“Pause? You have to tell Putin!” Meloni gives an angry speech in parliament

As Ukraine continues to fight against the Russian attackers, voices are being raised in several countries about halting arms deliveries. This is also the case in Italy, where the predominantly left-wing populist 5-star movement (Movimento 5 Stelle, M5S) regularly calls for an end to military aid to Ukraine and negotiations instead.

The course of events in the war in Ukraine was also discussed in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday. M5S MP Elisa Scutellà took on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the government. You should stop for a moment and think about whether you are really on the right track, said the politician.

Their demand: stop the arms shipments and instead invest the production money in other projects. She attacked Meloni head-on: “For you, the gun lobby is central, for us the citizens and the environment.”

Meloni did not ignore this criticism. The prime minister initially reacted calmly to the criticism. “Mrs Scutellà says we should stop. I think you should tell Putin that,” the 46-year-old said. After all, stopping the arms supply would not lead to peace, but simply to a permanent invasion of Ukraine.

As a result, Meloni got really angry. She was particularly annoyed that she was accused of being a warmonger because she decided to support Ukraine. “That doesn’t mean we’re not working on a peace plan. Do you really think anyone likes this war?” she asked rhetorically.

Meloni then counterattacked and refuted the M5S’s arguments. “The situation is a bit more complicated than some propaganda suggests,” she said. And wanted to know from her critic what the conditions for such a peace negotiation should look like for her. “Do you think Russia should withdraw troops from Ukraine or not? Do you think Ukraine’s borders should be redefined or not? Or do you not think that the occupied territories should be left to Moscow?”

It is precisely these questions that must be answered before calling for peace negotiations, Meloni demanded. “Otherwise this is just propaganda. And at the expense of a sovereign nation. That’s irresponsible.”

Meloni’s speech then went around the world. Criticism of the controversial “peace movement,” which often uses the Russian narrative, also played out in Ukraine. Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, praised Meloni on Twitter. “A wonderful speech,” wrote the Ukrainian politician. “Thank you for understanding the nature of war and telling the truth about it.”

Arms deliveries to Ukraine in particular are a hot topic in the Italian government. While Prime Minister Meloni has guaranteed support for Ukraine since the start of her election, prominent coalition partners think otherwise. Both Lega boss Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia regularly spoke out against arms deliveries. (dab)