head of Slovakia Robert Fico. The outlet notes that the Italian prime minister’s comments could affect Italy’s relationship with its G7 partners, including U.S. President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly said that Washington will support Kyiv for “as long as it takes.”

The office of the Italian Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister Francesco Talo said that the conversation took place on September 18, “in the context of efforts by the leader of the Italian government to strengthen relations with African leaders” ahead of meetings on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly on September 19-21. “The Office of the Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister regrets having been misled by an impostor who posed as the chairman of the African Union Commission,” reads the office’s statement. It’s not clear when the Italian government found out about the prank — if it was right after the call or after it was posted online.

The statement gives the impression that Talo took responsibility for the incident, Corriere della Sera notes. The newspaper reports that Talo plans to resign in a few months. Affaritaliani’s sources say that Meloni “was distraught over what happened” and that actions should soon be taken against those responsible for the call.

Speaking to LaPresse, prank callers Kuznetsov and Stolyarov said that Meloni herself called them at an agreed time, after they had left their number with Italian officials. They declined to give details about how they were able to reach the Italian prime minister. The pranksters also rejected suspicions of ties to the Kremlin or Russian authorities. Kuznetsov and Stolyarov believe that the people defending Meloni find it “more convenient” to present the prank as the work of special services than to admit that the two pranksters breached the head of the government’s security system.

Ukraine did not comment on Meloni’s remarks. In Italy, the prank has sparked discussions not only about the current government’s policy on the war in Ukraine but also about the security measures taken by those close to the prime minister. The opposition said the prank had “disgraced” Italy.

“What a shame for Italy and for Giorgia Meloni. Having worked at Chigi Palace [the official residence of the Italian prime minister] for several years, I wonder how one can reach such a destructive level of superficiality that makes a mockery not only of Meloni, but also of the Italian Republic,” said the leader of the Italia Viva party Matteo Renzi.

The former prime minister of Italy and leader of the Five Star Movement Giuseppe Conte said that he was “very uncomfortable to find out” that the Chigi Palace’s security protocols can be so “blatantly” circumvented.

“Meloni thought that she would speak with high-ranking representatives of African countries, but instead she spoke with two Russian pranksters, who explained our country’s position on topics that are extremely sensitive for our security and credibility, — from the war to migrants. A failure of a global scale,” Conte wrote on Facebook.