Italy's Meloni pushes for one EU voice in talks with Russia
Photo: Giorgia Meloni (Getty Images)
The European Union should appoint a single representative from the entire bloc to lead peace negotiations with Russia, says Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The head of the Italian government calls on the EU to adopt a united and pragmatic approach in its dealings with the Kremlin.
"Our firmness with regards to Russia shouldn’t become diplomatic blindness or self-exclusion. Europe must consider jointly and pragmatically how it interacts with Moscow," she notes.
Meloni emphasizes that currently, none of the narrow European formats have the legitimacy to speak on behalf of all of Europe, which creates "only fragmentation, confusion, weakness."
"The real issue is not who is part of this or that format, but rather that no format currently has the legitimacy to speak on behalf of Europe entirely," the Italian Prime Minister says.
Her statement comes after Italy was not invited to a meeting in London, where the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany discussed international issues without involving other European counterparts.
At the same time, Meloni confirms that Rome would continue to actively support Ukraine’s defense and energy systems.
On June 7, a meeting took place in London between the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the talks, Russia put forward five key conditions for achieving peace.
Following this, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine must include Poland. He also cautioned against attempts at a quick dialogue with Russia, calling such initiatives risky.
