Meloni criticizes the European "confusion" in the negotiations related to Ukraine

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized, on Thursday, what she described as European "fumble" in the negotiations related to Ukraine, demanding that the bloc clarify who is speaking on its behalf.

In this letter, which she addressed to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, Meloni expressed, according to Agence France-Presse, her dissatisfaction with several meetings held in different formats, as part of the efforts aimed at ending the Russian war in Ukraine.

“All of this suggests that we are people who completely lack credibility in managing a file that is one of the most complex files facing our countries,” she wrote.

She added, "I am certain that we all realize that making Europe appear to be moving in an uncoordinated manner only serves the interests of those who want this war to continue."

In this context, she referred to discussions that recently took place in Miami and Oslo, as well as in Brussels this week between representatives of Ukraine, the European Union, NATO and a number of European countries, including France, Germany and Britain.

It also touched on the phone call that took place last month between the Norwegian President, the Prime Minister of Finland, and the Russian President. She continued, "I want to clearly confirm that I will not accept this dynamic, and I do not intend to stand idly by regarding these matters."

Meloni also said, “Moving forward in a state of confusion, with initiatives that follow one another and overlap with each other, will not help us in our dealings with our partners, nor with those whom we need to convince to put an end to this senseless aggression.”

Meloni called on European Union leaders to decide “for once and for the last time who will sit at the negotiating table on behalf of the European Union, and what powers are granted to him,” stressing that she is not asking for anything for herself or her country.

She expressed her desire to include this issue on the agenda of an informal meeting of European Union heads of state and government to be held next week in Dublin, in preparation for taking an official decision on it during the next European summit in December.

She continued, "Without that, I fear that we will risk leaving Europe without any significant influence on the course of the negotiations."

Earlier this year, Meloni called for the appointment of a special European Union envoy for these negotiations, but her proposal did not receive much response from the EU member states.

In a letter he sent to Meloni, Costa expressed his agreement with her that “Europe needs to act with harmony, unity and determination.”

“The European Union’s participation should be organized in a way that allows it to deliver a clear and unified message, defend its interests, and support Ukraine,” he said in his letter published by his office.

The President of the European Council added that, according to the bloc’s treaties, “the interests of the European Union must be represented through its institutions.”

Costa pledged to raise this issue at the next meeting of European Union leaders.

Europe has long sought to play a more active role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

The administration of US President Donald Trump held secret discussions with Iran regarding the deportation of Iranians during the war, according to what judicial documents revealed.

Declassified court documents show that the Republican administration announced, in mid-October, that it still intends to deport Iranians through an undisclosed third country, although it is not clear when it intends to carry out the deportations.

The US-Iranian Legal Defense Fund said today that the Iranian detainees received communications during the past week from the Iranian Interests Section, an Iranian representative office that operates from within the Pakistani Embassy in Washington and handles consular affairs, and they were informed of the existence of an expected deportation flight to Iran via Pakistan. Officials at the US Department of Homeland Security also informed some detainees of the expected deportation flight date.

According to Yasmin Shubin, the organization's executive director, one of the detainees attempted to commit suicide immediately upon learning that he might be returned to Iran. This person was one of two who were later transferred across state lines to a detention center, where detainees are usually transferred shortly before deportation.

The legal group said that none of the detainees contacted received any written information from immigration authorities.

“Some of these same asylum seekers, along with others who may face the same fate of death, are being returned to Iran, at a time when the United States continues to intensify its bombing of the country,” Shubin said. "This journey must be stopped."