Italy’s PM Meloni urges EU to follow US lead on Ukraine, opposes peacekeeper proposal

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Monday that the European Union should not adopt a stance that would contradict U.S. policy on Ukraine, according to the state-run ANSA news agency.

Reporting on an emergency meeting of European leaders on Ukraine held in Paris that Meloni attended, the agency said she was not pleased with its restricted format, as it did not include the Baltic and Nordic states, which are the most exposed to the risk of expansion of the war in Ukraine.

The meeting cannot be in “an anti-Trump” format, she noted, adding the U.S. is working to reach peace and the EU should do its part in that context.

During the meeting, Meloni also expressed opposition to remarks by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the possibility of sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine.

It would be the most complex and least effective solution, especially without sufficient security guarantees for Ukraine, she added.

As a result, other avenues should be explored, especially those that include the U.S, Meloni said.

It is in the Euro-Atlantic context that European and American security is founded.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

European leaders gathered earlier Monday amid concerns sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s direct engagement with Russia and his administration’s intention to exclude the EU from Ukraine peace talks.

Participating in the summit were the leaders of the U.K., Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark, as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, apart from French President Emmanuel Macron as the host.