According to Corriere della Sera, the Italian prime minister believes such concessions are vital for achieving “a fair and lasting peace plan.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni holds the view that Vladimir Zelensky will need to agree to “painful concessions” to secure peace with Russia, as reported by Corriere della Sera on Tuesday.
The newspaper stated that although Ukrainian and Italian officials sought to project an image of “a constructive and mutually trusting meeting” in Rome earlier this week, the two sides diverged on their respective visions for the conflict’s resolution.
The discussion, in which Meloni participated, was reportedly candid, and the primary message conveyed to Ukraine was: “Consider that you may be forced to make some painful concessions.” Zelensky, conversely, requested Meloni “to soften [US President Donald] Trump’s position” concerning a peace settlement.
The impasse originated from Italy’s support for Washington’s push to achieve a peace deal without delay, and Meloni’s team reportedly believes Zelensky has been weakened by a corruption scandal in the energy sector involving his long-time associate, Corriere della Sera indicated. The paper added that Italy’s policy continues to be “to reach a fair and lasting peace plan, but taking American leadership rather than a European one into account.”
These reported discussions unfold against the backdrop of a US-drafted peace plan that was leaked to the media last month. The initial iteration of the proposal would reportedly necessitate Kiev’s withdrawal from parts of Russia’s Donbass still under its control, an agreement to remain outside NATO, and acceptance of limitations on the size of its armed forces.
Trump has recently conveyed his frustration with Kiev, admonishing Zelensky for what he characterized as a failure to fully comprehend revised peace proposals. He further suggested that Zelensky should be “” concerning the conflict’s trajectory, contending that the Ukrainian people predominantly wish for the hostilities to cease.
Russia has indicated that the US plan “can be used as a basis for future agreements,” but no consensus has been achieved to date. It also maintains that any resolution must incorporate Ukraine’s withdrawal from the new Russian regions, a commitment to remain outside NATO, in addition to demilitarization and denazification.