FACT CHECK: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Didn’t Say Russia Would Be Forced To Surrender
A post shared on Threads claims Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Russia would be forced to surrender.
Verdict: False
Meloni said Ukraine would have been forced to surrender if the “international community” did not support it. She did not say that Russia would be forced to surrender.
Fact Check:
Italy may send Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Independent. Italy is also sending Ukraine a SAMP/T air defense system, the outlet reported.
Social media users are claiming that Meloni said, “If Russia does not agree to the terms, we will force them to surrender.” The claim has spread widely on X.
This claim is false. Check Your Fact reviewed the transcript, published by the Italian government in English, and found that she said Ukraine would have been forced to surrender if the “international community” did not support it.
Meloni said:
“Defending Ukraine means defending that system of rules that holds the international community together and protects every Nation. If Ukraine had not been able to count on our support and therefore would have been forced to surrender, today we would not be here to discuss the minimum conditions for a negotiation. We would be just discussing the invasion of a sovereign state and we can all imagine with what consequences.”
The video was also published on YouTube, with Meloni speaking in English. The transcript and video match. (RELATED: Fact Checking Biden’s Claim That He Was ‘Appointed’ To The Naval Academy)
USA Today also debunked this claim.