(Adnkronos) – Europe “must continue to play a central role” in negotations to end the war in Ukraine, and ‘it cannot be Russia that chooses who should represent the European side,” Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Tajani’s comments came after Russia’s president Vladimir Putin suggested at the weekend that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could coordinate talks with the European Union to secure a peace deal with Ukraine.
Asked on Saturday, Putin said he would “personally” prefer the 82-year-old Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998-2005 and has remained close to the Kremlin since leaving office.
The role of the United States in reaching “a just and lasting peace agreement remains crucial, including in terms of the necessary security guarantees,” Tajani also said, according to the sources.
Italy still “strongly backs” Ukraine’s EU membership bid and the necessary “reform process” begun by Kyiv, Tajani noted.
“In this context, cooperation with our tax police is especially important, as it helps strengthen institutional capacities and transparency,” Tajani said.
The EU’s 90 billion euro loan approved last month by European leaders is “positive” and remains a “crucial” instrument to support Ukraine, Tajani underlined. The loan will cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s total needs for the next two years – put at a total 135 billion euros: the war-ravaged country will receive 45 billion euros this year and a further 45 billion in 2027.
Italy still has “some legal concerns” over the possibility of using frozen Russian assets (as a potential backstop to ensure that Moscow pays post-conflict war reparations), Tajani cautioned.
Ukraine is not expected to pay back the EU loan from its own funds, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia has paid war reparations after the conflict ends.
