Ceriano Laghetto, a small hamlet in northern Italy, has named a square "Martyrs of Odessa," in part to honor pro-Russian separatists, and now refuses to change the name to appease the Ukrainian ambassador, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
The square honors Jews who were killed during the Nazi invasion of Odessa, as well as a group of pro-Russian separatists who died in a fire during protests in Odessa last year, according to a statement on the town's website, cited by RIA.
But Ambassador Yevhen Perelygin believes it is improper to honor both events with one name, and wants the town to change the name as well as a statement on the town's website that mentions the "self-proclaimed government of Kiev," the report said.
The town's mayor, Dante Cattaneo, reportedly refuses to change the name, however, but said he would consider having the term "self-proclaimed" removed from the description on the website.
