The border crisis between Russia and Ukraine, the recent contacts with Kiev and Moscow, and security in Europe were some of the principal issues discussed in today’s telephone conversation between the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, and his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. The telephone conversation was held within the context of the diplomatic efforts made by Italy and Germany to achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement of the dispute between Ukraine and Russia. Minister Di Maio – who is flying to Moscow this evening to meet with the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov – primarily reaffirmed Italy’s full support to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in close coordination with its EU partners and NATO allies and shared some evaluations that emerged from his meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev yesterday.
The conversation with Minister Baerbock highlighted their full agreement on the importance of continuing to keep a constructive dialogue open with Moscow, with the aim of reducing tensions and seeking sustainable political solutions also through the Normandy Format, while necessarily remaining firm on fundamental principles and values.
