Meloni and Macron clash over war in Ukraine, Merz tries to reconcile them - Financial Times
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is trying to resolve a sharp diplomatic dispute between Rome and Paris over the exclusion of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from the group of European leaders coordinating their actions with the White House on Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, Financial Times reports.
Tensions reportedly erupted on 16 May, when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Meloni of spreading "false information" after she did not attend a meeting of the leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a joint phone call with Donald Trump.
Meloni travelled to Albania to attend the European Political Community summit, which was attended by 40 European leaders, including Zelenskyy.
But she did not join Merz, Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a meeting to discuss the results of the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks held that day in Istanbul.
The European leaders, who then initiated the phone call with Trump and Zelenskyy, later issued a statement calling Putin's demands "unacceptable".
The Italian prime minister told reporters that she was not included in the list because of her refusal to send troops to Ukraine as part of a proposed "coalition of the willing" to ensure security after any peace deal.
"Italy has long stated that it is not willing to send troops to Ukraine. It would not make sense for us to take part in formats that have goals in which we are not willing to participate," Meloni stated.
But Macron said troop deployments had not been discussed either in Tirana or in Kyiv last weekend where he travelled with Starmer, Merz and Tusk — and without Meloni. "The discussion is about a ceasefire — let’s avoid spreading false information. There is already enough of that coming from Russia."
Merz met Meloni on the eve of Sunday’s inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and sought to soothe tensions, declaring the two leaders agreed that Italy "must play a role" in all European peace initiatives in Ukraine.
Meloni's absence from the European quartet and Macron's open criticism caused a wave of indignation in Italy, with critics accusing her of removing her country from important decision-making.
