Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani on Thursday said security could not be guaranteed
in Ukraine and Europe without a solid transatlantic relationship
and NATO and that it was impossible to achieve without the US.
Speaking on the sidelines of a European People's Party (EPP)
meeting prior to a summit of EU leaders on Ukraine and European
security, Tajani said it was "absolutely impossible to think of
guaranteeing the security of Ukraine and Europe without a solid
transatlantic relationship and without NATO. "It is fundamental,
and we have said this from the start, it can't be done without
the US", he reiterated. "Having said this, it also means that we
have to play our part, or spend more on our security. "Security
is not war, it also means the security of our streets,
experienced by our compatriots every day, even running risks and
threats like terrorism", Tajani said on the sidelines of the
event. Tajani, who also leads the centre-right Forza Italia (FI)
party in the EPP, told reporters who had asked him whether he
trusted US President Donald Trump that he "trusts everyone".
"Trump is the President of the United States of America. "We are
allies of the United States of America, regardless of who is
president, it's not possible to be friends with the Americans
based on the support for this or that party", he said, replying
to a question. Asked whether he trusted Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Tajani said it depended on whether an accord was
reached. "It's necessary to be pragmatic, it's not a matter of
trust or distrust. "Certainly Putin did not respect
international law, we will see how he behaves, if he will
maintain pacts or not, we must be pragmatic and not
ideological", said Tajani. The foreign minister also reiterated
Italy would not deploy troops as part of European or NATO
missions but would consider being part of a UN peacekeeping
mission in Ukraine, replying to a specific question on the
issue.
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