Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the EU to appoint a representative for peace negotiations with Russia.
In scheduled remarks ahead of next week’s G7 and European leaders’ summits, Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s support for Ukraine, saying, “supporting Kyiv and maintaining pressure on Moscow still represent, in our view, the only practical way to create conditions that might compel the start of a serious round of negotiations.”
Nonetheless, she stated that “the key is to find someone who can represent European interests at the negotiating table.”
“Our firmness toward Russia must not turn into diplomatic blindness or self-exclusion. Europe must collectively and pragmatically consider how to engage with Moscow…
“I continue to raise the issue of the need for Europe to engage in a joint and pragmatic discussion on how it should interact with Moscow. [The EU] must be ready to lead this dialogue; it would be a mistake to simply go along with it.”
Giorgia Meloni
Last weekend, the so-called E3 leaders – Keir Starmer of the UK, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Friedrich Merz of Germany met together with Ukraine’s leader in London and attempted to launch an initiative for dialogue with Russia. “The real question is not who is part of one format or another, but that no format currently has the legitimacy to speak for Europe as a whole,” Meloni said.
She added that the shifting spectrum of voices does not represent Europe properly and creates “only fragmentation, confusion, weakness.”
“If there were fewer overlapping formats, fewer redundant meetings, but perhaps a few more exchanges on concrete responses, we might be able to make a more effective contribution to solving the problems.”
Giorgia Meloni
Meloni reiterated the idea of “identifying an authoritative figure entrusted with the confidence and mandate of all Member States to convey Europe’s point of view, and it is in this direction that I continue to work.”
According to the Italian Prime Minister, the conditions for peace must be created by working together with allies to secure solid security guarantees for Ukraine.
She noted that to achieve this objective, it is “clearly essential to preserve Euro-Atlantic unity and strengthen coordination between Europe and the United States – a challenge that is not always easy but is necessary.”
“However, coordination does not mean delegation. In any serious peace scenario between Ukraine and Russia, various conditions depend on Europe, concern Europe, impact on Europe, and it is up to Europe to negotiate them.”
Giorgia Meloni
On the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, Meloni stated that Kyiv ‘must continue on its path of reform, particularly in strengthening the rule of law and combating corruption. And Italia will continue to accompany and support this process. But the accession process must proceed in accordance with the principles of merit and equal treatment for all candidate countries, including Moldova and the countries of the Western Balkans’.
Meloni Urges EU To Be Ready To Place Sanctions On Iran
Moreover, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said that the European Union should be ready to place new sanctions on Iran if the crisis in the Middle East doesn’t come to an end. “If Tehran continues down the wrong path…the EU must be ready to increase pressure through new targeted measures,” Meloni said.
Meloni also underlined that freedom of navigation in key sea routes must be protected as a global public good, rejecting any unilateral attempts to restrict passage.
She also criticised Israel’s far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his comments on Italy, which she called “unacceptable for Italy and also undignified for Israel.”
Meloni said that her government backs European sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and would also like to see them imposed on Ben-Gvir.
“Italy intends to support measures against those who, like the violent settlers, incite hatred and extremism. People like as Minister Ben Gvir, whom we have asked to be sanctioned following his unacceptable behaviour toward Italian citizens.
“I take this opportunity to return to sender the statements made by the minister himself, which are unacceptable to Italy and undignified for Israel.”
Giorgia Meloni
The controversial far-right Minister compared Italy to a flip-flop this week after learning he is under investigation in Rome over his public and self-videoed humiliation of Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza activists, including a number of Italian citizens, detained in the Israeli port of Ashdod last month.
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