Italy weighs sending sappers to Ukraine for mine clearance
Photo: Italy may send sappers to Ukraine to clear landmines (Getty Images)
Italy is considering sending a group of sappers to Ukraine to clear mined territories and sea areas, Corriere della Sera reports.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini will consider sending sappers at a government meeting.
Sending sappers to Ukraine is seen as a compromise solution in Italy. Meloni and Salvini oppose the participation of Italian military personnel in combat operations in Ukraine and seek to distance themselves from the Coalition of the Willing on this issue.
Sappers, although they belong to the army, are an option for assistance that is not related to combat operations, the agency notes.
At the same time, the decision to send demining specialists will only be possible after a ceasefire is established. Such a proposal was announced during the previous government of Mario Draghi, in particular regarding the demining of the Black Sea seabed.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
On August 18, US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House. The main topic of discussion was security guarantees for Ukraine.
The allies considered the possibility of security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5, but outside the Alliance.
During the talks, US President Donald Trump confirmed US participation in these guarantees, but stressed that the main burden should fall on European partners and ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine.
At the same time, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed to European leaders a plan to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the form of collective assistance, which does not involve NATO membership.
Later, the Italian Prime Minister noted that her country's proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO's Article 5, is currently the main topic on the negotiating table among the allies.
