Extending NATO's Article 5 to Ukraine would test Russia’s peace intentions, Meloni says

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated calls for extending NATO's Article 5 security guarantees to Ukraine, arguing that doing so would demonstrate whether Russia is serious about peace, she said in a speech to the Italian Chamber of Deputies on March 19.

Article 5, the cornerstone of NATO's collective defense, says that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. It has only been invoked once, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.

"Extending NATO's Article 5 to Ukraine seems to be the simplest and most effective proposal of all, also because it would help call a possible bluff," Meloni said.

"If Russia does not plan to invade its neighbors again, it is not clear why it should not accept security guarantees that are only defensive."

Meloni first suggested on March 6 that NATO could extend Article 5 protection to Ukraine without granting Kyiv full membership in the alliance.

The Italian prime minister has positioned herself as a potential bridge between European leaders and the Trump administration, which has called Ukraine's NATO aspirations unrealistic.

Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in focus of Ukraine peace talks. What’s at stake?

The White House on March 19 proposed Ukraine pass its nuclear facilities to the U.S. as part of the ongoing ceasefire talks. “The United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova

Washington has instead backed the idea of European-led peacekeeping forces monitoring a potential ceasefire but has not offered concrete security guarantees to Ukraine.

Despite growing European support for bolstering Ukraine's security, Italy has ruled out sending peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire.

"We should not slavishly follow the proposals put forward by others simply because we have to decide what our position is. Our role is to participate with our own proposals," Meloni said, adding that her Article 5 proposal should be "on the negotiating table."

Over 30 countries have expressed willingness to contribute to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, with the U.K. and France leading the initiative, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office. Canada and Australia have also signaled openness to participating.

NATO allies reaffirmed Ukraine's "irreversible" path toward membership in July 2024 but have not extended a formal invitation despite repeated calls from Kyiv.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 24 that Russian President Vladimir Putin would allow European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a deal, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly rejected the idea.

US, Ukrainian delegations to meet in Saudi Arabia in ‘coming days,’ Zelensky says

Ukrainian and U.S. officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for continued peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post to social media on March 19.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn