Meloni dismisses Putin’s cease-fire offer for Ukraine as ‘propaganda’

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni Saturday dismissed a cease-fire offer for Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin as “propaganda,” as she wrapped up a Group of a Seven summit that saw a deal reached for a $50 billion loan to Ukraine.

The loan will be provided by the U.S., U.K., Canada and possibly Japan, Meloni said. The frozen Russian assets to be used as collateral are mainly in Europe, “so Europe is already contributing by identifying the guarantee mechanism,” she added.

The loan agreement was reached at the opening on June Thursday (June 13) of the two-day annual meeting of leaders from the G-7 countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States in southern Italy’s Puglia region.

Asked about Putin’s cease-fire proposal, Meloni said it “seems to me more like a propaganda move than a real one.”

The Russian president said Friday he would “immediately” order a cease-fire in Ukraine and start negotiations if Kyiv begins withdrawing troops from the four regions Moscow annexed in 2022 and renounces plans to join NATO.

“If President Putin’s proposal is: We are willing to have a peace negotiation if Ukraine recognizes the invasion of Ukraine and gives up the occupied parts … doesn’t seem particularly effective to me as a proposal,” Meloni said.

Meloni also emphasized the importance of aid to Ukraine and stated that Kiev would not be able to resist if the aid stopped.

Europe’s increasing pressure on Russia and its support for Ukraine are raising the specter of World War III. Recently, Serbian President Alexandar Vucic said in an interview that the collective West and Russia could be at war within 3-4 months. He also complained that no one was talking about real peace.