Meloni Plays Peacemaker Amid US-EU Divide on Ukraine, Rules Out Deploying Italian Troops
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has positioned herself as a mediator between the U.S. and the E.U. on Ukraine, calling for Western unity while firmly rejecting British and French proposals to send troops.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday played the role of peacemaker between the United States and the European Union in the ongoing debate over Ukraine, seeking to maintain Western unity while seeking to protect Italy’s national interest.
Speaking in a televised interview with Francesco Giorgino on Rai 1, the Italian premier insisted the seemingly contrasting approaches to ending the war by the United States and a majority view in Europe were not, in fact, too far apart, and noted that everyone wants the same objective — “a lasting peace and stability for Ukraine.”
However, while Britain and France have advocated for sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, Meloni has drawn a firm line, making it clear that Italy will not participate in such an effort.
“Italy has expressed its doubts,” she said of the plan. “Because in my opinion, it is very complex in reality. This is the reason why we said that we will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine.”
Over the weekend, Meloni joined 17 European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London for high-level discussions on the war in Ukraine. The summit, which also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was held amid growing concerns over Western divisions. With the war showing no signs of abating, and with Donald Trump’s hardline approach to peace, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily with the U.K. announcing a £1.6 billion (€1.94 billion) financing agreement to enable Ukraine to purchase air-defense missiles.
Meloni acknowledged the weight of the decisions facing European leaders, stressing that “these are not choices to be taken lightly.” While she reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to Ukraine and the broader Western alliance, she also made clear that any move must be carefully considered to avoid deepening fractures within the coalition. “My priority is always defending the Italian national interest,” she said, adding that Italy has a responsibility to prevent unnecessary divisions in the West.
A recent meeting between Zelensky and Trump in Washington resulted in an almighty row in front of the cameras with Trump and Vice President JD Vance making it clear that Ukraine’s leverage depends entirely on continued U.S. backing.
“You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,” was the take-home line from Trump that resonated ahead of Zelensky’s visit to London.
This discord has heightened concerns in Europe that the U.S. could change course, leaving Ukraine more vulnerable. In response, Meloni has taken it upon herself to encourage open dialogue among Western allies, urging a united strategy for tackling not only the Ukraine conflict but also broader geopolitical challenges.
“It objectively shocked everyone,” Meloni said of the heated exchange. “There are moments when you need to make controversy and say what you think, and there are times when serious people work to recompose, they don’t work to further divide. Who benefits from that?” She said.
Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak leader Robert Fico, who have openly criticized the West’s continued military support for Ukraine, Meloni has not wavered in her commitment to Kyiv. Yet she remains cautious about actions that could deepen internal discord among allies or lead to unintended consequences.
“It is in the Italian national interest to avoid any possible fracture within the West, because if there are divisions, it only makes us all weaker,” she said.
Beyond the war in Ukraine, Meloni also addressed economic tensions with the United States, particularly concerns over trade disputes, and elaborated on her relationship with the Trump administration.
“The concept of friend and foe in foreign policy is particularly interesting, in the sense that I am also a friend of a lot of people, of many leaders, but my first duty is to defend the Italian interest, not theirs,” she explained.
She warned that the imposition of tariffs among friends and the threat of a trade war “is not convenient for anyone, not even for the United States. I think this can be resolved in a positive way rather than starting an escalation.”
“As an exporting nation, our interest is completely opposite to the duties that Donald Trump is declaring. We will see what will happen,” she added.
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