ITALY PERSPECTIVE

Rome follows the sequence without the dramaturgy of Paris or London. ANSA relayed Zelensky's statement — 'Moscow violated the truce, we will act accordingly' — in a short factual format, without the editorialising found in French or British press.

Italy is in a politically awkward position on Ukraine: Meloni has maintained Rome's support for Kyiv within NATO while simultaneously seeking to preserve channels with Moscow on energy. That ambivalence shows in Italian coverage: facts are reported, tone is more measured than in countries with the deepest military commitment to Ukraine.

The coincidence of the violated ceasefire with preparations for Moscow's May 9 parade — which concentrates part of Russia's air defences around the capital — is noted by Italian outlets, which question the strategic vulnerability Zelensky intends to exploit.