Italy’s PM Meloni proposes extending NATO’s Article 5 to Ukraine without full membership

She made this statement while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the EU leaders' meeting in Brussels.

"Clearly, the main issue is peace in Ukraine, and I believe we must all do everything we can to support the peace process, welcoming the U.S. initiative and those working towards peace. However, a just peace requires clear security guarantees," Meloni stated.

She added that these security guarantees must always be rooted in NATO’s support.

"Deploying undefined military contingents, whether British or others, is the most complex and perhaps the least effective solution. I have discussed this, reiterated it, and also ruled out the possibility of sending Italian troops in this context," the Italian Prime Minister emphasized.

She stated that more long-term solutions should be considered and added that extending NATO’s Article 5 protections to Ukraine would be a much more effective approach.

"This is not the same as NATO membership, but it would extend to Ukraine the same security umbrella that NATO countries have. This would provide stable, long-term, and real security guarantees. That is why this is one of the proposals we are putting forward," Meloni clarified.

According to the Italian leader, this topic is currently under discussion — Italy is working on and promoting this initiative.

"This doesn't mean it will be implemented, but we believe it's important to meet, discuss these issues, and keep working in this direction. There are no specific deadlines yet, but I see significant interest in this idea from our counterparts," she added.

Ukraine’s MFA response

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi stated at a briefing on March 7 that Ukraine is seeking clarification on the details of Meloni’s proposal.

"Regarding this specific proposal, we are in contact with our Italian partners to clarify the specifics. This is still a general idea at this stage. We want to understand exactly what is meant," LIGA.net quotes the diplomat as saying.

Tykhyi also emphasized that Ukraine is already de facto part of the collective security system, making concerns about its NATO integration exaggerated.

• Earlier, Meloni stated that security guarantees for Ukraine should be implemented within the framework of NATO, calling the Alliance the best structure for ensuring peace.