Italy’s ambassador to Paris, Emanuela D’Alessandro, met French officials last Thursday following Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini’s remarks about President Emmanuel Macron.
Le Figaro reported that French officials allegedly told her Salvini’s words “contradicted the Quirinale Treaty” between Italy and France.
The Italian embassy confirmed a meeting took place at the Quai d’Orsay, France’s foreign ministry. However, it stressed that D’Alessandro was not formally summoned.
Salvini criticised French-led plans for a European army and a possible Ukraine peacekeeping mission. “The European army commanded by that madman Macron who talks about nuclear war, no, never,” he said last week. His comments followed Macron’s suggestion that France’s nuclear deterrent could protect Europe from future Russian threats.
In February, France and Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, just hours after signing a similar one with Germany. The agreement provides an additional package worth €3billion in military aid this year
The UK also recognises a responsibility for Ukraine’s defence due to past agreements. In 1994, it joined the US and Russia in the Budapest Memorandum. This deal guaranteed Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons. Russia later violated the agreement by invading Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.
Premier Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed on Saturday that Italy will not deploy troops in a possible Ukraine peacekeeping operation. She spoke during a virtual meeting hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“No national participation is scheduled in a potential military force on the ground,” Meloni said during the discussion.
Meloni joined the online meeting, organised by Starmer, to discuss commitments to a just and lasting peace. The talks focused on ensuring Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security.
