PARIS, Aug 23 (Reuters) – France summoned the Italian ambassador after Italy’s deputy prime minister challenged the French president for suggesting that European soldiers be deployed in Ukraine in a post-war settlement, a French diplomatic source said on Saturday.

Asked earlier this week to comment on French President Emmanuel Macron’s appeals to deploy European soldiers in Ukraine after any settlement with Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini used a Milanese dialect phrase loosely translatable as “get lost”.

“You go there if you want. Put your helmet on, your jacket, your rifle and you go to Ukraine,” he told reporters, referring to Macron.

Item 1 of 2 French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/Pool/File Photo

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025…. Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab Read more

Salvini, the populist leader of the right-wing League party and also Italy’s transport minister in the nationalist, conservative government led by Giorgia Meloni, has repeatedly criticized Macron, especially over Ukraine.

The Italian ambassador was summoned on Friday, the diplomatic source said, marking the latest in a series of diplomatic clashes between Paris and Rome before and after Meloni took power in 2022.

“The ambassador was reminded that these remarks ran counter to the climate of trust and the historical relationship between our two countries, as well as to recent bilateral developments, which have highlighted strong convergences between the two countries, particularly with regard to unwavering support for Ukraine,” the source said.

Macron, a vocal supporter of Ukraine over its war with Russia, has been working with other world leaders, notably British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to mobilise support for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Suggested Topics:

Read Next

Russian air defences on Saturday downed a drone headed for Moscow and specialists were examining fragments on the ground, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.

Site Index

About Reuters

Stay Informed

Information you can trust

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Read More