"The Italians in Ukraine were initially 2,000, now they are 400. Many of them want to stay because they have their lives in Ukraine, with wives and children. But
some are unfortunately trapped
, they are unable to leave the country".
This was stated by the ambassador of Italy to Ukraine, Pier Francesco Zazo, interviewed on Che tempo che fa on Rai 3. in connection with Lviv.
"The fact that the Italian embassy is still present in Ukraine represents an important aspect, appreciated by the Ukrainian government, but also a psychological support for the Italians present", added Zazo.
"Militarily speaking, Russia is superior. It may arrive in tanks in the center of Ukrainian cities, but then it will not be able to install a pro-Russian puppet regime. Even in the cities already conquered there is a popular uprising," he said. said the ambassador.
"There is strong popular support for Zelensky, a struggle for freedom is underway" and "there is a risk of urban guerrilla warfare, which could become a partisan struggle in the future," added Ambassador Zazo.
"The negotiation efforts initiated by Israel and Turkey have not yielded the expected results
. It is not easy, because the negotiation between the Russians and the Ukrainians is an asymmetrical one. Zelensky has given his willingness to yield on the Donbass, on the Crimea, probably even on Mariupol, if he were to lose it, he is ready to make concessions on neutrality, but
the real problem is represented by demilitarization
, because the Ukrainians do not trust ", said the ambassador.
"The bombings did not arrive in Lviv. We hope that the military escalation does not arrive here as well. There is a lot of trepidation because the Russians have surrounded the big cities.
Life in Lviv goes on almost normally, but you feel the tension" ,
said the ambassador in connection from Lviv, where, he recalled, "among the large G7 countries there are only the embassies of Italy and France", while "the majority of the others have moved to Poland".
"Putin will never be able to accept the humiliation of a military defeat
. Russian pride hinges mainly on military power. I don't believe in a world war because NATO doesn't want it, but the moment is dangerous enough," said the ambassador Zazo.