Russian media outlets are spreading claims that, during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Europe, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged him to capitulate. As “evidence”, propagandists cite an article published by The European Conservative, presenting it as the direct position of the Italian head of government. This was reported by StopFake.

In reality, this is a typical manipulation in which an opinion column or a journalist’s interpretation in a Western media outlet is presented as a politician’s direct statement. The article in The European Conservative contains no quotations in which Giorgia Meloni allegedly directly calls on Ukraine to capitulate. Instead, the publication merely references reports by other Italian media outlets, including Il Sole 24 Ore, while interpreting the Italian Prime Minister’s role in negotiations with the President of Ukraine.

The article states that Meloni allegedly emphasized public fatigue with the war, the need to find a solution to end the conflict as quickly as possible, and the importance of a ceasefire. However, even the Il Sole 24 Ore article cited by The European Conservative contains no direct quotation from Meloni calling for capitulation. The Italian newspaper’s author merely describes the Prime Minister’s diplomatic position, comparing it to a “softer version” of American ceasefire proposals and noting that, according to Meloni, any agreement must be accompanied by “reliable security guarantees” for Ukraine based on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.

Official statements issued following the meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Giorgia Meloni on 9 December 2025 also refute claims that she called for Ukraine’s capitulation. The statements note that the leaders “reviewed the progress of the negotiation process”, while Meloni stressed their “shared determination to pursue every diplomatic avenue to build a just and lasting peace that respects the rights of Ukrainian citizens and the security of the entire European continent”. The statements contain no suggestion that Ukraine should accept Russia’s terms or abandon its positions. On the contrary, the Italian Prime Minister once again reaffirmed her unwavering support for Ukraine.