Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other top officials have accused NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg of escalating tensions with Moscow over comments he made on use of Western arms by Kiev.

Stoltenberg claimed last week that the “time has come” for members of the US-led military bloc to reconsider their policies and let Ukraine use Western weapons to launch strikes deep into Russian territory, RT reported. 

“I don’t know why Stoltenberg said such a thing, I think we have to be very careful,” Meloni told Italy’s Rai 3 TV channel on Sunday. The Italian prime minister stressed that “NATO must remain firm, not give the signal that it is giving in,” but advised “greater caution.”

“There are many questionable statements,” Meloni added, recalling how she rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron over his remarks on potentially sending troops to Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told an election rally on Sunday that Stoltenberg “cannot speak on behalf of the Italian people.”

“NATO cannot force us to kill in Russia, nor can anyone force us to send Italian soldiers to fight or die in Ukraine,” Salvini said.