Western sanctions have backfired, instead worsening the bloc\u2019s own economic crisis, Matteo Salvini has said<\/p>\n
The European Union will not succeed in bringing Russia \u201cto its knees\u201d where Adolf Hitler and Napoleon failed, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has said, arguing that sanctions meant to weaken Moscow have instead backfired on Western economies.
\nWestern governments have imposed sweeping sanctions since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, aiming to cripple Russia\u2019s economy.
\nIn an interview with the Rete 4 broadcaster on Monday, Salvini argued that EU policy aimed at hitting Russia\u2019s economy had instead worsened the bloc\u2019s economic crisis and driven up energy prices.
\n\u201cThey have put the Western economies and the light bulbs of the Italian families on their knees,\u201d he said.
\nMoscow has condemned the sanctions as illegal, arguing they have inflated EU energy prices and forced reliance on costlier imports, undermining the bloc\u2019s competitiveness. Some European officials have conceded that the EU\u2019s sanctions on Russia have inflicted greater damage on European businesses than on their Russian counterparts, industry leaders say.
\nSalvini said attempts to \u201cbring Moscow to its knees\u201d had also been made in the past, citing Adolf Hitler and Napoleon, but neither achieved that goal.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
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\u201cBecause if Hitler and Napoleon failed with their campaigns to bring Moscow to its knees, it will hardly be possible for [EU foreign policy chief] Kaja Kallas and [French President Emmanuel] Macron, with [UK Prime Minister Keir] Starmer and [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz, to do it,\u201d Salvini said.
\nRussian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova welcomed Salvini\u2019s remarks, saying: \u201cThe comparison is precise, the conclusion indisputable.\u201d
\nSalvini also urged caution amid Western Europe\u2019s growing militarization over an alleged threat from Moscow, saying Europe\u2019s main security risks lie not on its eastern flank but to the south, driven by illegal immigration.
\nRussian officials have insisted that Moscow harbors no hostile intent toward any EU or NATO country, while accusing NATO of issuing coordinated talking points to push an anti-Russian narrative.
\nMoscow has argued that claims of an impending Russian attack are being used by Western European leaders to justify higher military spending, expanded mobilization initiatives and tighter security measures, and to undermine US-coordinated efforts to reach a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Western sanctions have backfired, instead worsening the bloc\u2019s own economic crisis, Matteo Salvini has said The European Union will not succeed in bringing Russia \u201cto its knees\u201d where Adolf Hitler…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24490,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t