Italian PM Says Rome Has No Intent to Send Troops to Ukraine
European leaders propose a multinational force for Ukraine's security; Italy refuses to send troops.
SUMMARY
European leaders have proposed creating a multinational force to guarantee Kyiv's security, while Italy refuses to send troops to Ukraine. Russia strongly opposes any foreign military intervention on Ukrainian soil.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- European leaders want a multinational force led by Europe for Ukraine's security.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni states Italy will not send troops to Ukraine.
- Russia rejects any foreign military intervention on Ukrainian territory.
CORE SUBJECT
Security guarantees for Ukraine
European leaders have stated that security guarantees for Kyiv should involve the creation of a "multinational force led by Europe" composed of contributions from willing nations.
ROME, December 17. /TASS/. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared that Rome has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine.
"To ensure the security of Ukraine, a multinational force, led by the Coalition of the Willing, must be deployed on a voluntary basis. I reiterate that Italy has no intention of sending its soldiers to Ukraine," she said during a speech in parliament.
European leaders issued a statement on Monday following discussions in Berlin. They said that security guarantees for Kyiv should involve the creation of a "multinational Ukraine force led by Europe" composed of contributions from willing nations within the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the United States. The statement notes that the force "will assist in the regeneration of Ukrainian forces, securing Ukrainian airspace, and supporting safer seas, including operating inside Ukraine."
Moscow strongly opposes the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on August 21 that any move to provide security guarantees to Ukraine "through foreign military intervention on part of Ukrainian soil" would be unacceptable to Russia.
KEYWORDS
MENTIONED ENTITIES 6
Giorgia Meloni
👤 Person_FemaleItalian Prime Minister
Sergey Lavrov
👤 Person_MaleRussian Foreign Minister
Rome
📍 Location_CityCapital of Italy
Kyiv
📍 Location_CityCapital of Ukraine
NATO
🏛️ OrganizationNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization
Coalition of the Willing
🏛️ OrganizationCoalition of willing nations for the multinational force
NOTABLE QUOTES 2
"To ensure the security of Ukraine, a multinational force, led by the Coalition of the Willing, must be deployed on a voluntary basis. I reiterate that Italy has no intention of sending its soldiers to Ukraine."
Context: Speech in the Italian parliament
"Any move to provide security guarantees to Ukraine through foreign military intervention on part of Ukrainian soil would be unacceptable to Russia."
Context: Official statement