Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suggested that Ukraine should be provided with security guarantees comparable to NATO membership but without formally joining the alliance, Bloomberg reports.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit of EU leaders in Brussels on 6 March, Meloni stressed the necessity of considering “more durable solutions” beyond merely deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
“It’s a different thing than entering NATO, but it implies extending the coverage that NATO countries have also to Ukraine,” Meloni said, according to Bloomberg.
The Italian leader specifically proposed extending NATO’s Article 5 – the collective defense clause that obligates alliance members to protect each other – to Ukraine, arguing this approach would be much more effective than other security proposals.
While the Italian prime minister has been viewed as a potential intermediary between Europe and the Trump administration, Bloomberg notes that her proposal is unlikely to gain support from the United States.
Related:
- Politico: EU plans for fresh Ukraine refugee wave amid Trump threats
- Russia is outspending the West on Ukraine war. Europe has the power to change that
- ISW: Halting US intel sharing to weaken Ukraine’s defense against Russian airstrikes
- Zelenskyy’s approval climbs to 68% following dispute with Trump, poll finds
- US pushes Ukraine toward capitulation as Trump and Putin find common ground, expert says
- European leaders meet for emergency talks on Ukraine amid Trump’s pivot to Russia