“The only peace plan today is the Ukrainian one. We will not leave them alone»- Corriere.it

Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the presidency of the Council, keeps in his telephone images of his first mission to the Ukrainian border, made as soon as the war broke out. And, speaking, he remembers those mothers with small children that he brought to Italy. People who have lost everything, and who lived “a life like ours” up to a year and a half ago. And it is from here that he starts to analyze, he who was in the official delegation who met Zelensky, how it went and the problems that remain open.

For Zelensky to “understand you have to come here to Ukraine”. Is that so?

«It is a very strong experience. The contrast between war scenes that seem to come from distant times and the normality of a country that is now Europe in everything is incredible. Mark inside».

And does it also explain the relationship between Meloni and Zelensky?


“Also. But it must be said that in Italy three great leaders have unhesitatingly chosen a clear line in support of Kiev: Mattarella, Draghi and Meloni”.

Not the opposition?

«On the left, especially outside Parliament, many distinctions are emerging. I wouldn’t want there to be unscrupulous calculations: since the government is aligned with Ukraine, placing yourself on the other side is an easily antagonistic position…”.

Or is it belief. Zelensky looks like someone who has no intention of laying down their arms for a compromise.

“Maybe it’s awareness. In 1992, Ukraine signed an agreement in which it gave its nuclear warheads to Russia in exchange for the inviolability of its borders. But in 2014 Putin invades some territories, and only thanks to the strenuous Ukrainian resistance does he not occupy a greater part of it. In 2022 the large-scale attack. They say: if we lay down our arms, they’ll invade us again in a year. On the other hand, Putin has declared that he wants to return to the historical borders of Russia. What should the Ukrainians do?”

And is all-out war the answer?

«The answer hypocritically is not given by pacifists. All those who ask for “peace” should explain what they are suggesting to do as an alternative to defending themselves. Give up? Give up part or all of the territory? It is the question that Giorgia Meloni posed to the M5S and to all pacifists and that she is still waiting for an answer. There are territories that have been invaded, where civilians are killed, children are deported. Calling for a ceasefire today means leaving them at the mercy of Putin’s violence. A ceasefire is what Russian propaganda is asking for today, and what the Putinians of our house repeat disguised as improbable flower children. But the only path to a just peace is the withdrawal of the invading Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.”

With the Ukrainian plan, the ten-point one?

«Today it is the only concrete there is. It is difficult to define the Chinese one as “plan”, which does not even mention invaded countries”.

What did Zelensky tell you in your meeting?

«In the meantime, he thanked Meloni for the strong support, which was not obvious given that Italian public opinion is much less determined than that of other states such as the United Kingdom, Poland, the Baltic countries, the Scandinavians. And it is an extremely important visit for Italy, all the more read together with that to Germany: it means that we are perceived as one of the countries that count internationally. It hasn’t always been like this in the past.”

But what exactly is Zelensky asking of Italy?

“Nothing more than what it asks of the other allies: support the Ukrainian dossier and continue with humanitarian and military aid, as we do in coordination with the EU and NATO”.

According to many Italians, this aid is starting to cost too much.

«Pretext question: we are supplying stockpiles of armaments that we do not use and that should in any case be replaced over the years. It doesn’t cost us any money.”

What do you think about Ukraine joining NATO?

«We are for a quick entry into the EU, a factor of solidity. In NATO it would be a guarantee of protection of Ukrainian integrity but it is an issue that we want to address together with our allies”.

Meanwhile Zelensky has told the Pope that he does not need “mediators”. In a Catholic and largely pacifist country, if you are faced with a clash like this, isn’t it a problem?

“It has been written that Zelensky rejects the Vatican’s peace plan, but it is wrong: there is no peace plan, there is no text”.

Zelensky would like the Vatican to side with Ukraine, but the Pope has another role…

“True, but it must be understood that in the former Soviet countries they are used to strongly aligned churches, such as the Russian Orthodox Church, and they have greater difficulty than we do in conceiving the universalist value of the Catholic Church. Even if the Pope who continually invites us to pray for the martyred Ukrainian people actually shows a great closeness”.

What if the European partners begin to not be as united as they have been so far in support to the bitter end?

«There is the risk that Western public opinion will begin to think that it is not our war, due to Russian propaganda and a lack of historical knowledge, but for this it is important to have a strong leader like Giorgia Meloni. This war concerns us much more than we think. Europe lives in security and comfort by virtue of a global equilibrium made up of rules, certainly not of its autonomous ability to defend itself. We have a lot to lose if the law of the strongest were to impose itself on international law. This is why our security is also at stake in Ukraine.”

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