MOSCOW, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Current Italian leaders chose to give up Italy's initial position on Russia in order to please the United States, but the US stance is not beneficial for Italy, Giovanni Toti, political adviser to Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya.
"We have chosen to take the American stance, which I personally consider rather aggressive. This stance is beneficial for the US, but not for Europe or Italy," Toti said in an interview on Wednesday.
According to Toti, the position of European Foreign Minister, which from November 1 will be occupied by Italy's Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, is almost useless as it mainly presupposes carrying out representational functions. Still Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wanted an Italian politician to be appointed to the position. Toti added, that Prime Minister Renzi compelled Mogherini to give up her initial stance on Russia – as a high price to pay for her appointment.
Toti concluded, that adhering to the US position may mean narrowing EU's mediating opportunities in settling the crisis in Ukraine.
Russian relations with the European Union have deteriorated over the crisis in Ukraine. The European Union and the United States have been imposing sanctions on Russia over its alleged involvement in the crisis, which Moscow has repeatedly denied.
As the European Union was mulling sanctions targeting the Russian economy, Italy was among the countries that initially opposed such measures saying that the restrictions against Russia are also against EU interests.
