Italian PM says there’s no point in talks with putin

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is inclined to think that talks with russian president vladimir putin in an attempt to influence his decision in the war against Ukraine no longer make sense.

He said this in an interview with Corriere della Sera, the EP reports.

Draghi said he spoke with putin shortly before information began to arrive from Bucha. Then the president of the russian federation responded to his offer to try to agree on a ceasefire that it was "not on time."

"Then the news of the horrors in Bucha began to come in. And I'm starting to think that those who say the talks are useless are right and it's just a waste of time," said Mario Draghi.

The prime minister said he had always defended French President Emmanuel Macron on charges of trying to "reach out to putin," saying he was right to use all possible means for dialogue, especially as the leader of the EU presidency.

Mario Draghi said that he hoped until the last minute that putin would not launch an invasion, although he believed in such a possibility, given the number of troops near Ukraine's borders and previous precedents such as the Soviet invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

He admitted that at first, he allowed a quick victory for russia, but now it is "unknown whether this victory will ever happen again."

"Ukrainians are heroically resisting. According to President Zelenskyy, the people have become the army of Ukraine. We will continue to face the war of resistance, prolonged hostilities, and new destruction," said Mario Draghi.

He also stated that he considered it necessary to help Ukraine with weapons in the situation in which it found itself.