Rome (EFE).- The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani reiterated Rome’s «firm support» to Zelenskyy on Tuesday for achieving a just and lasting peace, as well as its backing for Ukraine’s European Union accession process.
Tajani and Zelenskyy held a bilateral meeting in Kyiv as part of the Italian foreign minister’s visit to Ukraine, where he participated in the commemorations of the Bucha massacre and a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
According to a statement from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, Tajani stressed the importance of bringing to justice those responsible for the «atrocities committed in Bucha and other cities» throughout the years of conflict.
He also expressed satisfaction with the progress made in establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and in extending the mandate of the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, both measures supported by Italy.
In a message published on his X account, Tajani emphasized the importance of achieving a «just and lasting peace» to prevent new massacres of innocent civilians like the one that occurred in Bucha in 2022, in which hundreds of people died during the first weeks of the war.
Tajani also recalled Italy’s support for negotiation efforts promoted by the United States and emphasized the need for solid security guarantees and the importance of strengthening the resilience of the Ukrainian energy sector.
He defended the need to maintain «high» pressure on Moscow through new sanctions and the implementation of the 90 billion euros loan approved by the European Council in Dec. 2025 to Zelenskyy.
The situation in the Middle East, which has been affected by recent Iranian attacks in the Gulf region, was discussed during the meeting.
Regarding this, Tajani confirmed that the Italian government is working to prevent an escalation that would divert international attention from the conflict in Ukraine.
The minister also talked about the European integration process and affirmed that Italy will strengthen its technical cooperation with Kyiv, particularly in the fight against corruption, by leveraging the experience of the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian financial and border police. EFE
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