Russian foreign ministry
spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted by Interfax on Friday as
saying that reports of relations between Moscow and Italy's
League party were fake news.
Zakharova blamed philanthropist and liberal open-society
advocate George Soros, who recently suggested Moscow could be
financing the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic party, which has formed
a new government in Rome with the anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S).
"I'd like to say that this issue was raised by forces outside
the Italian peninsula, to be precise American financiers like
George Soros, who has been linked to international scandals and
provocations for some time," Zakharova was quoted as saying.
"The aim of this fake news was to scare Europe, undermine the
friendly relations between Italy and Russia and cast a shadow
over the new Italian government".
The League has said anti-Russian sanctions are hurting
Italian firms and the new government in Rome has called for them
to be revised.
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