Heading into the Alaska summit, Meloni is waiting for Putin to prove himself. Salvini is counting on Trump.

Giorgia Meloni expects Vladimir Putin to prove his worth, this time supported by Washington, against the Europeans' will to reach a just peace, starting with a ceasefire, and an agreement that does not alter Ukraine's territorial structure. Matteo Salvini hopes Donald Trump can bring the Russian leader and Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table. And he doesn't mince his words about the US president's role: "If he manages to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, 'it's better than a Nobel Peace Prize..." he says, expressing regret for the EU as a "spectator" in this context.

The mid-August summit in Anchorage, Alaska, is filled with expectations in Italy, but also with tensions between the majority and the opposition, especially over the role of the EU (the appeal is for Meloni to believe in it) and the possibility of solo negotiations between the US and Russia.

"The Union's presence at the summit would not guarantee security for the future. Putin has demonstrated that he can negotiate today and attack tomorrow. The European Union, as it stands, does not exist as a state entity. Von der Leyen represents a regulatory, bureaucratic, and at most monetary administration. She has no foreign policy, no popularly elected leader. She has no weight because she cannot compare herself to the US or Russia," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera. "At certain times, international politics," he added, "requires setting aside certain principles of justice and bowing to realpolitik. By inviting Putin to US soil, Trump is aware that he is ignoring the international arrest warrant hanging over his head, but if the summit can lead to the end of the war, he is willing to do so." Nicola Zingaretti, head of the Democratic Party delegation in the European Parliament, responded to these words: "The minister denounces the objective weakness of the European Union. It is weak, he says, because 'it is not a state entity, it does not have a foreign policy. It is a regulatory, bureaucratic, and at most monetary administration.' He is right, largely true. But here also lies the heart of the weakness—or contradictions—of the nationalist right: it recognizes Europe's limits and, instead of overcoming them, accentuates them." But "this same Europe, with other governments, has achieved great things. Today," Zingaretti continues, "the conflict is precisely this: we, even the opposition, recognize these objective limitations and are committed to overcoming them, calling for courage and reforms to relaunch integration towards a political Europe. Then there is the Meloni government, which is divided and, starting from these limitations, ends up boycotting Europe. This is a great loss for Italy, which today," he concludes, "needs a more united and stronger Europe more than ever."

Peace is made up of many stages," summarizes Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) and the Pope's representative for peace in Ukraine. "The important thing is that both the European Union and Zelensky were involved. We hope this is a step that can pave the way for others. As long as dialogue exists, it's always a positive thing. We hope it bears the desired fruit and we can reach a ceasefire and a just and acceptable peace."