ROME, February 24. /TASS/. The authorities of Italy used to believe in the "peaceful solution of the crisis" in Ukraine, but now believe that it is impossible to hold a dialogue with Moscow in view of the Russian authorities’ actions there, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday.

"The Russian authorities’ actions in the recent days make it [the dialogue] impossible," Draghi said following a session of the inter-departmental security committee. "Italy and the EU as well as the rest of the allies demand from [Russian] President Vladimir Putin to immediately put an end to the bloodshed and withdraw the [Russian] Armed Forces outside the internationally recognized state borders of Ukraine."

He also voiced his unconditional support to the people of Ukraine and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

When clarifying the developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.