{"id":143409,"date":"2025-08-13T09:26:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T07:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/\/2025\/08\/tajani-cessate-il-fuoco-subito-e-per-una-vera-trattativa-devono-esserci-kiev-e-la-ue-corriere-della-sera-2\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T13:43:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T11:43:52","slug":"tajani-cessate-il-fuoco-subito-e-per-una-vera-trattativa-devono-esserci-kiev-e-la-ue-corriere-della-sera-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/interviste\/2025\/08\/tajani-cessate-il-fuoco-subito-e-per-una-vera-trattativa-devono-esserci-kiev-e-la-ue-corriere-della-sera-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Tajani: “Immediate ceasefire. And for genuine negotiations, Kyiv and the EU must be at the table\u201d (Corriere della Sera)"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROME \u2013 Antonio Tajani views the 15 August face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin as \u201ca first step\u201d. But the Foreign Minister is equally convinced that no agreement can be reached without bringing President Zelensky to the negotiating table. From the Farnesina, Tajani sets out to Corriere della Sera<\/em> the \u201cthree theatres of war Italy is tackling with the weapons of diplomacy\u201d: Kyiv, Gaza and tariffs. The Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Forza Italia, who will be in Bern on 19 August to address Swiss ambassadors from around the world, dismisses suggestions that the government is divided on foreign policy, plays down Minister Crosetto\u2019s remarks against Netanyahu, and assures that the Meloni government is doing \u201ceverything possible\u201d to persuade Israel to halt the slaughter of innocents.<\/p>\n

Despite pressure from France, the United Kingdom and Germany, Trump has excluded Zelensky from the Alaska summit. Will the meeting risk being pointless?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWith a joint declaration signed by Italy, the EU Heads of State and Government agreed that peace cannot be decided without Ukraine. We support Trump\u2019s initiative \u2013 it is a step forward, a first positive move towards peace. A Trump\u2013Putin meeting is welcome if it helps thaw relations. But Kyiv must also be at the table for any agreement. Peace cannot be made without the directly concerned parties \u2013 the Russians and the Ukrainians\u201d.<\/p>\n

European leaders have also been excluded from the mid-August summit. Is Trump cutting the EU out? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe EU is \u2013 and must be \u2013 a key player in the negotiations, not least because it has imposed sanctions on Russia. The war in Ukraine is a matter that concerns our own security\u201d.<\/p>\n

What is the government\u2019s red line in today\u2019s pre-summit video meeting with Trump, Zelensky and NATO leaders?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe immediate objectives are a ceasefire and support for the Ukrainian civilian population, which is under heavy attack by the Russian army. The EU must take part in the negotiations, and peace must not amount to Ukraine\u2019s surrender \u2013 these are the essential parameters. We uphold respect for international law and will continue to defend Ukraine\u2019s cause\u201d.<\/p>\n

How much do you mind Matteo Salvini\u2019s counterpoint on foreign policy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cForeign policy is conducted by Prime Minister Meloni and myself. The government\u2019s line is very clear\u201d.<\/p>\n

But it often differs from that of the League\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister. Salvini said that von der Leyen at the summit \u201cat most can bring the drinks\u201d. And when asked whether it was time to stop Netanyahu, the Transport Minister sidestepped, replying that \u201cterrorists must be stopped\u201d. Do you and Meloni see eye to eye? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSalvini\u2019s language is not mine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Today you will welcome at the airport 31 children from Gaza in need of medical treatment, accompanied by 91 family members \u2013 a commendable initiative. But what is the government doing in practice to prevent Israel \u2013 which has already caused 60,000 deaths \u2013 from continuing to massacre civilians queuing for a handful of flour? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are doing what the rest of the world is doing: asking Netanyahu to stop and Hamas to release the hostages. We are doing everything possible to get Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza. We have sanctioned West Bank settlers, condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalists, and only hours ago signed \u2013 with 28 other countries \u2013 an appeal to the Israeli authorities to ensure humanitarian workers and NGOs can continue safely their food distribution efforts\u201d.<\/p>\n

The government has said no to a total occupation of Gaza, but the opposition claims this stance came too late. Are Schlein and Conte wrong to accuse you of \u201ccomplicit silences\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur position is crystal clear: what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. The opposition talks \u2013 we act. Together with Turkey, the UAE and Qatar, we are the country that has taken in the largest number of patients from Gaza to provide them with treatment \u2013 a complex political operation. In recent hours we have sent a further 350 tonnes of flour, and another 100 will be sent in the coming days with the UN\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yet Italy remains opposed to suspending the EU\u2013Israel Association Agreement, to imposing new sanctions, and to recognising Palestine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has Spain \u2013 and the other countries that recognised Palestine \u2013 achieved? Former US Secretary of State Blinken said it achieved nothing. We are in favour, but we cannot recognise a State that does not exist. First, it must be created, because today Palestine does not exist, and Hamas cannot be the guiding authority \u2013 that must be the Palestinian National Authority. We have always said that to unite two different realities with opposing visions requires a United Nations mission\u201d.<\/p>\n

Do you mean the \u201cmultilateral mission\u201d proposed by President Macron?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased that France is aligning itself with what has always been Italy\u2019s position\u201d.<\/p>\n

Minister Crosetto has accused Netanyahu of having \u201clost reason and humanity\u201d and has harshly condemned Israel. Will the Defence Minister\u2019s voice remain isolated in the government?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe government\u2019s line is one of clear condemnation. And there is only one line \u2013 no more than one\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Trump is shaking the certainties of past decades, both geopolitical and economic. Has Meloni\u2019s \u201cbridge\u201d between Washington and Brussels also collapsed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an established fact that Italy has facilitated dialogue between the US and the EU. We shall see the results on tariffs. I am not so pessimistic\u201d.<\/p>\n

Can one be optimistic with 15% customs duties?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTariffs are not a good thing, but it remains to be seen what the effects will be. If tariffs on other countries are higher, Italian products will become more competitive in the US market. Thanks to a range of goods second only to China, we can occupy new spaces and rise to the challenge. Export data are very encouraging \u2013 the first half of 2025 shows a 2.1% increase compared with 2024\u201d.<\/p>\n

Are you not concerned about the dollar\u2013euro exchange rate?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe shall have to keep an eye on it. If the euro becomes too strong, the ECB will have to intervene to prevent damage greater than that caused by tariffs\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ROME \u2013 Antonio Tajani views the 15 August face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin as \u201ca first step\u201d. But the Foreign Minister is equally convinced that no agreement can be reached without bringing President Zelensky to the negotiating table. From the Farnesina, Tajani sets out to Corriere della Sera the \u201cthree theatres of war Italy […]","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":143324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[6,28,360,42],"class_list":["post-143409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviste","tag-mediterraneo-e-medio-oriente","tag-ministro","tag-ucraina","tag-unione-europea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143412,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143409\/revisions\/143412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}