Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on US President Donald Trump and NATO allies to apply the same level of determination shown in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to bring a truce in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. 

Speaking at a press briefing on 25 June following the NATO summit in The Hague, Meloni stated:

“I told President Donald Trump and the summit that ‘the same determination’ used in the war between Israel and Iran ‘must also be used for two other ceasefires, for Ukraine and for Gaza. The situation in Gaza is unsustainable’,” she said, as reported by La Repubblica.

On 24 June, Trump claimed that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had taken effect following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.

As the only EU head of government to attend Trump’s 2025 inauguration and his closest mainstream European ally, Giorgia Meloni has previously positioned herself as a potential bridge between the United States and a divided European Union.

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At the same summit, all 32 NATO members agreed to a significant defense spending goal—raising allocations to 5% of GDP by 2035. Meloni welcomed this move, calling it a clear sign of alliance unity. 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told U.S. President Donald Trump that the determination shown by the U.S. toward Iran should also be applied to ending Russia's war against Ukraine, she said on June 25 on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague.

Meloni, a close Trump ally and the only European leader invited to his 2025 inauguration, welcomed the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

She emphasized that sustained commitment is also needed in Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin last week declared "all of Ukraine is ours."

"I spoke about this with President of the United States Donald Trump, to whom I said the same determination is needed to achieve two other important ceasefires," Meloni said. "One in Ukraine, where Russia seems unwilling to take any steps forward, and one in Gaza."

On June 24, Trump announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had taken effect following U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

The escalation followed Israel's June 13 attack that prompted Iran to retaliate with missile attacks on Tel Aviv and other cities, killing multiple civilians, including five Ukrainian citizens.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump during the summit, held amid concerns over waning U.S. support for Kyiv. Unlike in 2024, this year's communique did not directly condemn Russia's invasion, a shift that underscores changing political dynamics within the Alliance.

The leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine's defense, saying national contributions toward Ukraine's military-industrial capacity will count toward NATO's new defense spending goal.

All 32 NATO member states agreed to a new benchmark, committing to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Meloni praised the decision as a sign of unity.

"I believe the unity of the alliance and its willingness to strengthen itself is more important, especially in the context we are in, and is clearly a very important element," she said.

The NATO summit comes just one week after Trump departed early from the G7 in Canada, delaying direct talks with Zelensky until June 25.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk