‘Expert’ who promotes Russian propaganda on Italian state television 

Italian state television is not immune to Russian propaganda, despite Italy's significant military assistance to Ukraine and its strong political position. Pure pro-Kremlin propaganda is being disseminated to millions of Italians, as is usual in European nations, under the pretext of opposing viewpoints and "dissident ideas," fueled by conspiracy theories and anti-Americanism, InsightNews reports.

So, do not worry if you are Italian, and do not understand Russian. You most likely watched Russian war propaganda on Rai-3. If you're not Italian and are curious about how the Kremlin was able to spread its version of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we will explain how below.

Who is Alessandro Orsini?

Italian Professor Alessandro Orsini has established himself as a dissident intellectual and the foremost authority with alternative viewpoints on Italian public television since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.

Alessandro Orsini is the chairman and founder of the LUISS Observatory on International Security.

After signing a contract with the Rai program Cartabianca, where he made statements that, throughout the year, followed the Kremlin narratives and that were similar to Russia Today's coverage of the war in Ukraine, the associate professor of general sociology at Luiss University in Rome found himself at the center of controversy.

According to the professor's CV and the opinions of his peers, at Open Online, he hasn't published any scientific research on the topics he discusses on television. Below, we'll revisit his area of specialization. That alone is not a problem. However, the issue is that he is addressing millions of Italians as an authority on the conflict in Ukraine.

Alessandro Orsini was hired by Bianca Berlinguer for six episodes of Cartabianca on the Rai-3 television network. And the sociologist found himself in the spotlight due to his pro-Russian stances. Alessandro Orsini presented various contentious theories about Putin's invasion of Ukraine during the episodes. From February until December, his statements will be examined.

Orsini's remarks on Russia and Ukraine: from nuclear catastrophe to Putin's likely victory

When Orsini said, "If indeed Putin, in a desperate situation where he risks losing the war in Ukraine, were to use the nuclear bomb, Europe would be morally co-responsible," during a Cartabianca episode that aired in March—a month after the start of the Russian invasion—we were shocked by the bizarre exchange.

Berlinguer then challenged him, incredulously, “So you have to let Putin win the battle to escape the risk involved with the nuclear bomb?” and he calmly responded, “If you view the situation from this perspective, I say let's let Putin win the war.” 

Orsini declared, “This is a losing war,” in the episode that aired on March 15. “Either we give Putin what he wants, or he takes it anyway”.

And once more, “Russia will progress, and we will experience an increase in civilian fatalities. Allow Germany and France to arm Ukraine if they so want. Italy has to use the money it is about to spend on weapons to construct two large hospitals that can house Ukrainian children.”

However, Orsini alluded to a nuclear catastrophe in the Cartabianca episode airing on March 22: “If we put Vladimir Putin in a difficult situation, he will definitely use the nuclear bomb.”

The E.U. and NATO are responsible for the war, according to the professor, who has been accused by many of holding pro-Russian attitudes. He refrains from denouncing imperialist Russia and Russian ruler Putin, who started a war against Ukraine without reason.

He now regularly appears as a guest on Cartabianca, and his presence there has transformed the show's character into a confrontational one. He called on the West and Italy to comply with Russian requests and propagate narratives that supported Kremlin propaganda. He dared to scare Italians with Russia's nuclear weapons and employ horrible manipulation techniques, arguing that it is preferable for "children to live in a dictatorship than to perish under bombs in the name of democracy."

Russia would use nuclear weapons if Ukraine attacked territory it had seized, according to Orsini (including Kherson)

"The annexation of the Ukrainian regions to Russia would justify the eventual use of the nuclear weapon, which under Russian defensive doctrine can be used if a national territory is attacked," the essayist said in reference to the phony referendums that Russia had called for the eventual annexation of Ukrainian territories.

“Joe Biden's most recent remarks confirm that Vladimir Putin would seriously consider using a nuclear weapon if he were in a desperate situation. Based on the information that is currently accessible, Russia has been pondering using a nuclear weapon against NATO since 1999. It is prepared to become worse. The referendums are a message to Italy, Germany, and France. Putin should not scare Ukraine,” Orsini said.

As a result, this "visionary" forewarned Ukraine against attempting to liberate Kherson under the danger of Russian nuclear weapons.

