London: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced strong reservations about a proposal from France and the UK to send European troops to Ukraine. Meloni stated, “Italy has expressed doubts regarding the proposal of France and the UK on sending European troops. I think it is very difficult to implement, I am not sure about its effectiveness, that’s why we announced that we will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine,” Meloni told Rai1 TV.
She emphasized that all parties share the same objective: ensuring a lasting and secure peace for Ukraine. "After all, everyone has the same goal, to bring just peace to Ukraine, sustainable and lasting peace, I’d say final peace. Thus, the key issue here is how to build the peace that would include security guarantees for Ukraine," she explained.
Leading Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Meloni asserted that Rome is ready to participate in such a joint European mission in Ukraine only if it is under the auspices of the United Nations and on condition that the hostilities end.
She also stressed the importance of unity in the West, proposing to host a summit between European leaders and the US to improve ties after the relationship between the long-time allies strained over the war in Ukraine.
