The Russia dossier increasingly divides Salvini and Tajani: Will Meloni be able to mediate?

As the price of crude oil surpasses the threshold of 100 dollars per barrel, a recent move by the United States has reignited a heated political debate in Rome, highlighting a deep rift within the Italian government. The protagonists of the duel are Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, representing two opposing views on managing the energy crisis and relations with Moscow.

Salvini's “pragmatism”

The spark was the Trump administration's decision to implement a 30-day temporary waiver, loosening restrictions on Russian oil exports to cool tense markets. Salvini welcomed the measure as a “pragmatic” choice, openly urging Italy and the European Union to consider a similar path. The leader of the League draws attention to the internal economic distress and the immediate repercussions for citizens and businesses: “the ones paying the most are us”, he insisted, voicing the difficulties faced by energy-intensive companies and motorists, who are burdened by high fuel prices.

To balance the League's approach, Antonio Tajani intervened, reiterating the need to maintain the sanctions regime against Russia, reminding that Italy has been among the promoters of restrictive measures. For the head of the Foreign Ministry, sanctions remain the essential political and economic tool to push Moscow towards a ceasefire and to open a peace negotiation on Ukraine. The position is unequivocal: “Absolutely yes” to maintaining sanctions until the conflict stops.

The divergence between Salvini and Tajani is a rift that spans economic, strategic, and geopolitical planes. On one side, the domestic urgency invoked by Salvini, focused on the immediate costs for families and businesses; on the other, the loyalty to the Atlantic and European line defended by Tajani, who looks at the stability of international balances in the medium to long term.