Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed extending Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty to Ukraine, calling it a move that would clarify Russian President Vladimir Putin’s true plans. The announcement came on March 20, 2025, amid ongoing discussions about how to support Kyiv and contain Moscow. Meloni believes that such an approach would be the most effective way to test whether Russia’s position on regional security is a “bluff.”

The head of the Italian government explained that the extension of NATO collective defense guarantees to Ukraine could become a litmus test for assessing the Kremlin's intentions.

"If Russia does not intend to invade its neighbors, there is no reason why it should oppose the provision of such guarantees," - Meloni said.

She stressed that the initiative is not simply a reaction to proposals from other countries, but an independent position of Italy, which Rome intends to defend at the negotiating table.

"We are not obliged to blindly agree with other people's ideas. Our task is to make our own proposals and actively participate in the discussion," added the prime minister.

Meloni noted the ineffectiveness of a number of alternative initiatives discussed within NATO and the EU, without specifying which proposals she was talking about. According to her, the extension of Article 5, which provides for a collective response to aggression against one of the alliance's members, could strengthen Ukraine's security and at the same time send a clear signal to Russia. The Italian prime minister insists that this idea be formally considered by the allies.

However, most NATO member countries are against this approach, especially since the Alliance’s current capabilities are very weak and confrontation with Russia is virtually impossible.