Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney criticized France and Germany on Thursday after she was not invited to a dinner in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which could lead to further rifts between the European Union allies, Reuters reported.

Georgia Maloney is furious with MacronPhoto: Stefano Carofei / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Zelenskyi on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s EU summit.

But unlike last year, when then-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi worked side by side with Macron and Scholz on Ukraine, during their visit in June, Meloni stayed away.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at the summit in Brussels, Maloney, who took office last October, said she found the treatment “inappropriate”.

“I think our strength in this fight is unity,” she added.

Later, she met with Zelenskyi on the sidelines of the EU summit.

Macron’s argument for not inviting Maloney

Asked about her comments, Macron said he thought Wednesday’s dinner was appropriate.

“As you know, Germany and France for eight years played a special role with regard to Ukraine,” he told reporters, referring to joint mediation between the two countries that tried, but failed, to prevent a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

However, things were different when Draghi, a former president of the European Central Bank, was prime minister. Draghi traveled with Macron and Scholz to Kyiv by train last June and played a leading role with them in building the EU’s opposition to Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

Maloney has vowed to maintain the same pro-Ukrainian stance despite fears from some of her coalition allies, telling reporters Thursday that helping Kiev is the best way to bring peace.

Underlining their readiness to support Kyiv, Italy and France last week concluded technical negotiations on the joint delivery of the SAMP/T-MAMBA air defense system to Ukraine this spring.

However, Maloney’s nationalist politics have led to disputes with both Macron and Scholz on a number of other issues, and Draghi’s close ties to Paris and Berlin seem a distant memory.

Last November, Paris accused Maloney’s new government of breaching the bond of trust and international law by refusing to accept migrants rescued from the sea by ship. Finally the boat docked in France.