According to TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency article published on October 20, 2022, the energy crisis in Europe, particularly in Italy, is a direct result of its government’s actions, not Moscow’s supposed attempts to undermine energy security, Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov said in an interview with TASS on Wednesday.
"The outgoing government (of Mario Draghi - TASS) seeks to play down the situation for obvious reasons, but their lack of urgency will inevitably fall on the shoulders of the new government being formed now. This is, of course, an internal Italian affair, and we wish the government and the people a speedy resolution to the present difficulties. The only thing we have to speak out against is the attempts of certain politicians and media outlets to demonize Russia, particularly for the looming energy crisis. Its main reason is clearly not the supposed attempts of Russia to undermine the energy security of Europe and Italy, but the announced aspiration to get rid of their dependence on our energy supplies within a historically short timeframe, introducing embargos on them, price caps, etc.," the diplomat said.
The situation in the Italian economy is challenging and is trending in the wrong direction, he stated. "A technical recession is projected in the country next year. There is record-high inflation (since 1984). Prices for essentials are rising, with price increases of 10-25% for basic foodstuffs in particular. Government debt ratios are at record highs. The most challenging situation is with tariffs on gas and electricity, whose prices for households and enterprises have soared several fold. Those are the facts, and they can hardly be ignored," Razov concluded.
