Solovyov and insults to Meloni, Polish minister Sikorski: 'Putin wants to divide us'

An attack that Poland has been experiencing for 500 years. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski shows solidarity with Italia and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, after statements on tv and on social by Russian Vladimir Solovyov. The journalist and presenter accused the premier of 'supporting' fascist values by supporting 'Kiev Nazis'.

"You are experiencing what we have been experiencing for 500 years," he told Zeta Luiss (the website of the Massimo Baldini School of Journalism), "the insane Russian nationalism claims domination over neighbouring countries. I told Minister Tajani that Prime Minister Meloni should wear these insults as a badge of honour; if the bad guys insult you, it means you are on the side of the good guys. I can assure you that he has not saved enough money from his journalist's pension to be able to afford a gigantic villa on Lake Como. It was confiscated from him by the previous government in Italy, so he is taking out his frustrations on the Prime Minister. A figure whom, on the other hand, we greatly admire in Poland'.

The meeting with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani took place during the Italia-Poland Strategic Forum. The interchange between the two countries has grown in 2025 (+2.2%), reaching 37 billion euro: there has been an increase in exports (+6%), for 21 billion. In this framework, Italia is Poland's 6th customer and 4th supplier: its market share is 4.6%, second only to Germany (25.5%) among European economies.

Among the topics touched upon is Nato. In two keys: Trump's threat to pull the United States out and the difference in military spending between Italia and Poland. 'Technically speaking,' Sikorski replied on the first point, 'President Trump cannot dissolve NATO and cannot withdraw the United States from the alliance, thanks to a law passed by Congress whose promoter was Senator Marco Rubio. I am concerned that Trump talks about Nato as 'them' instead of 'us'''.

On the second point, however, the Polish minister thinks that Italia should do more. Expenditure has reached 2 per cent of GDP, whereas in Poland the percentage is as high as 5 per cent, which is the next required target. For Italia, moreover, it will not be possible to activate the European safeguard clause - since the country has not emerged from the deficit infringement procedure - and thus invest more than 10 billion in defence for the next three years.