Italy Not Planning to Send Troops to Ukraine
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office has announced that Italy does not plan to participate in a peacekeeping force on the ground in eastern Ukraine. This decision was made despite an online summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where world leaders discussed ways to secure Ukraine in the event of a potential ceasefire with Russia.
The UK-led virtual summit brought together 24 nations, including Italy’s Meloni. After the meeting, it was stated that Italy will continue to work with European and Western allies to define credible security guarantees for Ukraine. However, Italy has made it clear that they do not plan to send troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies reaffirmed their support for the embattled nation at the summit, condemning Russia for its war against Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Russia does not seem sincere about wanting peace and only intensifies hostilities. Other leaders, such as Finland’s Alexander Stubb, have expressed reservations about a military force on Ukrainian soil.
The idea of sending troops to Ukraine has been met with caution from some nations. Leaders want to see a clear plan for a ceasefire before committing to a military presence. Others, like Italy, are looking at alternative ways to provide security guarantees without deploying troops.
Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni suggested that NATO could extend Article 5 protections to Ukraine without granting membership in the alliance. This would imply extending coverage from NATO countries to Ukraine, but it is not the same as entering the alliance.
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