Italy and Poland criticise exclusion from Ukraine peace talks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.   

Ambassadors from Europe’s three biggest economies met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Moscow on Thursday. 

Meloni, who leads Europe’s fourth biggest economy, and Tusk, whose country shares an eastern border with Ukraine and Russian-ally Belarus, expressed frustration at being left out of negotiations.

Speaking on Thursday, Meloni said a new official figure was needed to ensure the views of all European governments were heard during talks which concerned Europe.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere, German Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff and British Ambassador Nigel Casey in Moscow, Russia, 11 June, 2026.
Reuters

"In any serious peace scenario between Ukraine and Russia, several conditions depend on Europe, concern Europe, affect Europe, and it is up to Europe to negotiate them. 

"For this reason, I have long supported the need to identify an authoritative figure, entrusted with the confidence and mandate of all member states, to represent Europe’s point of view. And it is in this direction that I continue to work." 

Tusk said he had spoken with Meloni, who he said was “not thrilled” about the E3 informal security alliance format, involving the UK, France and Germany.

“Any arrangements in which Poland does not participate will not be binding on ⁠Poland,” he added. 

Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, contributing financial and military ​help to Kyiv in its more than four-year-old war against Russia. Warsaw has also emerged as one of the biggest spenders on defence ‌in ⁠NATO. 

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