Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Europe should appoint a special envoy to engage in dialogue with Russia, as efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end continue. She noted that she shares the position of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has previously called for renewed contacts with the Kremlin. In response to these initiatives, Moscow said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “expressed readiness for dialogue” with Macron.
According to Meloni, Europe risks sharply limiting its own role if it speaks only to one side of the conflict. She stressed that a coordinated approach is essential; otherwise, the continent “risks doing Putin a favor.” Since discussions about a potential ceasefire began, she added, too many disparate voices have been speaking out—making the idea of appointing a European special envoy on Ukraine, in her view, still relevant.
Peace talks aimed at ending the full-scale war launched by Russia in February 2022 have intensified since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Moscow, however, has yet to show any willingness to make concessions. Against this backdrop, the United States in November proposed considering Russia’s return to the Group of Seven, but Meloni described such discussions as “absolutely premature.”
The Italian prime minister also made clear that Italy does not intend to join France and the United Kingdom in sending troops to Ukraine to underpin a potential peace agreement. In her view, this would be unnecessary if Kyiv were to sign a collective defense pact with its Western allies modeled on NATO’s Article Five. A small foreign contingent, she added, cannot serve as a credible deterrent against Russia’s far larger army.
Commenting on Donald Trump’s sharp remarks about Greenland, Meloni said she would not support a military seizure of the island by the United States and does not consider such a scenario likely. In her assessment, the Trump administration is using “highly assertive methods” to draw attention to Greenland’s strategic importance for US interests and security, underscoring its unwillingness to tolerate excessive activity by other external players in the region.
Meloni also pushed back against Trump’s claim that he has no need for international law, stressing that “international law must be defended.” At the same time, she noted that disagreements with allies are inevitable, as their national interests do not always align. “When I disagree with Trump, I say so—and I say it to him,” she added.