Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Negotiated $65M Payment to Help Italian Far-Right in Elections – BuzzFeed

Vladimir Putin, Matteo Salvini, Gianluca Savoini Kremlin.ru / Wikicommons / Youtube / MT

Russian operatives sought to funnel $65 million into the European election campaign of a far-right Italian politician they described as the “European Trump,” BuzzFeed News has reported, citing leaked recordings of negotiations.

Italy’s media have repeatedly suggested that the League, the country’s most popular party, has received financial backing from Moscow. Party leader Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, has denied receiving Russian money.


					Hotel Metropol in central Moscow					 					metropol-moscow.ru
Hotel Metropol in central Moscow metropol-moscow.ru

“We count on sustaining a political campaign which is of benefit, I would say of mutual benefit, for the two countries,” longtime Salvini aide Gianluca Savoini can be heard saying in the leaked recording published by BuzzFeed News.

The plan to channel $65 million to the League would reportedly involve a major unidentified Russian oil firm selling to Italy’s Eni energy company at a discounted rate via intermediaries.


					Savoini (circled) is seen in the background at the government dinner for Putin hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.					 					Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Savoini (circled) is seen in the background at the government dinner for Putin hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Presidency of the Council of Ministers

BuzzFeed said it was unable to identify the three Russians and two other Italian men in the 1.5-hour recording, reported to have been made at Moscow’s Metropol Hotel last fall, or to confirm whether the League ended up receiving the money.

“[Salvini] is Italian — not Italian, but the European Trump,” one of the unidentified Russians said, according to a transcript of the recording.

Salvini, when Italian media reported on the alleged meeting in February, dismissed the story as “the plot of a fiction.”


					Matteo Salvini, Vladimir Putin, Giuseppe Conte and Luigi Di Maio					 					Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Matteo Salvini, Vladimir Putin, Giuseppe Conte and Luigi Di Maio Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Both the League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which make up Italy's ruling coalition, have expressed more pro-Russian positions than most EU governments.

They called for an end to EU sanctions against Russia before taking office last year. Salvini has visited Moscow on several occasions and has expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Another European far-right party, France’s National Front headed by Marine Le Pen, had reportedly secured Russian loans ahead of its leader’s failed presidential bid in 2017.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more