Italian PM urges ceasefire and peace in Istanbul talks
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni underlined the importance of a ceasefire and security assurances for Kyiv in order to achieve long-term peace in Ukraine.
Source: Ansa, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Meloni told reporters at the European Political Community Summit in Albania on Friday that, over the past hours, "it has become clear who is really ready to take important steps towards peace, and who, on the contrary, is clearly not ready for this."
Quote: "It is necessary to insist on an unconditional ceasefire and a serious peace agreement that will guarantee security to Kyiv. We should not give up," Meloni said.
"We must push hard for an unconditional ceasefire and peace; the war must end," Meloni said, stressing that yesterday "the world saw who was at the negotiating table and who was not."
Background:
On 16 May, for the first time in over three years, direct talks were held in Istanbul between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Following the meeting, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov said the discussions addressed a ceasefire, humanitarian issues and a possible meeting at the leaders' level.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, commenting on the negotiations in Istanbul, criticised Russia's position as unacceptable.
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