Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini, head of the League, met with the Russian ambassador on several occasions as part of a bid to mediate the Ukraine conflict. On Wednesday, Salvini announced that his adviser Antonio Capuano, who is under investigation by the Parliamentary Committee that oversees intelligence services, would coordinate a potential trip to Moscow.
Capuano, a former deputy in the conservative Forza Italia bloc, told Italian media that Salvini appeared intent on engagement and that Moscow invited him to take additional steps. He indicated he is prepared to explain the matter after the mediation debate concluded.
Capuano identified the addressee as Russian ambassador Sergey Razov, noting that Salvini met with him at least four times between March 1 and May 19 of the previous year, according to regional press reports.
Capuano described a four-point framework and the presence of a clear aim: a ceasefire. He added that the Russians indicated willingness to hold talks, though the exchanges had occurred in the past, he claimed in comments to Corriere della Sera.
When pressed about the confidential nature of the discussions, Capuano suggested that details would emerge at an appropriate time, comparing the situation to attending a party. He noted that Salvini had not excluded anyone, but some operations could not be disclosed publicly.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who works with the National Union section of Salvini’s League, reaffirmed a Atlanticist stance in Brussels following the extraordinary European Council, underscoring transatlantic cooperation and signaling that the policy would continue in that direction (source: European Council briefings).
Salvini, in a statement this Wednesday, announced that discussions continued and that efforts were being made with ambassadors and governments from multiple countries to promote peace, adding that these actions were conducted openly and even reported by newspapers and television to help end the war (press briefings and media reports).
Salvini previously acknowledged considering a Moscow visit to encourage representatives of the Russian government to engage in peace negotiations, despite not holding any executive role at the time (parliamentary notes and public remarks).
The Italian political arena has seen criticism from various quarters, including members of the governing coalition such as the Democratic Party, who urged clearer answers and urged that the issue not be left unresolved (party statements and parliamentary remarks). The party’s secretary and former prime minister, Enrico Letta, called for concrete steps on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Republic Security COPASIR confirmed it has initiated standard briefing procedures related to the alleged activities of Capuano in connection with diplomatic missions, citing concerns about national security (official committee statements). COPASIR has long warned about a hybrid threat posed by Russia to Western democracies, including Italy, according to its chair, Adolfo Urso (parliamentary testimony). [citation attribution]