Overview
- Italy’s prime minister aligned with Emmanuel Macron, saying the time has come for Europe to speak with Russia, as Moscow signaled Vladimir Putin’s readiness to engage with the French leader.
- Meloni called for the European Union to appoint a single special envoy to manage direct contacts with the Kremlin.
- She warned that disorganized, piecemeal engagement would have limited impact and would do Putin a favor.
- She deemed talk of Russia’s readmission to the G7 premature and reiterated that Italy will not send troops to Ukraine to guarantee any potential deal.
- Negotiations have picked up since November, yet Russia has not indicated willingness to make concessions, while Europe carries growing support costs, including at least €2.5 billion in Italian aid since 2022.