ROME, March 08, 6:26 /ITAR-TASS/. Western media are distorting information about the developments in Ukraine, forging erroneous public attitudes, renown Italian journalist Giulietto Chiesa told Itar-Tass on Friday.
“There is no freedom of information in the West,” he said. “World media are dominated by the American dictates. There is only one opinion. It is nothing else but censorship.” He substantiated his words by the fact that Italian media kept silent about U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland’s recent phone talk, when she spoke about investing five billion U.S. dollars into Ukraine, as well as about a leaked telephone conversation between Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, during which they discussed events in Kiev’s Independence Square (known as Maidan).
“Journalists are ignorant themselves and are playing on people’s ignorance. In Italy, for instance, they have been suggesting the idea that Russia has intruded into Ukraine,” he said.
He said he strongly believed Russia’s actions could be characterized as “defence,” not as “attack.”
“Russia has to react,” he noted. “Of course, Russia has its own interests in Ukraine, as the United States and Europe do. All have their own interests. But is it vital that such interests are pursued in a legal way.”
“The revolt in Ukraine was preceded by long and thorough preparations by the United States,” the Italian journalist stressed. “This is the only way once can interpret Victoria Nuland’s words about five billion dollars. It is absolutely obvious.”
He said the United States had been plotting change of power in Ukraine ever since the so-called orange revolution. “That revolution failed, [Viktor] Yanukovich, by far not the best leader, came to power. So, the situation became ripe to take advantage of his weakness. And it finally happened. America needs Ukraine in NATO,” said Chiesa, who is planning to make a trip to Ukraine’s autonomous republic of Crimea, which is in the process of splitting from the rest of Ukraine.
Giulietto Chiesa spent many years in Moscow as a correspondent. He witnessed the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the birth of the new, democratic Russia. In 2004, he was elected to the European parliament, where he headed a number of commissions, including those dealing with relations between the European Union and Russia and the former Soviet republics.
Now, he engages in public activities, being a member of the board of directors of New Policy Forum and leading the political movement Alternative.