Macron faces backlash from Italy’s Meloni on Ukraine post-war peacekeeping plan

A significant diplomatic row has erupted between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron over an Anglo-French plan to deploy European troops to Ukraine as part of a post-war settlement, The Telegraph has learned.

The disagreement occurred during an emergency video call on February 26 between European Union leaders, convened to discuss Macron's recent talks with US President Donald Trump. According to diplomatic sources, Macron informed his EU counterparts that he had raised the possibility of deploying a European reassurance force to Ukraine, intended to deter future Russian attacks. This proposal, he said, would involve EU member states contributing troops.

At this point, Meloni “interjected,” accusing Macron of speaking on her behalf without any official “mandate,” sources revealed. Macron, in turn, strongly denied this accusation, insisting that he had not overstepped and that any troop deployments would be a “national decision.”

The heated exchange underscores the growing rift among European nations as they try to formulate a united response to Trump’s recent announcement that he has opened peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This unexpected move has triggered concerns that a peace deal favouring Russia could be reached without Ukraine or European nations having a seat at the negotiating table.

In collaboration with British Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Macron has been working on a joint proposal for a European force, primarily relying on air power, to enforce any peace settlement. While the French and British governments are spearheading this initiative, they have called for American support in the form of logistical assistance, intelligence, and military protection.

Despite this, some EU nations, including Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain, have expressed opposition to sending troops to Ukraine under the post-war plan. Italy’s reluctance, in particular, has drawn criticism from Brussels, with officials pointing to Rome's relatively low military contribution to Ukraine and its failure to meet NATO's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

A diplomat remarked, “It goes to show Meloni is an absolute free-rider on European security.” Italy currently spends only 1.6% of its GDP on defence and has faced challenges in managing its growing national debt. Meloni’s government has advocated for EU-wide defence spending boosts, without breaching EU debt rules, and called for the creation of joint EU debt to finance rearmament.

In another notable development, Macron shared his view with EU leaders that Trump lacks a coherent strategy to end the three-year war between Ukraine and Russia, suggesting that the US president is more focused on business deals than strategic diplomacy. “It’s more about business than only politics,” Macron reportedly said, echoing criticisms of Trump’s proposal to take a share of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for past US military support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on February 28 to sign a framework agreement, marking the first formal deal of Trump’s peace process. Following this, Zelenskyy will meet with European leaders in the UK on March 2, where talks will focus on the ongoing peace negotiations and the future of European security.

Leaders from Poland, the European Council and Commission, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands are also expected to attend the talks hosted by Starmer.

By Tamilla Hasanova