Italian Defense Minister Guido Crossetto urged diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine, adding that firm support from the West is essential to enable serious negotiations. He said this in a speech to Parliament.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denied any suggestion that Russia wanted dialogue, telling The Economist that Russia would only agree to a halt if it needed time to replenish its depleted troops.
Crossett said that a Ukrainian counterattack in 2022 will not have the intended results and that it is necessary to look realistically at the military situation.
“From this perspective… there are a lot of important signals coming from both sides, so it seems like the time is right for some sharp diplomacy to go hand in hand with military support.” Crozet said.
Crossett argued that Russia is “gradually showing a willingness to negotiate and protect its economy,” while Ukraine’s stance “seems to be less compromising than before.”
He insisted that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s domestic support is “no longer as united as it used to be,” highlighting differences in the political debate.
Nevertheless, Crosset said peace talks must clearly recognize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which begins in February 2022, and that Ukraine’s full territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders remains He emphasized that this is the goal of the international community.
Last month, Italy passed a decree to continue supplying military supplies to Ukraine until the end of 2024. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government also agreed to send additional defense supplies to Kiev.
Crossett had already called for negotiations with Russia in November and December 2022.
The New York Times reported that President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a ceasefire in Ukraine through unofficial diplomatic channels, indicating his intention to freeze fighting on the current front.
At the same time, Putin said that Russia has no intention of abandoning its “goals” in Ukraine.
According to the German newspaper Bild, Russia aims to completely control Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by the end of 2024, reach the Oskir River in Kharkov Oblast, and capture the cities of Kharkov, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia by 2026. There is.
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