The Italian government has slammed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s plea to lift restrictions on the use of Western weapons supplied to Kiev regime.
"We will not send a single Italian soldier to Ukraine, and the military equipment that Italy sends should be used on the territory of Ukraine," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was quoted as saying by the Adnkronos news agency on Saturday.
He added that Italy “must always work for peace and lower the tone.” While Italy is a part of NATO, “every decision must be made collectively,” he pointed out.
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Lega party Matteo Salvini voiced the same position, stressing that no one seeks a “prelude to a Third World War”.
"Italy is not at war with anyone, and while it was right to assist Ukraine militarily, lifting the ban on Kiev to strike military targets in Russia is out of the question. Similarly, I reiterate that Lega opposes sending even a single soldier to fight in Ukraine. We seek peace, not a prelude to a Third World War," he underscored.
Earlier, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged partners to formally allow Kiev to use Western-supplied long-range missile systems to strike deep into Russian territory.
Russian officials repeatedly warned against military supplies to the Kiev regime, stressing that this move only fuels the conflict with no chance of affecting the ultimate course of the special operation.
Moscow's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that everyone who goes “to the so-called 'peaceful conference' in Switzerland” on Ukraine should be well aware of Stoltenberg’s recent words.
Russian parliamentary representative from the Crimea region in turn dubbed Stoltenberg's words an “obsession with war” and “desire to harm Russia at any cost with no regard to catastrophic consequences for the population of Western nations.”