Italy’s PM calls for single EU voice in Russia-Ukraine peace talks

ROME: European allies of Ukraine should appoint a single representative for talks with Russia to end the war, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told lawmakers today, saying smaller groups of nations cannot represent the entire bloc.

On Sunday, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany – heading an informal security alliance called the E3 – met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and said they supported Kyiv’s proposal for talks with Russia to secure a ceasefire.

Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, said Europe needed to “interact” with Moscow to stop the conflict, but no restricted group had the “legitimacy to speak” for all.

“I have long supported the need to identify an authoritative figure, entrusted with the confidence and mandate of all (EU) member states to represent Europe,” she told parliament ahead of an EU summit and a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies next week.

She added that efforts to build peace in Ukraine also required stronger coordination between Europe and the US, saying this was “a not always easy but necessary challenge”.

Meloni’s remarks echoed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who this week lamented his country’s absence from talks with Zelenskiy in London and said another meeting on Ukraine, also involving Warsaw and Rome, would soon take place.

In her speech, Meloni also addressed the war between the US and Iran, with ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz pushing up energy prices and weighing on the global economy.

She said Europe should be ready to ease sanctions on Iran if it showed a willingness to negotiate.

“If, instead, Tehran continues down the wrong path, threatening freedom of navigation, carrying out attacks, supporting militias and violating international obligations, then the EU must be ready to increase pressure, including through new targeted measures,” she said.