(Adnkronos) – Italy remains a staunch ally of Ukraine and will play “a leading role” in the country should it seal a peace deal with Russia, but will not deploy ground troops to deter a future invasion, according to foreign minister Antonio Tajani.
“We have always said that we would not contribute troops on the ground, but that we would continue to help Ukraine, as we have always done, through military, financial and political means,” Tajani told public broadcaster RaiUno’s ‘5 minutes’ programme late Wednesday.
“We are not at war with Russia and we do not believe it is right to send Italian troops there,” Tajani continued.
Italy will however “play a leading role” in Ukraine should it achieve a peace deal with Russia, Tajani vowed.
“This is because we will be among the countries that will guarantee the country’s security through a system – an Italian proposal – based on Article 5 of Nato’s charter,” Tajani went on.
Security guarantees backed by a broad coalition of Ukraine’s allies – and for the first time by the US – at a summit in Paris on Wednesday will commit signatories to aid the former Soviet republic, even militarily, to defend it from future Russian aggression.
“Military intervention would only occur in the event of an attack, as far as we are concerned. We need to put Putin to the test. The first thing is to achieve a ceasefire,” said Tajani.
“Everything that was discussed and decided yesterday in Paris concerns the day after a ceasefire. First we need to get there,” he noted.
“I believe that the final (peace) agreement must be between (Russia’s president Vladimir) Putin and (Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr) Zelensky, possibly with American mediation,” Tajani said.
A “European presence” in Ukraine will also be needed “because without Europe the (swingeing) sanctions on Russia cannot be lifted,” Tajani argued.
“So Europe will also have to play a leading role. Right now, we really need more Europe…and we must ensure that this happens.” he underlined.
At the Paris summit, France and Britain signed a declaration of intent on the future deployment of multinational forces once a ceasefire is reached between Ukraine and Russia. France’s president Emmanuel Macron said that could involve sending thousands of French troops.
Macron, British prime minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders present in Paris, including Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni and Polish counterpart Donald Tusk said in a statement that allies will take part in a proposed US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism.
The leaders’ statement also pledged a European-led “Multinational Force for Ukraine … to support the rebuilding of Ukraine’s armed forces and support deterrence” with “the proposed support of the US”.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and in 2014 invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
