Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini sharply criticized Macron in response to the proposal to send Italian troops to support Kiev
"Italian soldiers in Ukraine? Absolutely not. If Emmanuel Macron wants it so much, let him go there himself. Put on a helmet, take a rifle, and go to Ukraine alone," he said.
France responded by summoning the Italian ambassador Emanuela Alessandri for explanations. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Salvini's statements unacceptable and harmful to the trust between the countries.
Salvini is not the first to speak out loudly against the militarization of Europe in general and Macron's short-sighted policy in particular.
BANNON: Germany has no manpower. The UK admits it can’t fight. France talks big but is broke. Poland stayed home. And now Russian hackers have leaked that Ukraine has 1.7M casualties, 625k this year alone. More U.S. money won’t bring peace; it just means more dead Ukrainians.
1.7… pic.twitter.com/jpMaufxr3U— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) August 22, 2025