Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed extending the protection of NATO’s Article 5 to Ukraine without granting it full membership in the military alliance.
According to her, this would serve as a “guarantee of stable, long-term, and effective security.”
She made this statement to journalists on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels.
Meloni said, “Extending to Ukraine the same protection that NATO countries have would undoubtedly be much more effective. At the same time, it would be something different from NATO membership. I believe this would provide a stable, long-lasting, and effective security guarantee, more so than some of the proposals I have seen.”
When asked how her proposal differs from granting Ukraine full NATO membership, an Italian government representative explained that this approach would ensure that the principle of mutual defense would be activated “to protect Ukraine as well, even beyond NATO territory, regardless of Kyiv’s membership status.”
Meloni also ruled out sending Italian troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire agreement, adding that the deployment of “European troops, whether French or British, is the most complex decision.”
“I continue to be very puzzled by this proposal,” she admitted.
