PRAGUE, May 31. /TASS/. Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has reiterated that the weapons Rome sends Ukraine cannot be used for strikes against Russia, and the participation of Italian soldiers in this conflict is also unacceptable.

"Italy has been, is and will continue to help Ukraine defend its independence, both with economic and military aid. But we will not send a single Italian soldier to fight in Ukraine, nor can our weapons be used outside Ukrainian territory, as our constitution does not allow it. We are not at war with Russia, we are only defending Ukraine's freedom," he said at a press briefing ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.

The Italian minister is convinced that "the stagnation [of the conflict] will push the Russian leader to negotiate." Speaking about the task to protect Ukraine from falling into the Russian influence zone, Tajani misspoke when he used the phrase "Soviet influence," although he immediately corrected himself.