It's nothing new to you if you've seen Kremlin propaganda condemning the West's decision to arm Ukraine. Mr. Orsini uses the same talking points. He asserts that the Western alliance, under the leadership of U.S. President Joe Biden, has adopted a strategy to defend Ukraine from Russia that consists of three main elements: "Indefinite sending of weapons without any idea of how to get out of the war; total rejection of any diplomatic mediation with Russia; demonization of pacifists falsely represented as friends of Russia."

This plan, according to Alessandro Orsini, failed to "get Russia to the peace table in a short time." In fact, he says, "Ukraine has been devastated, the energy infrastructure is shattering, refugees number in the millions, children dead are in the hundreds, and there are more than 10 million without electricity."

Orsini urges dialogue for peace while blaming the West

Orsini advocates holding peace negotiations with Russia as a strategy. But he doesn't explain how to compromise with the Kremlin, which is still destroying your cities and genociding your people.

The European Commission allegedly pursues a purpose "to bleed Russia dry with an expensive war that would isolate the Kremlin from Europe by forcing it to spend billions," according to another Kremlin myth propagated by Orsini. He might be thinking that the entire civilized world is forcing Russia not to comply with international law and invade a neighboring country.

Russia's defeat at Kherson was portrayed by Orsini as a victory

The Ukrainian army successfully liberated Kherson, much to the joy of the local populace. Despite the scenarios and projections conveyed by Orsini. How did he comment on it? Well, he adhered to the propaganda spread by the Kremlin media.

Orsini said, “Ukraine is a ruined country. Russians leave Kherson, but it's not a triumph for Ukraine. It was the Russian army itself that left the city without a struggle”. These assertions are a perfect fit for the Kremlin's and Russia's official propaganda media's official declarations. And all of that runs counter to the proof and material evidence. How did it happen?

On the television program, Mr. Orsini gave a lengthy statement to explain why it was not a Russian failure. We condense it into a brief paragraph for the sake of conciseness. The Kherson Bridge was damaged by American weapons. The Russians would have needed supplies that they couldn't carry across the Antonovsky Bridge from one bank of the Dnipro to the other if the Ukrainians had entered Kherson. The Russians secured soldiers and equipment on the opposite side of the river in order to avoid being trapped and were able to surrender the city. Russia carried out a sophisticated logistical and organizational operation.

Therefore, Moscow's significant defeat was presented as a success, as you could hear on Mr. Solovyov's show, Putin's preferred megaphone. Yes, that's correct; it was said on Italian state television by a so-called war expert.

Orsini subscribes to the Kremlin's "peace at any costs" mantra

The great visionary's assertions and forecasts changed during the year, but his basic objective—to commend Moscow's policy—remains the same. In recent weeks, "Russia has twice offered conversation." These are the remarks Alessandro Orsini spoke to Cartabianca about the war between Russia and Ukraine in December. The sociology professor continued, "We in the West oppose any request for conversation with Russia, in this situation, there is no hope of peace."

The professor argues that he believes the current Western attitude against Moscow results in both closure of any expectation of discussion with Moscow and "the manipulation of information to encourage Italians to believe that Russia's collapse is near."

Additionally, to justify peace talks without the retreat of Russian soldiers from Ukraine, add nuclear blackmail. He said that Putin has already relocated the nuke to the Ukraine border and is prepared to use it.

Orsini concludes by declaring that the "NATO secretary general is crazy." Why didn't we hear similar things about the cruel and murderous war's initiator, Russian despot Putin?

Christmas threat in Orsini’s statements

Russian directors placed the Christmas holiday at the center of the story in the most recent Russia Today propaganda video, which was targeted at European citizens. They intimidate Europeans with a harsh winter without heating due to the Russian gas cut-off and good meals for the 2023 Christmas.

Only those with perverted and wicked imaginations could have produced this. Like those Soviet rulers who committed genocide against the Ukrainian people through an artificial famine, a Holodomor in 1932-33 took away the lives of millions of Ukrainians.

In Orsini's address, a horrific Christmas story is also mentioned. Like he was following orders from the same Kremlin movie makers. Orsini argues that "Zelenskyy will demolish Ukraine; otherwise, we'll have a dreadful Christmas."

He also blasted Italy's government for giving Ukraine heavy weapons. He skipped, however, to discuss how Putin's army could be stopped without the use of weapons and by morally condemning Russia's conduct alone.

