The Italian foreign minister has insisted to the upper house of parliament that new sanctions against Russia are needed to pressure Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table, Reuters reported, News.bg reports.
The United States and the European Union are trying to coordinate their efforts, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was considering an accelerated phase-out of Russian fossil fuels as it prepares new sanctions.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed that it was essential to increase pressure on Putin to get him willing to negotiate with Ukraine. He said all tools should be used to hinder the financing of the Russian military machine, including new sanctions. "We are working in Brussels to reach a 19th package of sanctions as soon as possible, which will have a significant impact on financial flows," Tajani said.
Tensions between Russia and the West have increased after Poland said it had shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace with the support of NATO aircraft. Tajani reiterated Italy's proposal to extend NATO's mutual defense to Ukraine, without offering it full membership in the alliance, as a way to provide security guarantees in the event of a peace deal.