Italy clashes with Russia over Putin's grab of Ariston Branch

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in the Russian ambassador in Rome, Alexey Paramonov, on Monday to protest against Vladimir Putin’s decision to transfer the management of the Italian company Ariston’s Russian branch to Gazprom. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to this action.

Following the ambassador's discussion, the Italian foreign ministry issued a statement declaring the Italian government's "firm disapproval" of Putin’s "unexpected decree" to temporarily transfer control of the heating and air conditioning equipment manufacturer to Gazprom.

The declaration stated, “In alignment with our European allies, Italy insists that the Russian Federation retract actions taken against the legitimate economic operations of foreign businesses within its borders.”

The meeting, orchestrated by Antonio Tajani, the head of Italian diplomacy, aimed to clarify the decision, which, according to the statement, “lacks a legal foundation” and targets a firm with deep roots in Russia while being “irrelevant to the current global crisis.”

Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry's note revealed the request made to the Russian ambassador to reconsider the described "temporary" decision. It also highlighted the European Union’s strong condemnation of the decree - a sentiment directed at actions against a German entity - viewing them as evidence of Russia’s disregard for international legal standards. Additionally, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tajani has not ruled out the possibility of responding to Moscow's actions.

The embassy declared, “These measures were implemented within legal boundaries, retaliating against the adversarial and international law-violating conduct of the United States and its allies.”