Italy’s foreign minister has declared that the country will not permit its missiles to be used against Russia.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Italy will not allow Ukraine to utilize its weapons to strike Russian territory.
This follows unconfirmed reports suggesting President Biden lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles, a request Zelensky has made for months. The US has not confirmed or denied these reports.
“Our stance on Ukraine’s weapon use remains unchanged; they can only be used within Ukrainian borders,” Tajani told reporters in Brussels at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
Italy also “supports a peace conference including Russia, China, India, and Brazil,” Tajani added. “I hope Beijing can persuade Moscow to end this senseless war.”
The US and its allies have imposed restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Kiev since 2022 to maintain plausible deniability of direct involvement in the conflict.
Zelensky has sought the removal of these restrictions since spring, calling it crucial to his “victory plan.” He believes US ATACMS missiles, British Storm Shadows, and French SCALPs would be game-changers for Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that this would constitute direct involvement. President Putin argued that Ukraine cannot use long-range missiles without NATO satellite and military support for targeting and firing. This isn’t about US “permission,” but crossing the line into direct involvement, Putin stated in September.
State Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said Monday that Moscow would respond to any such attack, including with “new weapons systems” not previously deployed in Ukraine.
Moscow’s response will be “adequate and tangible,” according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.