Draghi promises "very tough" EU sanctions for Russia.

Italian premier Mario Draghi said that Italy joins the EU and all allies in calling on Russian president Vladimir Putin to "put an immediate end to the bloodshed and to withdraw military forces  in an unconditional way" from within Ukraine's "internationally recognised borders".

The prime minister was speaking on Thursday morning, following a cabinet meeting at Palazzo Chigi, after earlier condemning Russia's military assault on Ukraine as "unjustified and unjustifiable".

• Italy PM condemns Russia's 'unjustifiable' attack on Ukraine

Expressing "full and unconditional solidarity" with the Ukrainian people of behalf of Italy, Draghi said Ukraine is "a European country, a friendly nation" and that what is happening there "affects all of us, our free living, our democracies."

#Ucraina, Draghi: L’Italia, l’UE e tutti gli alleati chiedono al Presidente Putin di mettere fine immediatamente allo spargimento di sangue e di ritirare le proprie forze militari al di fuori dei confini internazionalmente riconosciuti dell’Ucraina in modo incondizionato— Palazzo_Chigi (@Palazzo_Chigi) February 24, 2022

The premier said that Italy shares the position of seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis, stating: "I have always thought that any form of dialogue should be sincere and above all useful... But the actions of the Russian government these days make this virtually impossible."

Draghi will attend this afternoon's emergency EU summit on the Russia-Ukraine crisis in Brussels, promising "a package of very tough sanctions" against Moscow.

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Draghi will report to parliament on Friday morning, pledging that the government intends to "work ceaselessly to resolve the crisis together with our allies" and do "everything necessary to guarantee the sovereignty of Ukraine, the security of the EU and the international order based on the rules that we all share."

#Ucraina, Draghi: Il Governo intende lavorare senza sosta per risolvere questa crisi. Con i nostri alleati faremo tutto il necessario per preservare la sovranità ucraina, la sicurezza dell’Europa e l’integrità dell’ordine internazionale basato sulle regole e sui valori condivisi— Palazzo_Chigi (@Palazzo_Chigi) February 24, 2022

Draghi stressed that Italy's embassy in Kyiv remains "open and fully operational" and that it is "on maximum alert, ready to take any decision necessary".