Italy is one of the most vulnerable countries in the face of Russian interference attempts. Today Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former Russian oligarch who fell into disgrace and was arrested after Vladimir Putin came to power, has become one of the most listened to voices of dissent. Khodorkovsky, who has found refuge in London since 2013, is today in Rome to testify before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber in view of the Italian-led G7. To the CourierBefore the audition, he delivers clear words. «There is no doubt that Italy is one of the points where it is easiest for Putin to promote his interests. Among the large countries of Western Europe, Italy is one of the most vulnerable”, the former oligarch tells Luigi Ippolito. How do we explain this ease of Russia’s ability to conduct its operations? misinformation in our country? According to Khodorkovsky, the main problem concerns the media: «to put it cautiously, they are not very strong on the issue. And this is the weak point for Putin’s propaganda.” Another issue then arises against this background of “permeability”, namely the fact that in Italy it is not difficult to find “corrupt politicians and businessmen with their own interests”. Which obviously doesn’t just happen here. Other European countries have the same problem. Just as others among them, France for example, still have a certain fascination for Russia that is well rooted in their history. And so we arrive at the present, and the electorate’s difficult relationship with support for the Ukrainian resistance. «I don’t want to say that the majority of the population is against aid to Ukraine, but there is an important part of society that is reluctant to use its own money», is the disconsolate observation of Khodorkovsky, which motivates the great “prudence” – to use a euphemism – of many important political parties, especially in times of electoral campaigns. Considerations to which we can expect the dissident in exile in London will try to draw the attention of the representatives of all parties in the Foreign Affairs Committee. Just in the past few days, the Financial Times revealed how the intelligence agencies of several European countries fear “violent acts of sabotage across the continent” by Russia.
