Ukrainian Ambassador Asks Salvini To Clarify 'Ukrainian Assassins' Remark

Faizan Hashmi Published July 18, 2019 | 10:22 PM

Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy Yevhen Perelygin has asked Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to clarify his statement regarding an alleged attempt on his life by a Ukrainian far-right organization

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy Yevhen Perelygin has asked Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to clarify his statement regarding an alleged attempt on his life by a Ukrainian far-right organization.

On Monday, the Italian police said they had seized a sizable weapons cache, which included an air-to-air missile, from members of far-right organizations that fought with Ukrainian forces against pro-Russian militias. Later, the police amended its statement to remove the part about which side the suspects fought on in the Ukrainian civil conflict. On Tuesday, Salvini claimed that it was a Ukrainian group that had been planning his assassination.

"Your objection to or confirmation of such a statement is important in order to avoid harm to the bilateral relations between Italy and Ukraine, and also to the image of the Ukrainian community in Italy," Perelygin said in the reply, posted by the Ukrainian Embassy on Facebook.

Salvini has long been criticized for his positive attitude toward Russia. After Crimea rejoined Russia and the EU economic sanctions that followed, Salvini was among those who strongly condemned the restrictive measures, calling them counterproductive and detrimental to everyone involved.

In this regard, Salvini has been repeatedly accused of getting financial aid from Russia. Late February, Italian weekly L'Espresso published an investigative report claiming that Salvini and his representatives had secretly visited Moscow on October 18 to discuss the financing of the politician's Lega party ahead of European elections. The party has allegedly gained 3 million Euros ($3.3 million) under the guise of Russian diesel exports. Moscow as well as Salvini have repeatedly refuted such allegations.