Italy has called for a legal basis for the European Union to use frozen Russian assets. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said they were not opposed in principle to such a step, but that an appropriate legal basis needed to be established.
Tajani spoke before an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers held in the Irish city of Wicklow. Saying the issue had been discussed several times previously, Tajani warned that legal problems could arise if the legal framework was not clarified.
Tajani noted that the decision had not been made so far for legal rather than political reasons, and stressed that the basis for using the assets first needed to be clarified.
Italy supports Germany
Tajani also said German authorities had announced the results of an investigation into an unmanned aerial vehicle reportedly carrying explosives at Leipzig-Halle Airport in August.
Saying Italy stood in solidarity with Germany, Tajani said the most effective response to such provocations was for the European Union to act in unity.
Tajani says EU is not at war with Russia
Tajani said the European Union was not at war with Russia, but that they supported Ukraine’s independence.
Tajani alleged that Russia was seeking to destabilize the West and Europe. He said Moscow could attempt to influence elections in European Union countries and described such an effort as unacceptable.
Tajani said caution was necessary because they were not at war with Russia, and called for Europe to respond to the provocations it faced in unity.