Italian far-right politician Matteo Salvini has defended himself following questions about unauthorized meetings with Russian officials since the start of the Ukraine conflict.

An investigation into the talks has been opened by the Italian parliament's security committee, Copasir, and has apparently been launched without the knowledge of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who has strongly supported sanctions against Moscow.

"You have to work with ambassadors and governments of many countries to achieve peace," said Salvini, whose anti-immigration League party is a part of Draghi's governing coalition.

Salvini met Russia's ambassador to Italy, Sergej Razov, for dinner on March 1, just days after Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine, according to the Italian daily Domani.

The newspaper added the embassy in Rome had confirmed the meeting, reporting that the pair had met a further three times.

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The far-right politician has long held close ties with the Kremlin and, in the past, has posed in T-shirts bearing the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Salvini was allegedly joined by his foreign policy advisor Antonio Capuano during the talks. 

Capuano says he was helping Salvini organize a trip to Moscow where the politician planned to unveil a four-point peace plan.

Salvini said on Wednesday that he was not planning to meet the Russian leader during any Moscow trips, but was in contact with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"The Russians understood Salvini wanted to go all out" for peace, "and they invited him to take other steps," Capuano told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

He said there were "no secrets" while Salvini said the meetings were legal. 

Draghi's office said it had not been told about any meetings, despite Capuano saying the premier would have been notified before any action was taken: "We would have abided by his decision."

Draghi himself said it was important that Salvini's relations with Russia were "transparent."

Adolfo Urso, head of Copasir, said the investigating committee would question Capuano as "standard procedure when issues concerning the security of the Republic emerge." With local elections set for this month in Italy, the affair has angered some within Salvini's party. 

"We must act in concert with the government," said Giancarlo Giorgetti, an important figure in the party and Italy's minister for economic development. The centrist Democratic Party, also part of the government, accused Salvini's advisor Capuano of being a "consultant for the Russian embassy."

"While the crisis was happening, there were negotiations... between the Russian invader and an Italian government party," the party's leader Enrico Letta said. "We want answers."