Caution on Italian Troops in Ukraine UN Mission – Salvini

Rome: Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on Tuesday stated that the Italian government has not engaged in discussions regarding the deployment of Italian troops to Ukraine as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Salvini expressed caution concerning the potential involvement of Italian forces in such an initiative.

According to Ansa News Agency, Salvini emphasized that the government has not been approached about sending Italian soldiers to Ukraine. “We will talk about it when we are asked,” he noted during a conversation with reporters at a congress on immigration organized by the right-wing League party, which he leads. Salvini highlighted the existing commitment of Italian soldiers worldwide and expressed a cautious stance on deploying additional troops.

Earlier, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani indicated that Italy might consider the deployment of troops in future buffer zones in Ukraine as part of a UN peacekeeping mission. However, he stressed that he did not see the utility of European or NATO troops in this context and clarified that the deployment of Italian troops had not been previously discussed. Tajani mentioned that if a buffer zone were to be established, it would be necessary to send troops under the UN flag, citing Italy’s availability for such missions, similar to its involvement in Palestine, but emphasized the importance of shared responsibility among nations.

Tajani further underlined that any interposition force should operate under United Nations neutrality, ensuring impartiality in its peacekeeping efforts.