Russia is not my enemy?

The pro-russia banners appearing all over Italy

Lately, billboards with the phrase “Russia is not my enemy” have been popping up all over Italy.

One of the reasons that pushed me to start this page was seeing the St. George’s ribbon and other Russian propaganda symbols displayed in a tobacco shop during one of my visits to Italy this summer.

After some research about the shop’s owner, I discovered that he runs a Facebook page dedicated to spreading pro-Russian propaganda in Italy. He is married to a Russian citizen, with whom he organizes protests against sending weapons to Ukraine and anti-NATO demonstrations, all while pretending to be “pacifists.”

But is what’s written on these billboards actually true? In the images in this post, you’ll find quotes and examples from Russian state officials to help understand whether Russia is truly a friend of Italy.

The first source that contradicts this claim comes directly from the Russian government itself, which in February 2022 drafted a list of hostile countries that included Italy. In 2024, Russia added Italy to a list of “immoral nations” accused of “imposing neoliberal ideological frameworks that contradict Russian moral and spiritual values.”

Since the start of the conflict, there have been more than 200 public mentions by Russian political figures about the possible use of nuclear weapons against Western nations.

Among the most vocal is former Russian president Medvedev, whose rants can still be read on his X (Twitter) page. Putin himself has also threatened the West on several occasions. Empty threats and so-called “red lines” that are often ignored.

Beyond simple threats, Russia has engaged in hybrid warfare against Italy, Europe, and the West in general. These actions include cyberattacks, interference in political elections, using migration at the Belarusian border as a destabilization tool, and much more.

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