France Summons Italian Envoy in Wake of Minister’s Call to Send Macron [to] Fight in Ukraine

PARIS, August 23. /TASS/. Italian Ambassador to France Emanuela D’Alessandro was summoned to the republic’s Foreign Ministry over a remark from Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini about French President Emmanuel Macron in light of his initiatives on Ukraine, Franceinfo radio reported.

Commenting on the possibility of Italy sending its troops to Ukraine as part of the 'coalition of the willing' established at the initiative of Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Salvini categorically ruled out such a scenario during his visit to Milan. "Italian soldiers in Ukraine? A resolute no. If Emmanuel Macron wants it so, let him go there himself. Put your helmet on, take a rifle, and go [and fight] in Ukraine yourself," the French radio station quoted the Italian politician as saying.

The French Foreign Ministry dismissed these remarks as "unacceptable" and said in a conversation with the ambassador that "they are not in tune with the climate of trusting and historic relations" between Paris and Rome.

Neither the Italian embassy nor the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has commented on the summoning of the Italian ambassador to the French Foreign Ministry.

On August 19, two meetings on Ukraine were held as the `coalition of the willing’ and the European Council convened via video link. Both events discussed the results of the Russia-US summit in Alaska, US President Donald Trump’s talks with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several European leaders, and security guarantees for Ukraine as soon as the hostilities end.

This is very amusing, in a couple of ways.

TASS is a source, but not the only source, so here's the EuroNews version ---

"The Italian vice-premier had urged the French president in Milanese dialect to 'taches al tram', to 'stick to the tram', a colourful externality to say that he would have been better off going to Ukraine instead of the Italian soldiers.
" 'You put on your helmet, your vest, your rifle and go to Ukraine,' Salvini had elaborated, referring to Macron, during a public engagement in the city of Milan.
"The Italian minister also once again expressed his support for the policy on Ukraine of the United States and its president, Donald Trump.
" 'With his ways, which at times may seem brusque or irritable, he is succeeding where all have failed', Salvini said, calling the attempts of 'European armies, European rearmaments, European joint debts to buy missiles', 'macronate' - in a clearly derogatory way."
Salvini attacks Macron over troops for Ukraine: France summons Italian ambassador EuroNews, 23 August 2025

A new ly coined Italian adjectve -- ma-cro-na-te ....

This whole "talking smack" is amusing from another view, i.e. it's been going on for over a year....

"In his latest address at a pre-election rally in the Italian city of Bari on Tuesday June 4, which was posted on YouTube, Salvini said: 'Let Macron talk about war. But I'll say it as if he were right here tonight: Macron, you want to go to war? Then go put on a helmet, put on the vest, and go to Ukraine. Just don't break the Italians’ balls… We want to live in peace'."
‘Don't Break Our Balls’ – Italian Minister Tells Macron to ‘Put on Your Helmet and Go’ Fight in Ukraine Kyiv Post, 5 June 2024.

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