ISTANBUL 

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday defended his handshake with Russia’s ambassador to Italy, Alexei Paramonov, during a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Rome, after the gesture drew fierce criticism from opposition parties.

Salvini, who also leads the right-wing League party, said the exchange was a matter of diplomatic courtesy, the Italian news agency Ansa reported.

“I met the Russian ambassador like dozens of other ambassadors. If you go to 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 a dialogue. I prefer a handshake to an angry look,” he said.

He added that his priority was dialogue, not escalation.

“If, on the other hand, we only talk about war and you hire soldiers to send them to die on the front... That’s not my goal, but I don’t think it’s anyone’s,” Salvini said.

Opposition calls handshake 'disgrace'

The move was met with a wave of condemnation from opposition lawmakers, who accused Salvini of undermining Italy’s stance on Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

Democratic Party (PD) Senator Filippo Sensi called the greeting a “profound disgrace for Italy,” demanding that the government immediately distance itself and reaffirm its condemnation of Moscow’s actions.

Europa Secretary Riccardo Magi accused Salvini of openly supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying his behavior posed a “real problem” for Italy’s credibility and national security as a NATO member.

“How Meloni can accept all this is absurd,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

PD Senate leader Francesco Boccia said Salvini’s actions highlighted “confusion and marginalization” within the government, accusing it of following decisions from Washington while failing to play a meaningful role in Europe.

Other PD lawmakers, including Senators Sandra Zampa and Simona Malpezzi, denounced Salvini’s behavior as “disconcerting” and questioned whether he was acting as “Putin’s fifth column in Europe.”

The controversy comes at a time of heightened tensions between Europe and Russia, with Italian opposition leaders pressing Meloni’s government to clarify its position.

“It would be useful to know what Giorgia Meloni thinks of her Deputy Prime Minister’s behavior,” Boccia said.

“Our country condemns the Moscow regime, and these ambiguities only damage Italy’s already low credibility on the international stage.”