Mattarella: "A just peace in Ukraine"

President Sergio Mattarella arrived this afternoon at the Rome conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine. During his remarks, he said: "Cynicism and indifference cannot guide relations, and for this reason we honor the courage and determination with which the Ukrainian people defend their right to determine their own destiny by resisting an unjustifiable war of aggression for three years."

"The European Union, reaffirming its very raison d'être against power politics, is called upon to reaffirm its desire to develop an interconnected, safe, prosperous, and free world" against "the attempts of oppression by more heavily armed powers to impose their domination on other peoples. These are antagonistic and aggressive policies that reflect the wrong side of history."

"We must not surrender to a trend that appears to be fueling a frenzy to dismantle every limit, even those placed after the Second World War, to the ferocity that characterizes conflicts and aims to enforce the principles of humanitarian law to protect the conditions of civilian populations," said the Head of State.

"For the Italian Republic, organizing this conference together with Ukraine has been an engaging exercise. It is a widely shared effort, which has seen many countries working together in recent months.

We firmly believe in this initiative, together with the international partners who have supported and continue to support the Ukrainian people over the years," said the President of the Republic.

"The high level of participation in today's event demonstrates," the head of state added, "the international community's closeness to Kiev, with representatives from a large number of countries, more than 30 international organizations, and hundreds of businesses, local authorities, civil society, and academia."