DISINFO: Italy lost its independence to the EU, and the latter is under US control
SUMMARY
Italy has lost its independence, so it has no right to its own opinion. Therefore, its policy towards Russia is not the policy of Italy itself. There is no independence in Italy since there are such structures as the European Union, which cannot be called free. If we talk about the attitude towards Russia, the EU does not defend its interests, but the interests of the US.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation portraying Europe as a vassal of the US and trying to undermine the EU and sovereignty of its member states. This narrative claims that European countries are no longer truly sovereign and the US dictates policies to the EU and its member states.
Italy is a sovereign, independent country. It is a member of the EU since its inception in 1957.
All EU member states remain sovereign. The EU enjoys rights and competencies defined in the Treaty on the European Union. Article 4 of the treaty specifies that the competences not conferred upon the Union in the EU treaties remain with the member states. For instance, member states have the right to ensure their territorial integrity, maintain law and order and safeguard national security. National security remains the sole responsibility of each member state.
US does not control the EU. The EU Member States are sovereign countries and make sovereign decisions about their own security and policies. The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US. The decisions in the EU are made by the directly elected European Parliament, the European Commission together with the Council (the governments of the 27 EU countries).
See similar disinformation claims that European countries are under heavy US control, that NATO is a new type of US colonialism, that Germany and the EU are subordinate to the US, that the actual ruler of the European population in the US, or that the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate.