No friction with Meloni on US ties says Salvini

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 22 - Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on Saturday quashed reports of friction with Premier Giorgia Meloni over contacts with the American administration after he agreed to visit the White House in a phone conversation with US Vice President J.D. Vance Friday.
    "I've read some newspapers that talk about war with Meloni on contacts with the United States, but you've got to be joking, it's not journalism", he said, describing the purported reconstructions of tensions between the two Italian leaders as "non-existent and surreal speculation".
    As for the peace process in Ukraine, for Salvini "it is objective that Trump in two months is doing more for peace than others have done in years, years and years.
    "We must help, accompany this blessed peace process, without talking about tanks or 800 billion...".
    Salvini has come out against the EU's 800 billion euro ReArm Europe programme for defence and security amid the Russian threat while Meloni has voiced misgivings about sourcing the funds from national budgets.
    Salvini, who heads the rightwing nationalist League party, has long been an admirer of US President Donald Trump and in the past voiced very favourable views on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    Meloni, who leads the national conservative Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, is on friendly terms with Trump but has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv's stated aim of reclaiming all the land Moscow has taken before and after its invasion of its smaller neighbour on February 24, 2022.
    The Italian premier has ruled out sending Italian troops to police any ceasefire in Ukraine but Italy has said participation under a UN flag would be possible. (ANSA).