ISTANBUL 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated the importance of supporting ongoing negotiations on Ukraine after a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the US-backed peace proposal.

"During the call, the importance of supporting the ongoing negotiation efforts was stressed, and the final objective of achieving a just and lasting peace was reaffirmed in the interest of the whole of Europe," Meloni's office said in a statement.

The office also noted that the mention of solid security guarantees, as a key component of the broader European and transatlantic stability framework, was welcomed "in line with what Italy has long been proposing."

The reported draft includes demands for Ukraine to forgo NATO membership, recognize Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as de facto Russian-controlled, and pull back forces to create a demilitarized zone in Donbas in exchange for security guarantees modeled on NATO’s collective defense principle.