Italy Asks Russia For New Sanctions Press Putin To Immediately Negotiate Ukraine Peace

The impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine/PHOTO via X@ ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - Italian Foreign Ministers told the upper house of parliament new sanctions were needed to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate to end the conflict in Ukraine.

The US and the European Union are working to coordinate their efforts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was considering eliminating Russian fossil fuels more quickly in line with preparations for new sanctions.

"It is very important to increase pressure on Putin to bring him to the negotiating table. We must do this by using all the tools we have to hinder funding for his war engines. This includes new sanctions," said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

"We are working in Brussels to reach the 19th sanction package as soon as possible, which will have a substantial impact on financial flows," said Tajani, who is also deputy prime minister in the Giorgia Meloni administration.

The European Union is expected to buy about 13% of its gas from Russia this year, but is negotiating a legal proposal to end Russia's oil and gas imports on January 1, 2028.

Tensions between Russia and the West have risen since Poland said on Wednesday it had shot down a drone that allegedly belonged to Russia in its airspace with the support of aircraft from the NATO alliance.

Tajani reiterated Italy's proposal to expand NATO's joint defense umbrella to Ukraine without offering the alliance's full membership, as a way to provide security guarantees in the event of a peace agreement.

"The initial point is the determination of a collective security clause that will allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the United States, if attacked again," Tajani said.