Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party declared on Tuesday that the agreement it had with the United Russia party is no longer valid in light of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The announcement comes as the Lower House prepares to vote on an opposition no-confidence motion in Salvini over the League’s ties with the Russian ruling party.
“The war totally changed opinions and political relations with Russia, which, before the invasion, was an important interlocutor for all Italian governments,” stated the League.
“As previously reiterated, the 2017 proposed collaboration between the League and United Russia is no longer valid after the invasion of Ukraine,” the League emphasized. “Even before that, there were no joint initiatives.”
“The League’s position is confirmed by votes in Parliament,” the statement continued. “It is regrettable that the House has to waste time on pointless polemics triggered by the opposition.”
Salvini has faced criticism for his statements following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent re-election, including remarks such as “a people is always right when it votes”. He also refrained from directly blaming Putin for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison.
While Salvini has expressed admiration for Putin on multiple occasions in the past, he has also spoke against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
