Following London, Berlin and Paris, Rome is seeking to conclude a long-term defense agreement with Kiev. This is part of a broader G7 effort, which will be further strengthened by the delivery of another arms package and a new deal on energy.
Rome and Kiev are nearing a defense pact. After Britain, France and Germany signed long-term security agreements with Ukraine, Italy is also looking to do the same. Diplomatic sources say it’s just a matter of finalizing the final details, but they are keeping mum about the possibility of an announcement as the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened the G7 summit on this day.
Let’s go back through the steps. Talks between Italian and Ukrainian officials regarding the bilateral agreement began on November 28th. decode 39 report At the time, the starting point was the G7 Leaders’ Declaration, signed in Vilnius on the sidelines of the NATO summit in July. The document outlined Ukraine’s security measures to prevent a repeat of Russian aggression before the attacked country joined NATO.
- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led the way in January, signing the first bilateral defense deal. And on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Berlin and Paris and signed two more parallel agreements with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Timing is critical. Rome’s security efforts will provide further stability at a difficult time for Ukraine’s resistance amid a sharp slowdown in Western aid — most notably, President Donald Trump’s campaign pressure. is the US $60 billion aid plan being held hostage by House Republicans. And on Saturday, Avdiivka, a highly symbolic town in the Donetsk region, fell, inflicting a minor battlefield defeat.
- A few hours after that event, President Zelenskiy struck a defiant tone during a speech at the Munich Security Conference. “We can take back our land. And [Vladimir] Putin could lose. This kind of thing has already happened many times on the battlefield. ”
What would an agreement between Rome and Kiev look like? It will probably be similar to what happened when Ukraine clashed with France. It includes a framework for long-term humanitarian, financial, reconstruction and military assistance, but there are no specific financial commitments for arms supplies, as parliamentary approval is required. In addition, Paris has promised to provide up to 3 billion euros in “additional” military aid this year.
- Meanwhile, the 10-year agreement between Ukraine and Germany stipulates that in the event of a future Russian attack, both sides can request talks and decide on next steps within 24 hours. The response includes “immediate and permanent support in the security field and modern military equipment in all areas.” […] And financial aid too. ”
- Additionally, Berlin and Kiev agreed to continue efforts to ensure that the costs of Moscow’s aggression continue to rise, including through sanctions and export controls.
Ongoing support. Meanwhile, Italy is expanding its multipronged approach to supporting the aggressor country. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reiterated Italy and the G7’s support for Ukraine, announcing: 8th Italian Aid Package It is expected to arrive in Ukraine within the next few days. He also signed an agreement with Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a €200 million loan in favor of Ukraine’s main hydropower company Ukrhydroenergo.