"Italy is working non-stop to put this conflict to an end through sanctions and without ever giving up the diplomatic channels.
Comment: Sanctioning Russia won't help end the conflict, it will however help hasten the West's demise, which, in a roundabout way, might help end the conflict.
The continuation of negotiations between the parties and a humanitarian truce are priorities," Di Maio stated, acknowledging that "progress" was made during Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey earlier this week.
Rome is ultimately ready to become a guarantor of Ukraine's potential neutral status, which would see the country avoiding alignment with any military blocs, Di Maio added. Establishing such status and ensuring that Kiev never joins the US-led NATO military alliance have been among the key demands raised by Moscow.
"The Italian government is willing to contribute to the peace process and to guarantee the neutrality of Ukraine."
Moscow launched a large-scale offensive against its neighboring state in late February, following Ukraine's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements signed in 2014, and Russia's eventual recognition of the Donbass republics in Donetsk and Lugansk. The German and French brokered protocols had been designed to regularize the status of those regions within the Ukrainian state.
Russia has now demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join NATO. Kiev insists that the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.
And how's that working for you?