The event, shocking in and of itself — though essentially due to Zelensky’s presumptuous behavior — also sent shockwaves through Europe, where political leaders immediately rallied to Ukraine’s side, forgetting that it is only thanks to Donald if, after three years of war and slaughter, peace is finally being discussed. “There’s an aggressor, which is Russia, and a people attacked, which is Ukraine. We must thank all those who helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning,” French president Emmanuel Macron told reporters, after reportedly talking to Zelensky. Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reaffirmed his country’s stance, declaring, “We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.” He also accused Trump of “deliberately escalating” tensions with Zelensky. U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Three years on from Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position.”
The leaders of Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine. There were also supportive messages from political leaders in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, and Slovenia. European Union chiefs António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen assured Zelensky in a joint statement that he was “never alone.” “We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace,” they said.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán was the only one who didn’t join the chorus of support for Zelensky. “Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” he said. “Today President Donald Trump stood bravely for peace,” he continued, “even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President!”
What about Italy? Where does Europe’s second-largest manufacturing country and one of the E.U.’s founding members stand? Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, merely expressed “sympathy” for Zelensky, carefully avoiding distancing herself from Trump. “She cannot — and doesn’t want — to turn her back on Ukraine because she has gone too far in supporting Kyiv and Zelensky. On the other side, she doesn’t want to give any hint of criticism of Trump, who has attacked Zelensky,” Stefano Stefanini, Italy’s former ambassador to NATO, told the Financial Times.
“She is hedging — she hasn’t decided which way to go,” said Beniamino Irdi, an Atlantic Council senior fellow and former Italian government security policy adviser. “She still thinks that the special relationship she has built with Trump and Musk may be of more value than her relationship with European allies.”
However, on Tuesday, Meloni rejected a plan by France and the United Kingdom to support Ukraine’s war against Russia by sending Italian soldiers. “Italy has expressed doubts regarding the proposal of France and the UK on sending European troops,” she told Italian TV channel Rai1. “I think it is very difficult to implement, I am not sure about its effectiveness, that’s why we announced that we will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine,” she added. Moreover, speaking on Sunday at Downing Street, she stressed the need of unity between the two sides of the Atlantic:
The only thing that we really cannot afford is a peace that does not remain, and this cannot be afforded. Ukraine cannot afford it, Europe cannot afford it, the United States cannot afford it. For God’s sake, everything can explode. It’s not good news. So everything I can do to keep the West united and to strengthen it, I will do.
Meloni also proposed hosting a summit between European leaders and the U.S., to build bridges after the relationship between the longtime allies strained over the war in Ukraine.
On the day Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine, Giorgia Meloni’s attempt to remain equidistant between Trump and the European Union was put to the test during a special summit that saw all 27 countries agree to Ursula von der Leyen’s “Rearm Europe” plan, but which also highlighted a serious divide over the approach to take. The final text — signed by 26 and hailed as a watershed moment — speaks about “peace through strength,” military assistance and security guarantees for Kyiv, all of which the Hungarian prime minister has strongly opposed. Orbán, who prior to the summit had signaled his intention to veto the E.U. statement, argued that it ran contrary to U.S. president Donald Trump’s deal-making initiative, to which he has firmly aligned himself. The European Council president, António Costa, who called the meeting, said, “Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine, but that means Hungary is isolated among the 27. ... We respect Hungary’s position, but it’s one out of 27. And 26 are more than one.”
As for the rearmament plan, Meloni’s stance is a “yes” but with reservations that could be refined at the formal European Council on March 20–21. “That’s where the decisions are made,” Meloni reminded everyone. There is time to fine-tune the points important to Rome, she said in a press briefing on Thursday. The first is to “change the name,” shifting the focus from weapons to defense and security. The second is to clearly state in advance that Italy will not use the clause allowing Cohesion Funds to be converted into spending on weapons. “Italy will not deprive itself of these precious resources,” said Meloni, announcing that this will be the “deal” she will propose to Parliament ahead of the next European Council.
Moreover, at a press briefing in Brussels, she suggested that NATO’s Article 5 protection could be extended to cover Ukraine even if it is not a full member-state. This would be better than options such as the deployment of peacekeeping forces to monitor a ceasefire, she explained: “Extending the same coverage that NATO countries have to Ukraine would certainly be much more effective, while being something different from NATO’s membership.”
All in all, despite her best intentions and her ideological stance — along with her strong ties to U.S. Republicans — Meloni has had a tough time mediating between Washington, D.C. and Brussels. Yet no leader of a major European country is better suited for that role than she is. Not for nothing was she the only E.U. head of government invited to Trump’s inauguration in January. Earlier the same month, she visited him at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump defined her as a “fantastic woman” who has “really taken Europe by storm.”
If all mediation attempts fail, then an extremely complicated, if not dramatic, phase will open in the history of relations between the two sides of the Atlantic. For this reason, we must hope that the efforts of the Italian prime minister are crowned with success.
