(MENAFN) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized the need to support current negotiations on Ukraine following a phone conversation with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz concerning the US-backed peace plan.

"During the call, the importance of supporting the ongoing negotiation efforts was stressed, and the final objective of achieving a just and lasting peace was reaffirmed in the interest of the whole of Europe," Meloni's office said in a statement.

Her office added that the discussion highlighted the value of strong security guarantees, a cornerstone for broader European and transatlantic stability, noting that this was "in line with what Italy has long been proposing."

The draft proposal reportedly calls for Ukraine to abandon NATO membership, formally acknowledge Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as effectively under Russian control, and withdraw forces to establish a demilitarized zone in Donbas. In return, it would receive security assurances based on NATO’s collective defense principle.

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