Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that it is still too early to consider using Russian gas, despite the war with Iran raising energy prices and reducing supplies, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
"I continue to hope that when the problem may arise seriously, that is, in January 2027, we will be able to make progress in establishing peace in Ukraine," Meloni told reporters in Verona on Tuesday. "We must not forget that the economic pressure we have put on Russia is, after all, the strongest weapon we have for building peace."
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Meloni responded to remarks by Claudio Descalzi, the chief executive of oil giant Eni SpA, who said on Sunday that plans to ban imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia should be suspended. Italy is highly dependent on gas for its energy needs, and the war in Iran has had a negative effect four years after the start of Russia's war with Ukraine.
"We must be very careful in how we move from this point of view," Meloni said. "It's too early to talk about this dynamic."
Addendum
Meloni, who is on the defensive after a defeat in a key referendum last month, is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome on Wednesday.
Italy has been particularly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for gas, among other goods, closed due to the US and Israel's war against Iran. In response, she traveled to Algeria to find more gas and visited war-affected suppliers in the Persian Gulf as part of a diplomatic offensive.
Few in Italy's political spectrum support an immediate resumption of Russian gas purchases, even if the war in Iran reduces supplies. Last week, former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Bloomberg News that Europe should not resume Russian gas purchases until an "honorable" peace agreement for Ukraine is reached.
Meloni reiterated calls for a suspension of the European Union's budget rules for the bloc, as governments face soaring energy prices and limited national budgets. The government extended the fuel tax cut until May 1. "It would be a huge mistake to act too late," she said.
Asked about Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV, the prime minister reiterated that his remarks were unacceptable. "We are trying to act with possibility in the context we have," she said. "When you have allies, and especially when they are strategically important, you must have the courage to say that you disagree."
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"The remarks about the Pope were unacceptable. I expressed my solidarity with him," she said. "I would not feel comfortable in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders tell them to do, at least not in this part of the world."