Italy has proposed expanding the European format of negotiations on Ukraine

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to involve European countries more broadly in efforts to end the war, rather than focusing primarily on France and Germany. In particular, he proposed more active involvement of Italy and Poland.

Tajani told reporters in São Paulo during a press briefing at the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp).

The head of the Italian Foreign Ministry stressed that Rome supports achieving a just peace and will continue to help Ukraine defend itself. At the same time, he again ruled out sending Italian military personnel to Ukraine.

"We need to achieve a just peace. We will continue to help Ukraine defend itself, without sending our people," Tajani said.

In his opinion, Europe is capable of playing a significant role in the peace process, but for this Kyiv should interact not only with individual states but with the entire European Union.

"We do not need initiatives of small groups. I am telling Zelensky and giving him advice as a friend of Ukraine: it would be good to involve not only France and Germany, but also Italy and Poland," the Italian minister said. 

Thus, Tajani effectively spoke in favor of a broader European format of participation in diplomatic efforts around Ukraine and against the concentration of such initiatives primarily around Berlin and Paris.

Italy and Poland have already sought a more prominent role in coordinating European security policy. In July, Tajani, together with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, convened a meeting in the E5 format, which includes France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom. One of the main topics then was Ukraine and coordination of European positions on security issues.

At the same time, Tajani stressed that Italy's position on supporting Kyiv remains unchanged: Rome supports continuing aid to Ukraine and achieving a peace that he called just.

Based on materials from: ANSA