The Italian government and diplomacy are currently engaged in efforts to prevent Ariston from falling under Russian control. This issue arose when Moscow decided to nationalize the Italian company’s Russian branches, including Ariston and German Bosch. In response, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian Federation’s ambassador in Italy to express “strong disappointment” at the decision to place Ariston Thermo Rus, a company within the Ariston Group, under temporary administration by a Gazprom group entity.
The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, has been in contact with the affected companies and is exploring potential responses with G7 and EU partners. The Italian government has called on Russia to reverse its measures against foreign companies operating in the country. Meanwhile, the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, has engaged with the leadership of Ariston Group to address the situation and work towards protecting Italian and European companies affected by similar Russian actions.
In response to Russia’s actions, Italy has coordinated with the European Union to condemn Russia’s actions, highlighting them as violations of international law. The Russian Federation’s ambassador in Italy placed blame on the Italian authorities for the escalation of tensions, accusing them of prioritizing “sterile and dangerous anti-Russian geopolitical adventures” over national interests. However, Italy remains committed to working towards resolving this issue through diplomatic means while exploring new instruments within the European sanctioning framework to prevent such retaliatory measures in the future.
