Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that he considers it wrong to abolish the simplified visa regime for Russians, because they need to be shown " He stated this in an interview with Corriere della Sera..

“We must leave a channel to the Russian people, and not to political elites seeking confrontation. Last week, some European ambassadors met in Moscow and were surprised that Russian citizens were denied visas.. It would be better for people to come to Europe to hear a different voice,” he said..

At the same time, Crosetto argues that Italy should continue to help Ukraine because there is no alternative..

He added that the possibility of talking about peace will only appear if Ukraine can withstand the impact of a new attack, so Kyiv needs help..

“You can create the conditions to finally try to sit down and talk. But the dialogue will be difficult, Russia does not intend to leave the Ukrainian territories it occupies,” the minister added..

The head of the Ministry of Defense noted that although in his country many citizens oppose military assistance to Ukraine, the truth is that "

“We must explain to the public that the Russians want escalation so as not to miss the lie, that it is others, that is, all of us, who do not strive for peace.. If the Russian tanks had not crossed the border of Ukraine, we would not be in this situation,” Crosetto added..

Nevertheless, according to him, Europe should seek dialogue with the Russians..

“I have never shared isolation in relation to artists, athletes, civilians. We must leave the channels of dialogue open,” the minister concluded..

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Recall, earlier Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that Ukraine would receive weapons from the country until peace negotiations begin.. In particular, this week Italy is preparing to announce the sixth aid package for Ukraine..