Italian media on December 2 initially focused on escalating tensions between NATO and Russia, with Putin's statements about a "buffer zone" and reactions to Cavo Dragone's remarks. Diplomatic efforts also gained traction as Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow to meet Putin, bringing Trump's peace plan.
By late morning, attention shifted significantly to labor protests at Genoa airport by ex-Ilva and Ansaldo Energia workers. However, the dominant story of the afternoon became the arrest of former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and ex-ambassador Sannino in Brussels on suspicion of fraud related to diplomatic training programs. Moscow and Budapest quickly leveraged this development to criticize the EU. Concurrently, Putin issued a direct challenge to Europe, stating Russia was "ready" if Europe sought war, a sentiment echoed during his five-hour meeting with Witkoff and Kushner.