Europe must protect war-afflicted Ukraine and can play a key role in dialogue to end Russia's 68-day-old invasion and preserve democracy and security in the continent, Italy's premier Mario Draghi said on Tuesday.
"Helping Ukraine means above all working for peace. Our priority is to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, to save lives and to facilitate humanitarian aid operations to help civilians," Draghi told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
A truce would give fresh impetus to negotiations, which so far have not achieved the hoped-for results, he argued.
"Europe can and must have a central role in fostering dialogue," Draghi said.
"We must support Ukraine, its government and people, as its president (Volodymyr) Zelensky continues to request. In a war of aggression, there can be no equivalence between the invader and those who resist."
Human rights have been "violated" by the alleged war crimes by Russian forces in the strategic port city Mariupol and in the town of Bucha outside Kiev and elsewhere in Ukraine, Draghi underlined.
"Russia's aggression towards Ukraine has imperilled the European Union's greatest achievement: peace in our continent based on respect for borders, the rule of law, democratic sovereignty, conflict resolution through diplomacy, and respect for human rights," he stated.
