Rome warns: No peace plan for Ukraine without Europe’s voice

Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani said that Europe must be directly involved in any peace process for Ukraine, responding to questions about the United States’ reported draft peace plan.

The proposal, according to media leaks, would require Kyiv to surrender significant territory to Russia and drastically reduce the size of its armed forces, ANSA reports.

“It is difficult to comment on leaks to journalists,” Tajani told reporters as he arrived at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. “We’ll analyse deeply it (the plan) when it is presented. As has always been said, Europe must have a role. Ukraine also represents a security barrier for Europe. If Ukraine falls, the risks for Europe increase and we absolutely cannot accept or allow this.”

Tajani also addressed the contentious issue of using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, saying he had no objection in principle as long as the process can be carried out within a sound legal framework.

“It’s purely a legal issue, not a political one,” he said. “We need to see how it can be done and how to also guarantee the stability of the eurozone. The legal experts must now conduct an in-depth analysis together with the European Central Bank.”

By Vafa Guliyeva