A step toward peace. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed recent suggestions that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might meet, calling it “a decisive advance” that must be backed by a genuine ceasefire rather than a mere three-day pause.
- In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Monday, he stressed that only a true truce can pave the way to “a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe.”
- Tajani reminded that Italy’s non-military support for Ukraine now totals approximately €2.5 billion—covering refugee assistance, budgetary support, and humanitarian aid—on top of European contributions.
Italy was there. Addressing criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s absence in Kyiv, Tajani pointed out that although she joined the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom by videoconference.
- Italy “has been involved in every aspect of the negotiations”, he said before leaving for London to join a Weimar+ counterparts meeting—foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK, and the EU’s High Representative.
Preparing for reconstruction. On Monday, the fourth preparatory event of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, focused on the “Local and Regional Dimension,” takes place in Verona with over 450 participants, including local administrators, government officials, and representatives from Italian, Ukrainian, and international businesses.
- It follows those already staged in April and March in Milan, Kyiv, and Brussels.
