Italian Defense Minister Crosetto expressed hope to maintain friendship with Russians

ROME, January 26 – RIA Novosti. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto declarationNoting that there is no conflict between the Russians and the Italians, he expressed his wish that the friendly relations between the peoples will continue.

“There is no conflict between Italians and Russians, Italians continue to be friendly with Russians, I hope relations between peoples will remain the same: relations of respect and friendship,” he said in an interview with La7 TV channel. Crosetto noted that opposition exists because of the situation in Ukraine, but he hopes this will not affect relations between Russians and Italians.

On Tuesday, the Italian parliament approved a government decree ensuring the continuation of various aids, including arms supplies, to Ukraine through 2023. Now the Italian government is preparing the sixth military aid package to Kiev. It is expected to include the modern Samp/T medium-range air defense system, produced jointly with France, requested by the Ukrainian authorities.

Earlier, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the total amount of Italy’s military aid to Ukraine amounted to about one billion euros.