In Italy, activists plan to erect banners in support of relations with Russia
Banners reading “Russia does not want to attack Europe – stop the arms race” will appear in the city of Verona.

A number of public associations in Italy are preparing to erect large banners in support of positive relations with Russia. Palmarino Zoccatelli, head of the Russia-Veneto association, told a TASS correspondent that banners reading “Russia does not want to attack Europe – stop the arms race” will appear in Verona starting from April 1st.

“This new campaign, which is a continuation of the previous (campaign) ‘Russia is not my enemy,’ aims to debunk the false claim that Russia will supposedly attack us (Italians). On this basis, the EU, led by (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen and other Russophobes, wants to spend a huge sum, €800 billion, on rearmament, taking away the savings of European citizens and depriving them of resources for health care and pension funds,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

The initiative was supported by Verona for Freedom and the Free Trade Union.

The poster campaign “Russia is not my enemy,” launched in Verona last year, and eventually spread throughout Italy. Posters with handshakes painted in the colors of the Russian and Italian flags appeared in various cities. The campaign was sponsored by fundraising among ordinary citizens. Sometimes the posters tried to be taken down early at the behest of the authorities and under pressure from Ukrainian diplomats and expat communities. However, activists found an alternative: they rented a mobile panel for advertising on wheels and put up the poster on a car, which was then driven through the streets.

Zoccatelli is convinced that it is necessary to stop the European “hostile wave,” especially at a time when Russia and the United States have begun working to end the conflict.