Members of the far-left Italian Communist Party (PCI) have expressed sympathy for Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, claiming that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a matter of self-defence for Russia.
The party recently made headlines for a poster to celebrate Victory in Europe (VE) day on May 8th which advertised an event in Monti Prenestini-Casilina that featured the “Z” symbol used by the Russian military during its so-called “special operation” in Ukraine.
While the “Z” symbol on the poster was used to spell the city of Zagarola where the vent was being held, reports stated there was a widespread perception that the symbol was also in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Instead of shying away from the controversy, the party spoke to Italian media, claiming that they believed the conflict was caused not by Russia, but by the NATO military alliance, Italian newspaper Il Giornale reports.
“The Z is also on the vehicles that bring food and aid to the population, not only that of Donbas but also that of Ukraine,” the party members stated and added, “This is a war clearly and openly declared by NATO.”
“Putin is one who must defend himself,” the party said and claimed that “capitalism” was what was actually driving the conflict.
Support for President Putin in Europe since the start of the conflict with Ukraine has been rare, even with parties and voters who were traditionally more sympathetic to Russia, such as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, who, according to a recent poll, overwhelmingly stated Putin was responsible for the situation.
However, the French poll also revealed that 68 per cent of the French held NATO partially responsible for the conflict and a majority believed U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also had some responsibility for the conflict.
While pro-Putin stances are rare, some countries have eased on Russia, particularly on the issue of sanctions, with movements such as Hungary agreeing to pay for Russian energy in rubles if asked, a demand made by President Putin in March toward “unfriendly” countries, and Germany blocking attempts by the EU to boycott Russian energy.