It’s time for ‘diplomatic action’ in Ukraine, Italy’s defense minister says
The time has come for diplomatic action to pave the way for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Italy’s defense minister said on Wednesday.
Guido Crosetto told the Italian Parliament that following the failure of the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive to produce decisive results, “it seems the moment has come for incisive diplomatic action alongside the aid we are providing because there is a series of important signals coming from both sides,” he said, the ANSA news agency reported.
Crosetto called on Italian lawmakers to remain steadfast in their support for Ukraine. The government voted in December to extend military aid to Kyiv by a further year.
“Our support to Ukraine remains strong and totally unchanged,” he told the lower house of Parliament Wednesday.
(l-r), Joe Biden, President of the United States, Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, and Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, welcome Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, at the NATO-Ukraine meeting during the NATO summit. Topics will include further steps to strengthen deterrence and defense. In addition, the meeting will discuss defense spending targets and continued support for Ukraine.
Kay Nietfeld | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
As the Russia-Ukraine war approaches its second anniversary in February, neither side is in a position to capitulate or compromise in the conflict. Ukraine’s counteroffensive last summer failed to shift the front lines significantly and Russian forces are heavily entrenched in fortified positions across the south and east of Ukraine.
Military experts predict little change in 2024 unless Western support for Ukraine dries up, and warn that neither side will be ready for peace talks unless they hold the upper-hand in the war, giving them negotiating power in any talks.
A day before the World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland, next Monday, Ukraine and Switzerland are due to co-host a…
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