In the most official way, i.e. in statements by Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio, it is confirmed that Rome's proposal for a peace plan in Ukraine is available to Ukraine and Russia, in case (or even for) the resumption of talks between the two sides.
"Our goal is to facilitate dialogue for a ceasefire and, of course, for peace," Di Maio said, but for now it doesn't look like the Italian initiative will have much luck.
The message Kiev is sending is clear: Any talks will be conditional on the recognition of Ukraine's territorial integrity. With this position, which Volodymyr Zelensky expressed to the initiator of the new peace plan, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, he also effectively rejected the opening attempted by Moscow, which expressed its willingness to sit at the negotiating table again.
In particular, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that Moscow is ready to resume peace talks with Ukraine and blamed the Kiev government for breaking them off.
The fact, however, that Russia continues to pound ferociously on Ukraine's eastern and southern regions and also has an expressed position on maintaining control over territory it "won" in the February 24 invasion, makes Kiev not just wary, but negative about resuming the negotiating process without a commitment to withdraw Russian troops.
"We will only be able to discuss it when we retake the territories that Russia took from us since the beginning of the war," Zelensky told Draghi, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, making clear that his "country is not yet ready for a real peace process."
He expressed the hope that Italy would continue to support, with defence systems, the liberation struggle of the Ukrainians, and asked Draghi to support Kiev's request to join the European Union, "despite the resistance of some members of the Union, starting with Berlin".
Zelensky meant beyond Germany and France, however, as both countries appear extremely wary of this prospect. Indeed, yesterday, Sunday, French European Affairs Minister Clemente Bonne made it very clear that "we have to be honest. If we say that Ukraine will join the EU in six months, in one or two years, it will be a lie. It is not true. It will undoubtedly take 15-20 years, it is a long time." And he added in an even more categorical way, explaining Paris' position, as expressed recently by Emmanuel Macron, causing discomfort in Kiev: "I don't want to sell the Ukrainians fallacies and lies. If we say to the Ukrainians 'welcome to the EU' but you have not read the contract, in small print it says 'it will be done in 15 years', I believe we will dash the hopes of a whole generation of the Ukrainian people."
It should be noted that Macron has also been criticized by Kiev for the suggestion he reportedly made to Zelensky that Ukraine must give in on territorial issues in order to achieve a ceasefire.
Such an axis, however, on settlements around Ukraine's territory, is included in the Italian plan, which has four stages.
The first involves a ceasefire, with demilitarisation of the front line.
The second proposes a neutrality status for Ukraine with the start of an accession process to the European Union.
In the third there is talk of recognising autonomy status for regions such as Donbas and Crimea, without changing borders.
And in the fourth a broad agreement is reached for peace and security in the region and throughout Europe in the long term.
Source: Proto Thema
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