Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has described President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent criticism of the European Union as “unfair”, stressing that Europe has played a decisive role in supporting Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Italy–Germany Forum, Tajani responded to questions about Zelensky’s remarks in Davos, where the Ukrainian president suggested that the EU had not done enough. According to Tajani, the Union “has done everything possible” to back Kyiv, providing continuous political, diplomatic, financial and military support. This commitment, he said, has been essential in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.

“To say that Europe has not done enough is not a generous assessment,” Tajani noted, underlining that European assistance has been constant and well structured, both through individual member states and through joint EU initiatives.

Turning to trade policy, Tajani also highlighted the importance of the Mercosur agreement as a key instrument to strengthen European exports and support Italian and German industries. “Italy and Germany approved the Mercosur agreement because we have a duty to support a trade policy that opens markets for our productive sectors,” he said, adding that the deal could boost Italian exports by around €14 billion.

According to the minister, the agreement fits into a broader framework of deep economic relations based on integrated industrial chains and shared export-oriented growth models. Despite global uncertainty and trade barriers, Tajani stressed that Europe can still do much more, reaffirming the Italian government’s goal of reaching €700 billion in exports by the end of 2027, with Germany remaining Italy’s leading export destination.