“Peace is possible, but that will be what the Ukrainians will decide”. The French president said it clearly Emmanuel Macron during his speech at the international meeting "The cry for peace - Religions and culture in dialogue", applauded by the ministers of the new Meloni government present. An event promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio which will see the participation of the great world religions for three days in Rome together with representatives of the world of culture and institutions, coming from over 40 countries around the world.
In Rome, in the evening, Macron will also meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during an informal face-to-face which for Meloni however represents the first official test of his newborn premiership.
Macron's speech in Rome: "Peace is possible, but it will be the one decided by the Ukrainians"
"We speak of peace, of this cry for peace at a time when Ukrainian men and women are fighting to resist, to defend their dignity, to protect their borders and their sovereignty". “Peace is possible and that is what the Ukrainians will decide and that will respect the rights of the sovereign people”. These are the words pronounced by the French President at the “La Nuvola” Convention Center in Rome, where the meeting promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio was held.
“I am not convinced that this is the war of all the Russian people. It is necessary to work under the track, it is essential, you have to talk to the Russian people, we need to speak to their consciences”, added Macron, who then explained “Russia has isolated itself from the rest of the world and the Covid pandemic has helped this isolation. We were convinced that there were threats, that the Western world would try to destroy Russia”.
“Right now we only talk about victory, defeat, accepting being so out of time and talking about peace is something great. And that's why I came today,” stressed the French president. "Talking about peace today, calling for peace today, may perhaps be unbearable for those who are fighting for their freedom," he explains. “And maybe someone might think of a betrayal, but let's not let peace be today captured by Russian power".
During the event, Macron greeted and shook hands with the new foreign minister Antonio Tajani. “We will always work together with the EU and NATO. There is no peace without justice”, said the new number one of the Farnesina.
Mattarella: "Peace is integral or it doesn't exist"
“It is a commitment that calls for the contribution of each one so thatLet the cry of peace spread with ever new strength. This is why we are here today, many of us, from many parts of the world,” said the president Sergio Mattarella speaking at the International Meeting “The cry for peace.
"If you want peace, prepare it – added Mattarella -: it was an exhortation repeated several times over the centuries. There can be no opposition between means and ends if peace is to be desired. Peace cannot be achieved by exalting war and the will to power. Why peace is integral or it does not exist. And it does not exist if it is not supported by truth and justice. The Constitution and the conduct of the Republic have complied with these principles. A Constitution fruit of a conscience painfully matured in the devastating ferocity of the Second World War, to which the dictatorships of the twentieth century led us".
“Wars have a domino, multiplier effect. Wars are contagious“, warned Mattarella. “We cannot surrender ourselves to the injustice of de facto situations, nor to the agony of endless wars. Europe cannot and must not allow itself to fall a prisoner of precariousness, unable to fulfill its natural role of guarantor of peace and stability on the continent and in neighboring areas. Our own freedom and prosperity depends on it”, said the head of state.
"The wretched war waged by Russia it represents a direct challenge to the values of peace, it puts the Ukrainian people in grave danger every day, it also affects the Russian people, it generates dramatic consequences for the whole world. That aggression distorts the rules, principles and values of international life. Instead, it deepens the divisions in the global community called to find urgent cooperative solutions to common problems: health and food crises, the devastating effects of climate change, terrorist threats".
The Macron-Meloni meeting
At Sant'Egidio, in the evening, the president Macron will meet the Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. The two will have a lot to talk about starting with the gas issue, on which Italy and France maintained common positions until a few days ago and fought together to reach the ceiling.
Meloni will then reassure Macron on Atlanticist position of Italy as he has already done in telephone conversations with Stoltenberg and Von der Leyen.
The French president will remain in Italy until tomorrow afternoon. In the morning he will have a meeting with Papa Francesco which will be followed by a lunch at the Quirinal with President Mattarella.
