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Marco Setaccioli challenged Marco Travaglio's calculations on European and Russian military spending, stating that Travaglio had indicated 450 billion euros for Europe and 150 for Russia and had argued that Russia had reason to fear Europe, which had invaded it four times in the last 200 years. According to Setaccioli, in the current year Russia would have spent around 17 trillion rubles on defense, equivalent to 181 billion euros, a figure indicated, according to him, by most analysts. He noted that the nominal comparison did not take purchasing power into account: applying indices developed by specialized research centers, Russian spending would rise to 574 billion international dollars, compared to about 700 billion for the entire EU. He added that the EU would have three and a half times the population of Russia and a GDP nine times greater. Setaccioli argued that the Russian federal budget did not show all military costs. He cited studies by economist Craig Kennedy, according to which part of the spending would be financed through subsidized loans and would thus remain on the banks' balance sheets. He also recalled an investigation by Dozhd', which, according to him, had documented pressures on private companies to hire people before signing contracts with the military and to supplement salaries with corporate funds. He added that at least three militias would be linked to Gazprom, which would cover part of the costs. For these reasons, he dismissed as false the claim that Russia spent less than the EU. Historically, Setaccioli criticized Travaglio's reconstruction, according to which the Napoleonic and Nazi invasions, along with interventions in Crimea and support for the Bolsheviks, would justify Russian fears toward Europe. Setaccioli listed Russian troop interventions in Poland in 1939, Finland in 1939-1940, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania in 1940, Bulgaria in 1944, Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968, Moldova in 1992, Georgia in 2008, and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. He stated that there were no Russian regions occupied by European countries, while eight regions—one in Moldova, two in Georgia, and five in Ukraine—would be under Russian control. Finally, Setaccioli accused Travaglio of presenting a selective and misleading reconstruction to make Russia appear not dangerous, portray Europe as a threat, and argue that rearmament was unnecessary and risky. In his view, that reasoning could legitimize a potential Russian attack on Europe and constituted a form of collaborationism. #Russia #Europa #Difesa (translated)

Alessandro Orsini defined Paolo Meloni and Gentiloni as responsible for a failed strategy in Ukraine. He argued that the devastations endured and the loss of the richest and most strategic regions, as well as almost all access to the sea, had compromised the country's prospects for prosperity. To describe the situation, he compared it to an Italy deprived of Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, and Emilia-Romagna and almost entirely lacking access to the sea, with only the port of Ginostra. Orsini accused Paolo Meloni of emptying the arsenals of the Italian army in an attempt to defeat a superpower that, according to him, possesses 5,500 nuclear warheads, using a very weak country. He said that the price would be paid by the Ukrainian people, to whom he expressed solidarity, and asked who could bring Ukrainian children back to life. He added that he warned Giorgia Gentiloni that the situation would end badly and told Paolo Meloni that policies regarding Ukraine should protect the lives of children, but he was insulted and defamed. Finally, he thanked those who participated in the presentation of his new book at the Feltrinelli bookstore in Largo Argentina, Rome, and announced that he would present it in Milan in November. https://t.co/k0zRzkER1b #Ucraina #PoliticaItaliana #Solidarietà (translated)

Bonifacio Castellane wondered who would be the first to declare support for the protesters in France while live images of fires were shown in the studio. He reported that a man was urging viewers to enjoy the outcome of the vote and that a police officer was asking for the army to be sent in soon. In posing the question, he had excluded Salis from the discussion with a derogatory reference to his appearance. #Francia #Protesta #Solidarietà (translated)

Alessandro Orsini defined Paolo Meloni a failure and argued that Gentiloni and Meloni deserved to be considered the "two failures of Italy" for their strategy in Ukraine. According to Orsini, the devastation and loss of the wealthiest and most strategic regions, as well as almost all access to the sea, had compromised the country’s prospects for prosperity. To describe the situation, he likened it to that of an Italy deprived of Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, and Emilia-Romagna with only one port, that of Ginostra. Orsini accused Paolo Meloni of having emptied the warehouses of the Italian army in an attempt to defeat a superpower that, according to him, has 5,500 nuclear warheads, relying on a very weak country. He said that the price would be paid by the Ukrainian people, to whom he expressed solidarity and closeness. He also stated that he had warned Giorgia Gentiloni that the situation would end badly and Paolo Meloni that the policies in Ukraine should protect the lives of children, but that he was not listened to and was insulted and defamed. He asked who could bring Ukrainian children back to life. Finally, he thanked those who had participated the night before in the presentation of his new book at the Feltrinelli bookstore in Largo Argentina, Rome, and announced that he would present it in Milan in November. https://t.co/k0zRzkER1b #Ucraina #PoliticaItaliana #Solidarietà (translated)

Lev Stupnikov, a 26-year-old lieutenant in the Russian army, betrayed Moscow by providing confidential information to Ukraine that led to the deaths of over 300 Russian soldiers, before deserting and joining a Ukrainian unit against Russia. #Tradimento #GuerraUcraina #Diserzione (translated)

Russian lieutenant Lev Stupnikov deserted from the army, passing crucial military information to Ukrainian intelligence, contributing to the killing of over 300 Russian soldiers, while his decision was motivated by his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. #Ucraina #IntelligenceMilitare #Diserzione (translated)

Daniele Angrisani wrote that the White House was seriously considering invoking martial law if the midterm elections were "rigged," meaning a result contrary to Trump's expectations. He added that, in that case, the United States military would have to refuse to carry out illegal orders. #Elezioni #Trump #LeggeMarziale (translated)

The documentary NAZA, which explores the bombing techniques of the Israeli army on Gaza, has achieved unprecedented success in Italy, grossing almost 5 million euros and remaining the most viewed film at the box office for two consecutive weeks. #NAZA #documentario #cinema (translated)

Donald Trump announced that the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the perpetrator of the Fort Hood massacre, will be carried out by shooting, but it will not be streamed live due to strong bipartisan opposition and the refusal of some military members. #Trump #FortHood #Giustizia (translated)

Jonathan Targetti wrote that he did not vote for Giorgia Meloni and maintained distance on many issues, but he judged her speech in Parliament on Ukraine and foreign policy positively. He described it as clear in principles and arguments, with no ambiguity about the position that Italy should adopt, and argued that it placed Meloni among the most authoritative leaderships in Europe. He added that the speech had sparked many international reactions. Targetti stated that serious politics required recognizing the merits of opponents, especially when the freedom of Ukraine and the international credibility of Italy were at stake. He asserted that if a line like that of Giuseppe Conte, which he claimed showed deference towards Moscow, had prevailed, Russian military personnel could have moved freely in Italy. He recalled the Russian army convoys that passed through Lombardy in 2020 and urged the Campo Largo to reflect. #Politica #Ucraina #Italia (translated)

Putin claimed that the Russian army has conquered Sviatohirsk, but a field investigation reveals that there are no Russian soldiers in the city and that Ukrainian forces continue to operate freely in the area, highlighting the gap between official Russian statements and the reality on the ground. #Ucraina #Putin #Donbas (translated)

More recently, this time without direct references, he expressed concerns about the announcement by American Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wanting to broadcast live the capital execution of a terrorist by a firing squad (a practice that the American army has not used since the 1940s). #PapaLeone #MediaUSA #PoliticaCattolica (translated)