ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke of international fatigue with the conflict in Ukraine and a lack of support for Italy in dealing with migration in a phone call with Russian pranksters.
A 13-minute audio of the call, which dates back to September, was released online on Wednesday by Russians Vovan and Lexus, who have duped other Western politicians and celebrities in an effort to elicit frank, unguarded remarks.
Asked about Russia's war in Ukraine, Meloni, speaking in English, said:"I see that there is a lot of fatigue, I have to say the truth, from all the sides. We near the moment in which everybody understands that we need a way out." "They do all agree that only Italy has to solve this problem alone. It's a very stupid way of thinking."
"Unfortunately, unlike her, many European politicians behave like some kind of programmed robot and express points of view that are only voiced in their own circles," he told Reuters by telephone. He did the talking while Vovan also listened in on the call with Meloni, he explained.