The Italian government has offered a multi-step peace plan to UN Secretary General António Guterres in order to help to the conclusion of the crisis in Ukraine, for which Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has appealed to his country’s “credibility” on the matter.
“There is no imposed peace,” Di Maio stated, according to the AdnKronos news agency, a day after personally submitting the idea to Guterres. The head of Italian diplomacy, who convened a Council of Europe conference on Friday, defended it in front of the media, saying it should be based on the basis that Ukraine has been “invaded” and that “its people have been slain by Russian bombers.”
The goal for Rome is to “promote conversation” and secure a “as soon as possible” peace deal. According to the daily ‘La Repubblica,’ the ceasefire and demilitarization of the combat front are the first steps of a four-step plan that will be overseen by an international group formed ‘ad hoc.’
The second stage would address political issues concerning Ukraine’s future, such as Russian demands for neutrality guarantees if Kiev has made it plain that it will never give in to Moscow’s territorial integrity claims.
While giving up sovereignty over Donbas or Crimea remains a red line for Ukraine, in the third phase of the Italian plan, Kiev and Moscow should discuss how to ensure the autonomy and security of these territories.
Finally, Italy offers a multilateral convention that would include provisions for disarmament and the departure of Russian forces from territory claimed by Ukraine.
According to a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, quoted by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian government has committed to “consider” this initiative. “Any final decision must be based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders,” he has stressed.