Italy urges EU to speak with one voice on Ukraine

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday urged the European Union to appoint an authorized representative for any future negotiations on Ukraine and criticized what she described as “unrepresentative” consultation formats among certain European states, warning that otherwise “Europe is moving blindly,” CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

“Our position does not change: supporting Kyiv and maintaining pressure on Moscow remain the only serious way to create conditions that could force the opening of a genuine negotiating phase,” Meloni said during an appearance before Parliament ahead of the upcoming European Council meeting.

The Italian prime minister expressed support for the EU’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia, arguing that “Russia continues to refuse a ceasefire and the start of serious negotiations.”

“It will be necessary to maintain strong political and economic pressure,” she stressed.

Meloni argued that any future negotiating table between Ukraine and Russia would address issues directly affecting Europe and therefore the European Union should be the body negotiating them.

She called on the EU to “identify an authoritative figure, entrusted with the confidence and mandate of all member states, to represent Europe’s point of view.”

Otherwise, Europe risks moving “blindly, with variable and insufficiently representative formats,” which, she warned, “only produce fragmentation, confusion and weakness.”

“The real issue, in my view, is not who is included or excluded from a particular format, but the fact that currently no format has the legitimacy to speak on behalf of all of Europe,” the Italian leader said.

Although she did not directly mention it, her remarks came just days after a meeting on Ukraine in London involving British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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