politics

March 19, 2026

Italy’s deputy prime minister has slammed exclusion of Russian ballerina Zakharova from Rome Les Etoiles gala

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has slammed ban of Russian ballerina Zakharova from Rome gala over political concerns linked to Ukraine conflict

Italy’s deputy prime minister has slammed exclusion of Russian ballerina Zakharova from Rome Les Etoiles gala

TL;DR

  • Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the exclusion of Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova from the Rome Les Etoiles gala.
  • Organizers cited "institutional communications" and concerns of the event being "misinterpreted or exploited," though Zakharova is not under EU sanctions.
  • Salvini stated that art and culture should bring people together, not worsen conflicts, and that excluding artists does not resolve the conflict.
  • Russia's ambassador to Italy, Aleksey Paramonov, condemned the move, accusing Italian officials of "pandering" to the Ukrainian government.
  • This exclusion follows a pattern of high-profile Russian artists facing event cancellations in Europe due to "ongoing international tensions."

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