Italy "will do everything possible" to defend Ukraine's skies from Russian attack, foreign minister Antonio Tajani told a press conference on Capri at the close of a three-day G7 foreign ministers' meeting there.
"I can only confirm what the president of the (European) Council (Charles Michel said, also in light of the conversation I had with (Italy's defence) minister (Guido) Crosetto in the presence of (Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro) Kuleba," Tajani said.
"We will do everything possible to help Ukraine, also from the point of view of air protection," Tajani continued.
In a joint concluding statement, the G7 ministers reaffirmed "our unwavering determination to support democratic Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders".
The statement urged Russia to "immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraws all of its military forces and equipment from the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine".
"We express our resolve in particular to bolster Ukraine’s air defence capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure. We will also work with partners towards this end," the statement said.
"In this context we appreciate the Immediate Action for Air Defence Initiative proposed by Germany," the statement continued, referring to a global call launched this month by Berlin to help protect cities, troops and infrastructure.
IAAD primarily seeks to procure more US-built Patriot systems for Ukraine, which have proven most effective against Russian ballistic missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made repeated calls for Ukraine’s western partners to provide more air defence systems amid a multipronged and intensifying Russian offensive.
