Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto after he stated in an interview with Repubblica that he had offered an advisory role to former Ukrainian minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Fedorov was dismissed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of a government reshuffle. Crosetto recounted that he proposed to Fedorov, the day after his removal, to collaborate as an advisor in Rome, describing the offer as a gesture of esteem and friendship. The Italian minister called Fedorov an innovator, arguing that he helped change the dynamics on the battlefield, enabling Ukraine to resist and then take the initiative.

Zakharova's response came via a post on Telegram, in which the Russian spokeswoman sarcastically asked whether there was no one qualified in Italy to advise Crosetto, adding that Osama bin Laden, had he lived long enough, would have been an excellent advisor for the Italian government. The episode fits within the broader context of diplomatic tensions between Italy and Russia, linked to the Italian government's support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during a Russian-Kazakh summit held in Omsk, Siberia, expressed to Vladimir Putin his hope that the fighting in Ukraine would cease and that the conflict be frozen. Tokayev observed that, although no one knows how to resolve the situation given the positions of both parties, there is a possibility of freezing the conflict, noting that young people are dying.

The proposal was rejected by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, who stated that, due to Kiev's position, freezing the conflict is impossible. Meanwhile, attacks continue on the ground with civilian casualties reported in several locations across Ukraine and Russia, in the fifth year of a conflict during which both countries have intensified long-range operations.