Meloni is satisfied: "The EU and the US are united for Kiev."

"Today went well." There's a sense of satisfaction mixed with relief at Palazzo Chigi after the triangulation of calls between European leaders, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky, to seek that "shared purpose" between the two sides of the Atlantic that Giorgia Meloni always preaches, and which the prime minister affirms in a lengthy note applauding the American president's "efforts" and the Ukrainian president's "seriousness." And in it, she makes no secret of the skepticism that remains in the Old Continent about Vladimir Putin's true intentions.

The West "is demonstrating a capacity for dialogue" in the face of "a fundamental challenge to security and the defense of international law," was the Prime Minister's sentiment at the talks. And now, after Zelensky has amply demonstrated "seriousness in seeking a diplomatic solution," Alaska will reveal "Russia's attitude, which has so far failed to take any significant steps forward." On the eve of the round of consultations, the greatest fear was actually that the US and the EU would fail to reach an agreement. And all of Trump's public statements—and those made during the hour-long video conference—were being interpreted in a negative light. The ceasefire as a precondition, the full involvement of the Ukrainians in any negotiations, especially regarding the fate of the territories targeted by what Europeans consider "Moscow's aggression," and security guarantees for Kiev were all "not a given," government officials noted.

Meloni, who took a few days away from Rome, closed her videoconferences and held an update with Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, as well as the other ministers most directly involved. She spoke of the "good atmosphere" that has been established with the United States at the meeting. She also highlighted the great "unity of purpose" regarding the need to maintain "collective pressure on Russia, including through sanctions." The prime minister participated in all three calls, including the one with the Coalition of the Willing, highlighting the American participation (through Vice President J.D. Vance) for the second time after its debut in July on the sidelines of the Conference on Ukraine held in Rome. And during the hour of EU-US-Ukraine dialogue, she raised "some interesting points," as reported by the American website Axios. Continuing to work "with the United States to stop the conflict and achieve a peace that ensures Ukraine's sovereignty and security" remains crucial for the prime minister. As well as building for Kiev "solid and credible security guarantees anchored in the Euro-Atlantic context." In the limited discussions with the Europeans, the possibility of security guarantees based on the "model" of NATO's Article 5 was reportedly also discussed in the initial package of Italian proposals. This would involve the intervention of friendly countries, as envisaged for members of the Atlantic Alliance, but without the need for Ukraine's membership (which Russia stubbornly rejects). And Zelensky himself, they say, has resurfaced the possibility of Rome as the venue for a hypothetical next step in negotiations. This idea would be very complex to implement (not least because the Russian president has an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in The Hague) and has already been rejected by Moscow. The other option that emerged at the table is Geneva, which would find support from, among others, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz.