Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Italy intends to submit a proposal to the United Nations for a general ceasefire during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to ANSA, the initiative will cover all armed conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and hostilities in the Middle East.
“We support the US plan (for Gaza) and, as Pope Leo said, we must never lose hope for peace. Rome and Italy are becoming increasingly important crossroads of peace, development, and growth. In view of the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, we are submitting a proposal to the UN for an Olympic truce for all wars, including Ukraine and the Middle East,” said the Italian Foreign Minister.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026.
These are the first Olympic Games to be hosted by two cities at the same time — Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to Olympic tradition, host countries often appeal to the UN with an “Olympic Truce” initiative, calling on world powers to cease military action during the Games in the spirit of international unity and peace.
Italy expects its proposal to be considered by the UN General Assembly in the near future.
GAZA STRIP, ITALY, OLYMPICS, truce, UN
The Italian city of Trento will host the Ukro-2025 festival of Ukrainian culture on September 28, UkrInform reports with reference to the Ukrainian Newspaper in Italy.
The event will take place at the Trentino Music Arena in San Vincenzo with the support of the Trento City Council and will be held in parallel with Oktoberfest, uniting cultural traditions of Central Europe and Ukraine.
The festival, founded in Milan in 2015, is being held for the seventh time. Previously Ukro was hosted by the cities of Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Padua, Venice and Bologna.
The program includes concerts by Ukrainian performers, dance and theater groups, craft fair, gastronomic presentations, master classes and charity initiatives. A special element will be the collective artwork DIM-UKRO, created by hundreds of participants.
The organizers expect more than two thousand visitors and emphasize that the festival not only popularizes Ukrainian culture, but also promotes intergenerational dialogue and support for the diaspora.
In terms of total trade volume, Ukraine cooperates most closely with China, Poland, and Germany. These countries form the basis of the state’s foreign economic relations, exerting a critical influence on imports and exports.
China remains the leader with a total trade volume of $8.99 billion. Poland ranks second with $6.04 billion, while Germany and Turkey are almost equal with $4.28 billion and $4.25 billion, respectively. The United States ranks fifth with $2.86 billion.
The top 10 also includes Italy ($2.38 billion), the Czech Republic ($1.64 billion), Bulgaria ($1.54 billion), Hungary ($1.53 billion), and Romania ($1.50 billion).
“The top ten partners form the basis of Ukraine’s foreign trade balance. China and the EU countries account for the largest volumes of trade, but it is important to take into account the significant negative balance in relations with these countries,” said Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.
He added that although the large volume of trade indicates Ukraine’s integration into global supply chains, dependence on imports from China and Europe creates strategic risks.
“Poland and Germany are key hubs for Ukrainian exports, but at the same time they are significant sources of imports. Therefore, it is critically important to balance trade flows, preserving positive sectors such as agriculture and metallurgy, and reducing dependence on critical imports,” Urakin noted.
BULGARIA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, ECONOMY, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY, POLAND, ROMANIA, TURKEY, UKRAINE, USA, МАКСИМ УРАКИН
According to the results of the first half of 2025, Poland remains Ukraine’s main trading partner in terms of export volumes. According to research by Active Group and Experts Club, exports to Poland amounted to US$2.45 billion.
Turkey ranks second with USD 1.71 billion, and Italy ranks third with USD 1.17 billion. Other major partners include: Germany ($1.09 billion), Spain ($976 million), the Netherlands ($919 million), China ($847 million), Egypt ($776 million), Romania ($679 million), and Hungary ($652 million).
“The structure of Ukraine’s exports shows a clear focus on European Union countries. Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands together account for more than half of total exports. This indicates Ukraine’s strategic integration into the European economic space,” emphasized Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.
He also noted that Turkey remains a critically important partner for Ukrainian agricultural and metallurgical exports, while China and Egypt are key markets for agricultural products, particularly grains.
“The presence of trading partners such as Egypt and China diversifies Ukrainian exports,” Urakin added.
CHINA, ECONOMY, EGYPT, EXPERTS CLUB, EXPORTS, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY, POLAND, ROMANIA, TRADE, TURKEY, UKRAINE, МАКСИМ УРАКИН
Italy traditionally enjoys a high level of trust among Ukrainians, combining cultural proximity and pragmatic economic cooperation. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in August 2025.
According to the survey, 57.3% of Ukrainian citizens have a positive attitude towards Italy (41.7% – mostly positive, 15.7% – completely positive). Only 2.3% of respondents expressed a negative attitude, while 38.7% remain neutral. Another 2.0% said they did not know enough about the country.
“For Ukrainians, Italy is associated with a warm culture, support during the war and significant diaspora contacts. But an even more important factor is the economic one: in the first half of 2025, the total trade between Ukraine and Italy amounted to more than $2.38 billion, of which exports from Ukraine amounted to $1.17 billion and imports from Italy to $1.21 billion. The negative balance of $40 million is insignificant and indicates a relative balance of economic relations,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
In turn, Alexander Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, emphasized that the positive attitude of Ukrainians goes beyond economic calculations.
“For most citizens, Italy is also a country associated with cultural openness, historical ties and solidarity in difficult times. That is why more than half of Ukrainians demonstrate a positive attitude, and the low level of negative assessments confirms the friendly nature of relations. In the future, this creates preconditions for even closer cooperation in both political and economic dimensions,” he added.
The survey was part of a broader study of international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical environment.
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ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, ITALY, Poznyi, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, URAKIN
The Italian government plans to restrict the presence of Chinese investors in key companies to avoid possible tensions in relations with the US, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources.
The plans concern companies that the government considers strategic, both private and state-owned, the sources said. One of the most notable examples is Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli & C. SpA, 37% of which is owned by Chinese state-owned Sinochem International Corp.
Earlier this year, Pirelli stripped the Chinese investor of its management control after facing the threat of sales restrictions in the US, its main market. As reported, Washington has banned the import or sale in the country of connected cars that use Chinese equipment or software.
Sinochem insists that its investment in Pirelli is long-term, while Rome is considering options to pressure the Chinese investor to sell its stake, sources say.
The situation surrounding Pirelli shows the difficulties Europe faces in the new geopolitical reality. The region welcomed Chinese investors after the 2008 financial crisis, but now seeks to reduce its dependence on Beijing in order to protect strategic industries and maintain good relations with US President Donald Trump.
Among other companies from which Italy would like to oust Chinese investors is CDP Reti SpA, which controls the country’s power grids, sources say. A subsidiary of State Grid Corporation of China owns 35% of CDP Reti and has two seats on its board of directors.
Another example is power plant manufacturer Ansaldo Energia SpA. Although Shanghai Electric has already reduced its stake in the company from 0.5% to 40%, the very presence of a Chinese investor prevents the company from participating in a number of tenders and competitions in the US energy market, according to one of the sources.
In total, about 700 Italian companies have Chinese investors, but the government is mainly focused on large firms in strategic sectors, including energy, transport, technology, and finance.
