Italy says it can't use some of Russia's coronavirus aid

The National ^ | March 26, 2020 | Callum Paton

[tlozo]

Much of the Russian aid that has arrived in Italy to combat the spread of coronavirus is of little use, say senior politicians in Rome.

Military vehicles with Russian flags carried the aid on its 600-kilometre journey from an Italian airbase south of Rome to Lombardy, the region worst affected in the world by Covid-19.

Footage of the convoy was shared on social media along with images of Russian military doctors dressed in fatigues poring over maps with Italian colleagues.

But the expedition has been interpreted in the Italian media as a public relations stunt.

Senior political sources told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that 80 per cent of the Russian equipment was of little use to Italy.

The aid, emblazoned with stickers stating “From Russia with love”, has been compared unfavourably with that arriving from China.

Beijing sent much-needed masks and ventilators along with doctors who had battled the coronavirus in Wuhan.

Russia seems to have mostly sent supplies for countering chemical or biological warfare, including a field laboratory for chemical-bacterial sterilisation.

The Russian experts who accompanied the aid are specialists in biological and chemical weapons, led by Gen Serget Kikot, the mission’s head and an authority on anthrax.

In all, nine IL-76 transport aircraft carrying the aid landed in Italy as part of a deal between Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 21.

The arrangements were finalised by the Italian and Russian defence ministers.

Russia’s ambassador to Italy, Sergei Razov, was scathing of the criticism.

“Such assertions are the product of a perverse mind,” Mr Razov said. “A selfless desire to help a friendly people in trouble is seen as insidious.”Francesco Galietti, chief executive of the political risk consultancy Policy Sonar in Rome, told The National that there was nothing surprising about Russia’s decision to help Italy.

Mr Galietti said Moscow was simply countering China’s moves in a country where it has had influence since for decades.

“Russia is just defending its home turf,” he said. “Russia is competing against China on this.

“This whole crisis is exposing trends that have been under way for far too long.

“Yes we are a member of the EU, yes we are a member of Nato, yes we are a member of the G7, but I think this government is flirting with China.”

A year ago, long before the global crisis posed by the coronavirus, Italy became the first G7 nation to join China’s Silk Road project, signing deals worth €2.5 billion (Dh10.14bn) with Beijing.

Now, as Italy has overtaken China as the nation worst hit by the coronavirus, Chinese specialist doctors and medical equipment have arrived ready to help.

The doctors bring with them first-hand experience of dealing with the Covid-19, having worked on the original outbreak in China’s Hubei province, which killed more than 3,000 people.

Huawei, the telecom giant, is among several Chinese companies that have donated supplies, such as masks and other protective equipment, to countries in Europe.

Even before the pandemic, Huawei was on a charm offensive, lobbying European nations to allow its involvement in the roll-out of 5G networks.

As the EU struggles to mount a coherent response to the rampant spread of coronavirus and the US looks to blame other nations for its own outbreak, China appears to be making significant soft-power progress.

[tlozo]

Also: "80% of Russia’s Coronavirus Aid to Italy ‘Useless’ – La Stampa"

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/03/26/80-of-russias-coronavirus-aid-to-italy-useless-la-stampa-a69756

[NorseViking]

Good old EUSSR propaganda.
Any details? It would come better with the description of the EU aid, if there was any.

[tlozo]

Beijing sent much-needed masks and ventilators along with doctors who had battled the coronavirus in Wuhan.

Russia seems to have mostly sent supplies for countering chemical or biological warfare, including a field laboratory for chemical-bacterial sterilisation.

[NorseViking]

“” “Beijing sent much-needed masks and ventilators along with doctors who had battled the coronavirus in Wuhan.
Russia seems to have mostly sent supplies for countering chemical or biological warfare, including a field laboratory for chemical-bacterial sterilisation.”” “

All of the above is obviously very useful in the Italian situation.
Masks and urban sterilization would significantly reduce the transmission rate and the ventilators would increase the survival rate for the people who already contracted it.

[Candor7]

Exactly.

Troops of the Communist occupation forces in bio-warfare?

[yldstrk]

Confirms that Russia thinks it’s boiwarfare too.

[null and void]

Confirms that Russia thinks it’s boiwarfare too.

So it would appear...

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

The false positive rate was 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's or one old fart’s life, it's worth it.

[granada]

“80% of Russia’s Coronavirus Aid to Italy ‘Useless’ – La Stampa”
///

Liberal LGBTQ and neocon McCraziness are 200% useless in the fight against coronavirus. Why can’t Russophobia lunatics put a curb on their stupidity and shamelessness?

[SisterK]

Something has been weaponized. The propaganda or the virus?

[billakay]

Who are the Communists in this scenario?

[redgolum]

Russia thinks we did it.

[Candor7]

Who are the Communists in this scenario?>>>>>>

My apologies, I did not know that you were Communist.

[MortMan]

I believe the question posed is who were the invaders - China or Russia?

[Candor7]

Both are invaders.

The original perpetrator is China.

Read a little of Tsun Tzu’s “Art of War.”

This bio-warfare was not based on aggression but on paradox.

We are in a bio-war based on paradox. What Bruce Lee called “ The Art of Fighting without fighting.”

[billakay]

I’m absolutely not a Communist, and neither are the Russians, not since about 1992. Communism is a fringe thing in Russia now, and the butt of many jokes. That is my point.

[Candor7]

Aha. I knew you were a communist.

[billakay]

What does that even mean? It’s an observable fact that Russian isn’t communist anymore. Have you ever been to Russia or observed modern Russian government in any way (other than mindless “Putin bad” news)?

[Candor7]

Workers of the world, UNTIE!

https://www.vox.com/2016/3/8/11179332/russia-communist-party

Its not over until the fat lady in the red dress sings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65JHnUA2OhM

[billakay]

Your link is from 2016. The KPRF has made pretty much zero progress in gaining vote share since then. They are a huge joke outside of the fringe. Don't forget that the CPUSA still exists, and as much as a fringe joke in the USA as the KFRF is in Russia.

I've lived in Russia for reasons entirely unrelated to politics, and I can assure you that Communism is absolutely not a major factor in ANY political narrative or conversation, outside of their sad little rallies on Communist holidays.

The LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia), a far-right party, is more popular than the Communists right now, and their leader is a crazy ****er who openly makes anti-Semitic remarks, tells female reporters that they should be home/pregnant, and advocates putting birth control in the water in minority areas to prevent them from reproducing...in other words, a complete lunatic that no one takes seriously.