Salvini Defends Greeting Russian Ambassador at Event

Rome: Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday defended having greeted Russian Ambassador to Italy Alexei Paramonov during a reception at the Chinese embassy in Rome on Tuesday. “I met the Russian ambassador, like (I met) dozens of other ambassadors,” Salvini, the leader of the right-wing League party, told Telelombardia.

According to Ansa News Agency, Salvini explained that he was invited to the event, along with other ministers, and that there were parliamentary friends from the Democratic Party (PD) and the Brothers of Italy (FDI) group present. Salvini emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations and rebuilding dialogue by stating, “If you visit someone’s home and they greet you, you greet them, as is right if you want to maintain good relations and if you care about rebuilding dialogue.”

Salvini further elaborated on his stance, expressing a preference for diplomacy over conflict. “I prefer a handshake to a dirty look. If, on the other hand, you only talk about war a
nd recruit soldiers to send them to die at the front… that’s not my goal, but I don’t think anyone’s,” he added. This statement comes despite his previous admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Davide Faraone, a Senator for the centrist, opposition Italia Viva (IV) party, criticized Salvini’s actions. He stated, “It’s a problem for Italy that Salvini is hugging the Russian ambassador while our military is busy repelling Russian drones in Poland,” highlighting the tension between Salvini’s actions and Italy’s current military commitments.