00:00I have heard from Trump, you must have talked about Ukraine, I imagine, and he has found a willingness to somehow amend the plan that was presented in 28 points, also addressing the critical points that you have highlighted as Europeans, but not only, also as G7.
00:13Yes, I have found a willingness on the part of the President of the United States.
00:18We also had a fairly long phone call with the President of Finland, Alex Stubb.
00:24I have found a willingness.
00:26I think that, let's say, the work that our Skerpas are doing today in Geneva, let's say, follows this intention.
00:35I mean, taking a step back, that clearly we have all always worked for peace.
00:40We have all always worked for peace since the beginning of this conflict.
00:44We have done so as Europeans, as Americans, supporting Ukraine.
00:48In its ability to resist a conflict whose outcome many considered, let's say, a foregone conclusion.
00:57It was not so foregone.
00:59We have built that deterrence on the ground that today allows us to talk about peace.
01:03I think we must claim this because it is a work that we have all done together.
01:07After that, clearly, in a meeting whose outcome I unfortunately do not know because it is currently underway.
01:12As you already know, there are some points in the American plan that must certainly be discussed.
01:20The issue of territories, the issue of reconstruction funding, the issue of the Ukrainian army.
01:25There are also many points that I consider particularly positive, especially regarding security guarantees,
01:35where the direct involvement of the United States in a proposal for security guarantees is set out in black and white,
01:42which, as you know, takes up an idea that was originally Italian, namely security guarantees based on the model of Article 5.
01:49However, I think that what can be done is positive, and we are certainly all committed to reaching a document,
01:56a proposal that is as close as possible to what is desired, not so much ours,
02:00but what is needed to have peace, to have an independent and sovereign Ukraine and to have security for Europe as well.
02:10No, I do not think that is the objective.
02:13I think that.
02:19This is clearly not what I see, in the sense that you have witnessed,
02:22I have witnessed all the times when the Ukrainians, Zelensky, have clearly thanked the United States.
02:31The rest, look, is endemic, in the sense that.
02:39The need to, let's say, continue to work with our American allies obviously also derives from the importance of their role in this affair, right?
02:49So, if we were ungrateful towards them, there probably wouldn't be any need for them either,
02:53in the sense that no one would understand the importance they had in the conflict.
02:57Instead, everyone understands it and they understand it very well.
03:01Just as on the issue of Europe continuing to buy houses from Russia,
03:04I was the first to explain to the President of the United States that, for example,
03:08since the beginning of the war, Italy has done an incredible job,
03:12but at the time our dependence was certainly significant,
03:14so perhaps we say, uh, some of what happened afterwards has not come across in the communication,
03:20but for example we have completely diversified, as you know very well,
03:24and we no longer depend on Russia at all.
03:28So Europe has done a very important job in this regard,
03:32but I think that some of the things that are said serve to generate,
03:34let's say, pressure on the interlocutors,
03:37but it seems to me that it is done a bit here and a bit there.
03:39In short, the methods, we know the method, a bit of work,
03:45in some cases it has even been effective, as we have seen in the Middle East.
03:50After that, the real issue, I repeat, in my opinion is not the press releases,
03:54the real issue is what ultimately ends up in black and white on the proposal with which the Americans,
03:59Ukrainians, and Europeans decide to sit down at the table with the Russians.
04:03So, regarding European partners,
04:05I think it was clear in the press release that was issued yesterday, right?
04:09In which it was essentially said exactly what I have said to you now,
04:14that we consider it a starting point and that we are ready to work to improve the proposal.
04:20This was at a meeting attended by all the European leaders present at the G20,
04:24plus the G7 partners, so it's also broader,
04:27and it seems to me that we are all in agreement.
04:28So, look, as far as the pearl is concerned, we don't have a deadline,
04:34in the sense that we are working on a priority basis.
04:36Right now, as I told you, we are working on a 12th aid package and so at the moment we are not adhering.
04:42In the future we will see, but we do not have and have not set ourselves any deadlines.
04:47As for the issue of corruption, it clearly has an impact, of course,
04:50but it also has an impact on our public opinion.
04:53It is legitimate.
04:55I mean, I think it is important in any case that Ukraine has shown that it has the antibodies.
05:01In the end, we must always remember that these arrests are based on initiatives by Ukrainian institutions,
05:08so there is probably a problem, but there are also the antibodies to manage that problem.
05:13So Deputy Prime Minister Salvini says something correct,
05:17that is, he says that Italians, money cannot end up in the hands of corrupt people
05:22and obviously we must be vigilant to ensure that this does not happen,
05:26but I repeat, it seems to me that the Italian government has shown that it has the full will
05:31to combat any corruption, which is all the more serious for them,
05:35given that they have people dying at the front.
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