Italy was suspended from the talks due to its position — details

The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, mediated the dispute that arose between Rome and Paris after the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, was not included in the latest talks between the leaders of the European Union and the United States. These talks concerned a truce between Ukraine and Russia.

It was reported by The Financial Times.

Macron publicly criticised Meloni

The dispute erupted on May 16, when the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, publicly criticised Meloni for spreading "false information". He emphasized that the Prime Minister of Italy had indeed attended the EU leaders' summit, which brought together more than 40 European leaders, including the President of Ukraine.

However, Meloni did not join the leaders of France, Germany, the UK, and Poland, who held separate consultations on the results of the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul that day.

The Prime Minister of Italy explained her absence by saying that the country does not support the idea of sending troops to Ukraine after a potential peace deal within the so-called "coalition of the willing".

"Italy has long stated that it does not wish to send troops to Ukraine. It makes no sense for us to participate in formats that have goals that we do not want to participate in," Meloni emphasized at the time.

However, Emmanuel Macron responded by saying that the discussion was not about military presence: "The discussion is about the ceasefire — let's avoid spreading false information. There is already enough of it on the part of Russia."

Against the backdrop of this conflict, Merz met with Meloni before Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass at the Vatican. The Chancellor noted that Italy should remain part of European peacekeeping initiatives and that both sides agreed on the importance of its participation.

However, the situation has caused a wave of criticism in Italy: opposition forces claim that the Prime Minister's actions have led to the country's isolation from key decisions made in Europe.

As a reminder, the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul ended on Friday, May 16.

Also, at the plenary session of the European Political Community Summit on Friday, May 16, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that he was ready to meet with the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday, May 15.