“In 2022 we blamed Russia for the war in Ukraine, while in reality the work for it is 50/50. Both NATO and Russia had competed over Ukraine.” This quote comes from a long speech by Marco Travaglio, an Italian journalist, during the èStoria festival, held in the city of Gorizia in May 2025. Travaglio conceded that the Russian leader Vladimir Putin “is an autocrat”, but the core of his argument was that the West had conspired to provoke Russia into war since the 1990s as part of a strategy to weaken it. He besides described Ukraine as a divided country where fascist ideology plays a crucial role.
These views, including any elements of Russian propaganda under the guise of neutrality, are neither fresh nor surprising. Travaglio has been voicing akin lines since before the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He portrays himself as an outcast in the Italian media landscape, which, he claims, is dominated by “warmongers” – his description for those who support Ukraine’s right to defend itself.
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