Alessandro Orsini has taken a contentious stance against all those who disagree with his views on the conflict and Putin's Russia's criminal invasion of Ukraine. Orsini has been invited to participate in numerous broadcasts and chat shows about the Russia-Ukraine war. Additionally, the lecturer does not tolerate criticism of his blatant errors or of persistently refuted falsehoods.

Praise for Russia, criticism of Ukraine

Orsini is still laying out hypothetical situations that show Moscow's imaginative worldview. "Russia is in a better position than Ukraine." In the medium and long term, it is clear that the Russian army is growing stronger while the Ukrainian force is deteriorating, according to Orsini. Despite the effects of Western sanctions, the Russian economy was doing reasonably well, he claimed.

Calling ‘idiots’ everyone who says Moscow must pull back

"I accept responsibility for what I say: Any politician who asserts that Russia must withdraw from all lands is a moron and a fool. Anyone who asserts that Russia must leave the diplomatic scene in order to engage in discussion is a moron. Alessandro Orsini, the professor, adopts this stance when speaking in the Cartabianca show on Rai-3.

Did he accept a Sputnik vaccine?

Orsini's pre-war statements are not free of Russian influence either. The professor was compelled to reply to criticism regarding his promotion of the Sputnik vaccine during a broadcast in addition to providing his geopolitical assessments. It's unknown, though, whether he received a Sputnik vaccine.

"Because articles on Russia's vaccine appeared on the website for which I serve as director during the epidemic and before the vaccine had been tested, I was accused of having connections to the Kremlin. Due to the lack of a vaccine, my website broadcast news about all the nations developing vaccines, which was very pertinent international news."

Is Orsini an expert at all?

As Alessandro Orsini claims, he is an expert in several subjects. Open Online media, however, conducted an analysis of Orsini's research contributions to the Luiss Department of Political Science and came to a controversial result. According to his credentials, he served as director of the Center for the Study of Terrorism at the University of Rome Tor Vergata from 2013 to 2016 and has served as director of the Luiss Observatory for International Security from the beginning of 2017.

But neither of the two centers has any scientific output. Only a press conference was held at Tor Vergata two months following the appointment. However, according to Franco Salvatori, director of the Tor Vergata Department, the facility "never did anything," and everything "remain[ed] on paper."

Let it be known that Orsini's work "is not overseen by us," even from the Luiss department. Orsini provided a model of the radicalization of Red Brigade terrorists known as Dria, which stands for Disintegration, Reconstruction, Integration, and Alienation. Scholars have some reservations about applying this to all terrorism, including Islamic terrorism. "I get the feeling that Orsini tries to create broad typologies and dynamics with his work. Brian Sandberg, a historian at Northern Illinois University who specializes in religious violence, tells the newspaper, "And then apply them to historical circumstances where they don't work."

Language barriers that Orsini encountered

Orsini’s latest rhetorical gaffe, however, was unbelievable. The facts: the lecturer posted a video on his YouTube channel detailing the workings of the Budapest Memorandum, the agreement by which Ukraine agreed to dispose of nuclear weapons remaining on its territory after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in exchange for a guarantee that its borders would always be respected, both by Russia and the West.

The lecturer cites a New York Times piece published by a certain, we quote, "William J. Ampio" at one point (at minute 1:15), as journalist Antonio Talia noted in a humorous thread on Twitter.

William J. Ampio's lack of existence is his dilemma. Because "Broad" in English translates to "Ampio," the computer automatically translated the author's name for Orsini as he read an article written by a historical NYT William J. Broad (Orsini, however, must not have noticed it).

In other words, the instructor who insisted that he was the exclusive possessor of information regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been using Google Translated articles since February without even seeing macro-distortions like this one. The problem is that a lot of people subscribe to this "critical thinker" and adopt his viewpoints.

The biggest mystery is still how this doubtful expert who has made contentious claims on behalf of a brutal, deadly regime ended up on an Italian official television program. Why give the TV scene to a person who is not an authority on the subject and gives distorted opinions to a national audience?

Orsini's influence on people's thoughts is poisonous, even while queries regarding how he got to the live television program and the motivations behind his support for Russia may go unanswered. We can only hope that the TV station management will discover the casting error and take steps to ensure that Russian Today-style Kremlin narratives are not broadcast on Italian television.