Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday called for calm after United States President Donald Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump referred to Zelensky as, among other things, as a “dictator”.
“The new US administration’s words are always strong,” Tajani told Radio 24. “There are cracks in the relationship between Trump and Zelensky, but it is in our interest that the situation calms down and peace is achieved. Let’s not dwell on those words. It’s not our sort of language. We need to hold our nerve because skirmishes are taking place and there will be more. Trump probably used hard words because he didn’t like Zelensky’s reaction to the US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia, but let’s not get het up by reports.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Premier Giorgia Meloni held a phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister and G7 duty head Justin Trudeau. She reiterated the importance of doing everything possible to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, her office said.
Following “an exchange of views on the main issues of international current affairs and on the latest developments in the Ukrainian dossier”, Palazzo Chigi stated that Meloni “reiterated that the priority for Italy is the same as that of the rest of Europe, the Atlantic Alliance, and Kyiv: to do everything possible to stop the conflict and achieve peace”.
There have been concerns as to Italy’s position over Ukraine following Trump’s election. Meloni is friends with Elon Musk and has visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home.
