Salvini tells Macron to ‘grab a rifle,’ Paris summons Italian envoy
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Paris summoned Rome’s ambassador after Matteo Salvini mocked Emmanuel Macron’s push for Ukraine troops, warning the remarks harmed trust between the two allies.
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Italy’s Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini gestures as he speaks during the Italian talk show “Porta a Porta”, broadcast on Italian channel Rai 1, in Rome, on June 20, 2018, as a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron is seen in the background (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly suggested that European nations should consider sending troops to Ukraine as part of a “reassurance force".
This week, after a summit in Washington with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders, Macron renewed his call, arguing that Ukraine would need a “strong army” and Western presence once the conflict ends.
Macron also described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “an ogre at Europe’s gates.”
Speaking in Milan, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini ridiculed Macron’s idea, calling on him to head to the frontlines. “Hop on a tram and go to Ukraine yourself… Put on a helmet, a jacket, grab a rifle, and go,” Salvini quipped. He added that Macron would likely “go alone, because not even a Frenchman would follow him.”
Salvini has long criticized Macron’s stance on the Ukraine war, previously calling the French leader a “madman” intent on dragging Europe into conflict.
Read more: Europe must bear burden of Ukraine security guarantees: JD Vance
France summons Italian ambassador
Paris condemned Salvini’s comments as “unacceptable". According to diplomatic sources, the French Foreign Ministry formally summoned Italian Ambassador Emanuela D’Alessandro.
“The ambassador was reminded that these remarks went against the climate of trust and the historical relationship between our two countries,” a French source told local media.
Rome reportedly received at least two protest calls before the formal summons, one from the French Embassy and another from Macron’s team.
Growing France-Italy tensions
Salvini has previously accused Macron of fueling escalation in Ukraine while praising former US President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts.
He argued this week that Trump was succeeding where others failed: bringing Putin and Zelensky back to the negotiating table.
For Italy, Salvini stressed, no troops would be sent to Ukraine under any circumstances.
Wider context of the Ukraine war
The proposal of deploying Ukrainian troops has divided European leaders. While Macron continues to advocate for a stronger Western presence, most EU members remain cautious, wary of provoking direct confrontation with Moscow.
Russian officials have consistently warned that any Western troop deployment would be considered an occupation and could trigger a third world war.
Read more: Ukrainian forces struggle to hold eastern frontlines: NYT
