“We must avoid escalation.” Italy will not send troops to Ukraine

Italy will not send its soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

This was stated by Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, as reported by ANSA.

“We must avoid escalation, and Russia is taking on serious responsibility by involving North Korean soldiers and recruiting Houthis and Iranian puppets into the war,” said Tajani.

Tajani’s statement came amid recent reports that the issue of sending troops to Ukraine is once again being discussed in Europe.

The French newspaper Le Monde wrote that London and Paris are discussing the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine, initially as private contractors.

For instance, the company Défense Conseil International (DCI), the main operator of the French Ministry of Armed Forces, is ready to send instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces on-site. The company is 80% composed of former military personnel. It could also provide technical maintenance for French military equipment sent to Kyiv, if necessary.

In this context, British partner company Babcock, which is already present in Ukraine, approached DCI with an offer to share available resources.

Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that Italy does not support U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western long-range weapons, although she understands it.