Italy would send troops to Ukraine only under UN mission: Foreign minister

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Italy would send troops to Ukraine only under a UN mission, said the country’s foreign minister on Wednesday.

“Italy thinks troops should only be sent to Ukraine to police a future ceasefire only under the UN banner,” Antonio Tajani Tajani said after a government summit in Rome on Thursday's “coalition of the willing” meeting in Paris.

“It is the only condition for us,” he added.

Tajani also argued Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposal of providing Ukraine with NATO’s Article 5-like security guarantees remains a feasible option to censure security in Europe, and protection to Ukraine.

He also emphasized that there is a consensus between the coalition parties on the position that Meloni will promote during tomorrow’s meeting.

Article 5, seen as the pillar of NATO's collective defense, says that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

On March 6, Meloni proposed that NATO could extend Article 5 protection to Ukraine without granting it full membership in the military alliance.