Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on Monday distanced himself from the critical reaction of Western leaders to the convincing victory of Vladimir Putin in the presidential election in Russia, saying that the decision of the voters must be accepted, Reuters reports.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost a quarter of a century, won the election, which ended on Sunday in a post-Soviet record, extending his rule for another six years.

The United States and Europe said the election was neither free nor fair because Putin cracked down on the media, jailed opponents and prevented others from running against him.

But Salvini, who is the leader of Italy’s far-right League party and was a staunch ally of Putin before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said the result had to be accepted because “when people vote, they always have justice.”

“They (the Russians) voted and we recognize that, hoping that 2024 will be a year of peace,” he told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of a conference in Milan.

Salvini’s comments highlight internal tensions in Prime Minister Georgia Maloney’s coalition government.

On Sunday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of the centrist Forza Italia party and deputy prime minister with Salvini, said the presidential election in Russia was “neither free nor fair”.

Asked about Salvini’s comments on Monday, Tajani said: “Italy’s foreign policy position is that of the foreign minister.”

Meloni herself has not yet commented on the vote in Russia, but expressed Italy’s strong support for Ukraine during its two-year struggle to repel Russian forces.

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