Meloni: "Only Kiev can negotiate terms and territories."

"A glimmer of hope has finally opened up for peace talks in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part, alongside its Western allies." This was Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's first comment after a round of phone calls with Trump, Zelensky, and other European leaders.

"I consider it positive that some glimmers of hope for peace are appearing in Ukraine. The agreement," Meloni said, "is still complicated but finally possible, especially following the stalemate that has been building for many months along the front line. Only Ukraine will be able to negotiate the terms and its territories."

"The crucial point remains security guarantees to prevent further Russian invasions, and this is the aspect on which the most interesting developments were recorded in Anchorage." "Only robust and credible guarantees in this regard can prevent new wars and aggression. In this regard, President Trump today reiterated the Italian idea of security guarantees inspired by NATO's Article 5. The starting point of the proposal is the definition of a collective security clause that allows Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the United States, ready to intervene if attacked again. European states," Meloni added, "remain united in supporting Ukraine in this phase of negotiations. The path to peace is not easy, but it is important that it has been undertaken."

And Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added on Speciale TG4: "It seems to me that a step forward has been taken towards peace," although "there is still much work to be done. The Italian government supports President Trump's actions and the work of the United States, but at the same time they are ready to actively collaborate, together with European countries, to organize a summit between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin." "Italy," Tajani continued, "has always expressed its willingness to host any summit aimed at building peace, both in the Middle East and Ukraine." "We are always a key player in building peace. We will continue to host meetings; we are available, but we will continue with intense diplomatic efforts to work towards a swift end to the war," he added. " We will continue to support Kiev and propose a sort of NATO Article 5 to ensure that Ukraine, also in the future, has military protection from any attempt by the Russian Federation to restart a war . It is important that the Italian proposal, that of NATO-style Article 5 bis for Ukraine, has become a topic of discussion. Putin himself had to admit that Ukraine's security must be out of the question."