Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated in her New Years Eve address that she had previously told Ukraine’s President Zelensky that Italy was ready to “assist” a potential peace process and to “guarantee a possible peace agreement.” Four days later, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued a statement, finding Italy unqualified to play such a role.
The statement yesterday read: “It is strange for us to hear mediation proposals from nations that have taken an unambiguous and quite aggressive anti-Russian position from the very beginning of the military operation in Ukraine.” Rome openly supported Kiev and actively supplied it with “a wide range of arms,” including anti-personnel mines. Such “reckless actions only multiply the number of casualties, including among the civilians” and delay the end of the conflict. “In light of the agenda-driven stance taken by Italy, we obviously cannot consider it either an ‘honest broker’ or a potential peace process guarantor.”