"Italian Deputy Prime Minister Again Hurls Insults at Macron: 'If You Want Troops in Ukraine, Go Yourself with a Gun'"

Salvini Slams Macron Over Ukraine Security Force Initiative
Opposes French-Led Deployment, Sparks Diplomatic Tension
"Go Yourself If You Want"
"Hang Onto a Tram"

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has sparked controversy with insulting remarks directed at French President Emmanuel Macron, who is leading the initiative to dispatch a security force to Ukraine. According to Yonhap News on the 23rd (local time), citing the French daily Le Monde, "Deputy Prime Minister Salvini, during a visit to Milan on the 20th, targeted President Macron, saying, 'If you want, go yourself. Put on a helmet, wear a bulletproof vest, take a gun, and go to Ukraine.'" He also said in the Milanese dialect, "Hang onto a tram," which is interpreted in French as meaning somewhere between "Get lost" and "Do it yourself."

Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of Italy. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Previously, in March, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini also caused controversy by calling President Macron "crazy." Upon hearing Salvini's latest remarks, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Emanuela D'Alessandro, the Italian ambassador to France, the following day to lodge a strong protest. A French diplomatic source told Le Monde, "(The government) emphasized to the Italian ambassador that these comments go against the atmosphere of trust and historical relations between the two countries, and undermine the strong consensus on unwavering support for Ukraine."

Salvini, who leads the far-right League (Lega) party within Italy's coalition government and also serves as Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, is known for his pro-Russian stance. In 2014, he was photographed in Moscow's Red Square wearing a T-shirt with Russian President Vladimir Putin's portrait, and in 2019, he described Putin as "the best politician currently on earth." However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has reportedly adopted a more cautious tone regarding President Putin.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron attending the G7 Summit held in Canada last June. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Italy and France have shown differences within Europe over issues such as the Mediterranean migrant intake in 2023, talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and, earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy and solutions to the war in Ukraine. However, when President Macron visited Italy in June and met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, there were signs of improving relations. Le Monde pointed out, "Deputy Prime Minister Salvini's remarks could embarrass Prime Minister Meloni, who is in the process of restoring relations with France."

Last year, President Macron proposed the creation of a security force to guarantee Ukraine's security. This initiative, supported by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is being discussed under the leadership of the UK and France. However, according to the British think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the security force would require the continuous deployment of tens of thousands of troops, which could be difficult for European countries to manage on their own.