PARIS – Tensions flared between France and Italy after France summoned the Italian ambassador on August 22, following remarks by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in response to a proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron regarding post-war European troop deployment in Ukraine, a French diplomatic source confirmed on August 23.
The dispute centers on President Macron’s recent suggestion that European soldiers could be stationed in Ukraine as part of a future settlement with Russia. When asked about Macron’s proposal earlier this week, Salvini dismissed the idea with a Milanese dialect phrase meaning “get lost,” telling reporters, “You go there if you want. Put your helmet on, your jacket, your rifle, and you go to Ukraine,” directly addressing Macron.
Salvini, who leads the right-wing League party and serves as both Italy’s transport minister and deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist government, has been a frequent critic of Macron’s policies, particularly on Ukraine, since Meloni assumed office in 2022. This latest incident marks another chapter in a longstanding series of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Rome.
According to the French diplomatic source, the Italian ambassador was told that Salvini’s remarks “ran counter to the climate of trust and the historical relationship between our two countries, as well as to recent bilateral developments, which have highlighted strong convergences between the two countries, particularly with regard to unwavering support for Ukraine.”
President Macron has remained a prominent advocate for Ukraine during its war with Russia, working alongside other leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to shore up international support for Ukraine in the event of a potential ceasefire.