France has summoned Italy’s ambassador in Paris, Emanuela D’Alessandro, after Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini publicly mocked President Emmanuel Macron for advocating the deployment of European soldiers to Ukraine once a cease-fire is in place. French diplomats said the remarks were "inacceptable" and undermined the climate of trust between the two countries. Speaking to reporters in Milan earlier this week, Salvini said Macron should "put on a helmet, take a rifle and go to Ukraine himself" if he wanted troops on the ground. The far-right League leader, who also serves as transport minister, has repeatedly criticised Macron over the war, calling him "fou" in March for what Salvini sees as a push toward confrontation with Russia. Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been working on a "coalition of volunteers" that could station contingents in Ukraine to guarantee any future peace deal. Rome has so far resisted joining the initiative, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has not publicly commented on Salvini’s latest outburst, deepening uncertainty over Italy’s stance. The incident revives long-running frictions between Paris and Rome that previously prompted France to recall its ambassador in 2019. It also comes as European capitals seek to present a united front on Ukraine, with diplomats warning that the spat could complicate efforts to coordinate post-war security arrangements.