Italian prime minister stands firm on no troops for Ukraine, seeks US-EU trade harmony

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made it clear that Italy would not participate in the proposed European peacekeeping force.

"The deployment of Italian troops to Ukraine has never been on the agenda," she asserted, also expressing concerns about the broader European defence initiative "ReArm Europe," describing it as "misleading" and suggesting that strengthening defense capabilities went beyond merely purchasing weapons, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Italian PM also urged European partners to avoid escalating trade tensions with the United States through retaliatory tariffs.

She emphasized the importance of maintaining strong transatlantic ties, particularly as the European Union plans countermeasures in response to US tariffs on European steel and aluminum, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Ahead of an EU summit later this week, Meloni cautioned against taking an adversarial approach. "It is a simple fact of reality that it is not possible to envision a lasting security guarantee by dividing Europe and the United States," she said in parliament.

Meloni, who has built a close relationship with US President Donald Trump, reiterated the need for cooperation between Europe and Washington, distancing herself from any suggestions of establishing an independent security framework for the EU.

Trump's actions, including halting the flow of US weapons to Ukraine to force peace talks with Russia and imposing significant tariffs on European goods, have strained relations between Washington and its allies. In response, the EU has announced plans to impose tariffs on $28 billion worth of US goods starting next month. However, Meloni expressed doubts about the effectiveness of this strategy, questioning whether retaliatory tariffs were a productive solution.

"I am not certain that responding to tariffs with more tariffs is necessarily a good deal," she stated, warning that such actions could lead to inflation and economic slowdown. "For this reason, I believe Italy's efforts should be directed toward seeking common-sense solutions between the United States and Europe, guided more by logic than by instinct," she added.

While Meloni has forged strong ties with Trump, her efforts to bridge the gap between Washington and Europe have been complicated by Trump's recent actions, particularly his controversial treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

By Vafa Guliyeva