Needs negotiations with Russia, not arms race -- former Italian Prime Minister Conte

Needs negotiations with Russia, not arms race -- former Italian Prime Minister Conte reports that former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called for the EU to shift from rearmament to diplomacy. Speaking ahead of developments tied to the bloc’s Russia stance, Conte urged the immediate appointment of a special EU representative for negotiations with Russia, criticizing delays and saying diplomacy costs nothing compared with rearmament. He argued that “anti-Russian hysteria” has inflated economic costs for EU countries, pointing to rising energy prices that he said drive companies toward bankruptcy and worsen social conditions. Conte also said there are no appropriate conditions for Ukraine’s EU accession and opposed sending weapons to Kyiv. The article notes that at the EU summit on June 18–19, EU countries failed to agree on a negotiator candidate or the content of possible talks, with Russia saying the EU cannot mediate due to its weapons support for Ukraine.