Heated debate between Russia and Italy following the tragic collapse of symbolic Medieval tower in Rome – video

Italy’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador on Monday after a Russian official linked the collapse of a historic tower in the capital to Rome’s financial and military support for Ukraine, according to ANSA news agency.

Medieval tower collapses in Rome due to Ukraine’s financial support?

The controversy erupted after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted on her Telegram channel that “as long as the Italian government continues to waste taxpayers’ money on Ukraine, Italy will collapse entirely, from its economy to the towers.”

Her comments referred to the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in central Rome, one of the city’s symbolic medieval structures, Anadolu, the Turkish news agency wrote.

Zakharova also recalled that “in May this year, the Italian Foreign Ministry reported that Italian support to Ukraine, including military aid and contributions paid through EU mechanisms, amounts to approximately 2.5 billion euros.”

The remarks triggered strong backlash in Rome. Italy’s Foreign Ministry condemned the statement as “squalid” and said it confirmed “the depths of vulgarity into which Moscow’s leadership has fallen.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also denounced the remarks as “shameful” and “unacceptable in a civilized country.”