Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini ignited diplomatic friction by sarcastically suggesting French President Emmanuel Macron should “go to the tree” during a Milan press conference, criticizing France’s stance on the Ukraine crisis.
Diplomatic Tension: French Respond to Salvini’s Sarcastic Remarks About Macron
Salvini to Macron: “Go to the Tree”
Journalists in Milan asked Deputy Prime Minister Salvini about his reaction to Emmanuel Macron’s proposal. “In Milan, we say ‘catch the tram.’ Let Macron put on a helmet, body armor, take a rifle, and go himself,” Salvini replied. He reiterated that no Italian soldier would be sent to Ukraine.
The French React
Salvini also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump, though sometimes offensive, successfully achieves what others have failed at—organizing a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian presidents. He added that creating a European Union army and drawing on a collective EU debt to purchase weapons for Ukraine is illogical. The French side, in a note sent to the Italian ambassador, emphasized that such statements do not benefit Franco-Italian relations or Ukraine.
“Mad Macron”
Agency ANSA observes that Salvini frequently criticizes Macron in harsh terms regarding his perspective on the Ukraine conflict. The Italian politician previously called France’s president a “war instigator,” while in March he stated he would never support a “European army” led by “Mad Macron, who speaks of nuclear war.”
Source: Gazeta, ANSA
