Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Italy Pledges Supporting Ukraine ahead EU Council Session


Tue 21 Jun 2022 | 11:59 PM
Rana Atef

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi asserted on Tuesday that "the Italian government intends to keep supporting Ukraine as this parliament said it should do," ANSA reported.

Draghi's statements came during his participation in the Senate ahead of the European Council next week.

The Italian parliament passed a resolution approving the government's aid to Ukraine, including military aid, although some parties in the ruling coalition objected the idea.

Draghi asserted: "The mandate received from parliament, from you, is to seek peace, overcome the crisis," adding, "Italy will continue to work with the EU and our G7 partners to support Ukraine.

"The responsibilities will be established and the crimes punished," he added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that EU leaders approved the sixth package of sanctions against Russia early this month, and they argued about its impact.

Previously, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy obtained support from the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Romania on Thursday to grant Ukraine candidate status in the European Union, while also pressing them to provide more weaponry and impose tighter sanctions on Russia.

France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Mario Draghi, and Romania’s Klaus Iohannis declared Ukraine belonged in the “European family” during their first visit to the capital since Russia’s invasion on February 24.

Ukraine has urged the EU to provide a road to membership, but the EU’s 27-member bloc has expressed reservations. The meeting took place just one day before the European Commission is set to offer a recommendation on Ukraine’s candidacy for membership in the EU.

Following prior denials that he was soft on Russia, Macron stated that the West would not demand any concessions from Ukraine and that the parameters of any peace talks would be determined by Kyiv.