Salvini had planned to travel to the Russian capital on May 29 for what he called a “peacekeeping mission”, but the trip was put on ice after criticism from his allies in the Italian government, who had not been informed of his plans. The Russian embassy said in a statement on Saturday that Moscow was ready to receive Salvini “at the right level” and that he and his delegation had bought tickets for an Aeroflot flight to Moscow via Istanbul. Direct flights from Rome have been suspended as a result of EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. “Due to the sanctions against this airline, it is difficult to buy tickets for the airline’s flight from EU territory,” the embassy said. “The embassy helped Matteo Salvini and the people who accompanied him to buy the airline tickets they needed in rubles through a Russian travel agency.” Salvini paid the money when the trip was canceled, the embassy added. “We do not see anything illegal in any of these actions,” he said, explaining that the statement was issued to clarify media reports about the canceled trip. Salvini, who until the invasion of Ukraine was an outspoken admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said his only goal was to “restore peace” and that the embassy statement reaffirmed “once again full transparency and correctness. of [my] work”. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST In a press conference with foreign media in Rome last week, Salvini said the interrogation about the trip and who he planned to meet was insignificant and that it was part of his job to meet with ambassadors from around the world. “I met with the Ukrainian ambassador to show solidarity and the Russian to call for a ceasefire. To stop the war we must ask them [in the country] where the war started “. He said he would continue to work for the national interest “from Rome, without having to fly”. But the revelation that the trip to Moscow was paid for by the Russian embassy sparked a new wave of criticism, including calls for him to step down as leader of Lega, a partner in Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s broad coalition. Simona Malpezzi of the center-left Democratic Party called for “clarity on serious ambiguities”, while Carlo Calenda, leader of the center-right Azione party, described Salvini as a “threat to national security”. Matteo Renzi, former prime minister and leader of Italia Viva, said: “It looks like a return ticket. “If it was a one-way street, it would be better.” “This is really serious,” said Elio Vito, a politician for Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party who is running for the Lega side and a member of Copasir, Italy’s parliamentary security committee. “Salvini must resign, he is a growing source of embarrassment and concern for his party, his allies, the right-wing coalition and Italy.”
