War in Ukraine. Europe deploys the willing, Italy seeks a role

Answering journalists this morning , Matteo Salvini said he was "part of a government that is a protagonist in Europe and in the world at a diplomatic level, much more than the agitated Macron". The excusatio non petita came from the vice-premier and minister of Transport after controversy has been fueled in recent hours due to the absence of the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the meeting of the willing in Kiev on May 10. The prime minister participated remotely, which for many was not enough to demonstrate public closeness to Zelensky and the European allies.

Palazzo Chigi has meanwhile announced a phone call between Meloni and Turkish President Erdogan in view of the still uncertain summit in Istanbul in which both Putin and Zelensky could have participated. What is known so far is that Erdogan will meet the Ukrainian president tomorrow in Ankara .

The controversy was fueled not only by the opposition, but also from within his majority, with the words of the other vice-premier, Antonio Tajani , partly as confidences to collaborators leaked to the press and partly public: "We must have the courage to play a leading role for peace, in Europe, in Ukraine and in the Middle East", he said. To those who asked him if the prime minister was right not to go to Kiev, Tajani finally commented angrily: "Ask her" .

It is well known that Tajani thinks that one cannot distance oneself too much from both European allies and Brussels, with the risk of slipping into irrelevance. And even if the Foreign Minister, who claims ownership in the management of foreign policy, continues to reassure on the excellent harmony with the government allies, observers do not fail to notice a growing unease for Meloni's choices marked by caution and political balancing.

In London, where he is taking part in the conference of the so-called Weimar + format (foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the EU), Tajani uses similar tones: "All the responsibility is in Putin's hands". The government therefore appears called to rediscover its ambitions to play a central role both in the Ukrainian game and in that of tariffs.

In fact, Italy did not participate in the flurry of meetings that followed the appointment of German Chancellor Merz, which were limited to the Weimar group. And, by choosing to participate remotely, it remained on the sidelines at the Kiev meeting extended to Great Britain.