The time has come for diplomacy to pave the way for peace between Ukraine and Russia, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Wednesday, adding that firm Western support for Kyiv was crucial to securing talks, Reuters and Agerpres reported.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023 did not give the desired result, and the situation at the front should be looked at realistically, Minister Crozetto said during a speech in parliament.
“From this point of view … it seems that the time has come for strong diplomacy along with military support because there are a number of important signals coming from both sides,” Crozetto said. Russia is gradually showing its willingness to negotiate and defend its economy, while Ukraine’s position appears less intransigent than before, he said.
“All this must be taken into account on the way to negotiations on ending the conflict and the further process of normalization of relations not only between Russia and Ukraine, but also with Western countries,” said the Italian Defense Minister.
Russia asks Ukraine to give up territories that Putin wants
Russia has stated several times that it is ready for peace talks, if Ukraine takes into account the “new realities”, that is, recognizes at the peace talks the loss of territories claimed by Moscow and which Vladimir Putin declared annexed to his country in September 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed any suggestion that Moscow would be interested in talks, telling The Economist this month that Russia would only agree to a pause in hostilities if it needed a break to rebuild its troops.
“In Ukraine, the domestic front seems to be no longer as united as in the past in supporting the policies of President Zelenskyi, showing some differences in the political discourse,” Crozetto noted.
In recent weeks, Zelenskyi has stepped up international contacts in an effort to win Western support amid warnings that the Ukrainian army is facing an arms crisis.
Italy declares that Russia must be recognized as an aggressor state
Last month, Italy passed a decree allowing it to continue sending military equipment to Ukraine until the end of 2024. Prime Minister Georgia Maloney’s government also agreed to send additional materials to Kyiv to bolster its defenses.
Crozetto, a strong supporter of Kyiv and a leading member of Meloni’s Fratelli d’Itali party, reiterated that any peace talks must clearly recognize Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
“Full territorial integrity and recognized borders of Ukraine remain the goal of the entire international community,” he said.
Crosetto’s comments came just a day after local authorities in Modena blocked a pro-Russian conference in the city that sparked a scandal in Ukraine.
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Source: Hot News
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