Matteo Salvini Again Calls for a Return to Russian Gas

In Malta, local media have been covering a vlog by an Italian who noted that fuel prices in Malta are far lower than in Italy. Against this backdrop, Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, has once again called for a return to the purchase of Russian gas, warning that Europe risks an “energy lockdown” if it continues down its current path.

In remarks that are already stirring controversy, Salvini argued that Europe should prioritise energy security over ideological rigidity. He declared:

“Instead of closing schools and factories, let’s return to purchasing gas from all over the world, including Russia, because we are not at war with Russia.”

Salvini’s statement reflects growing anxiety across Europe over rising energy costs and the long-term consequences of cutting off Russian supplies. His intervention also underlines the divisions that persist within European politics over how far sanctions on Moscow should go, especially when these measures carry serious economic consequences for ordinary citizens, industry, and national competitiveness.

In Malta, we are not facing the same level of tension because the government has chosen to stabilise energy prices. This has helped keep factories open, businesses running, and the wider economy insulated from the worst effects of Europe’s energy crisis. It is precisely for this reason that many Maltese can immediately understand the logic behind Salvini’s remarks.

In Italy, as in much of the rest of Europe, the consequences of wider geopolitical conflict, including the economic fallout from American military escalation against Iran, are being felt directly through uncertainty, rising costs, and growing pressure on households and the productive sectors.

Salvini is now openly arguing that economic survival must take precedence over maintaining a total energy embargo against Russia. Whether one agrees with him or not, his comments expose a wider debate that many European governments have tried to avoid: can the political cost of isolating Russia continue to be justified if it begins to paralyse Europe’s own economy?

At the very least, this latest crisis has once again exposed the mismanagement, inconsistency, and short-sightedness of European policy.