Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly criticised the recent announcement by the Russian dictator of a three day ceasefire, calling it “clearly not enough” to bring about real peace in Ukraine. Her comments were made during an interview with the Italian outlet Corriere della Sera and come just days before Russia’s planned truce from 8 to 11 May to coincide with the country’s Victory Day celebrations.
Meloni emphasised that the war must end through a lasting and just peace agreement, not through symbolic or temporary measures that serve only propaganda purposes. She praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for showing genuine willingness for peace by agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire more than a month ago.
Now, she said, the responsibility lies with the Russian dictatorship to show it is serious about ending the violence. According to Meloni, real peace means reliable long term security for Ukraine, not just short term pauses in fighting. She added that Italy has proposed a model based on the principles of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, suggesting mutual defence commitments even outside NATO frameworks.
Meloni also referred to the recent meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the Vatican as “the last gift of Pope Francis.” While symbolic, she noted the meeting must be followed by real diplomatic and military guarantees to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, scepticism continues to grow in Europe and Ukraine regarding Trump’s actual commitment to supporting Ukraine. Despite the Vatican meeting, many leaders fear he may pressure Ukraine into accepting deals that would benefit Moscow more than Kyiv.
The planned three day pause by the Kremlin is widely viewed as an empty gesture rather than a meaningful step towards peace, with Ukrainian officials pointing out that if Russia truly wanted to end the war, it could stop the bombings and killings immediately.
