Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called for an urgent ceasefire in Ukraine to secure a negotiated end to the war, saying Italy would continue to support Kyiv.

Draghi said it was important to keep up the pressure with economic sanctions because we have to put Moscow at the negotiating table.

A ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible, Draghi said, speaking in the Senate during a debate on the role of Italy in supporting Ukraine.

Draghi did not explicitly mention whether Italy would continue to supply weapons to Kyiv, which is opposed by the Five Star Movement and the League, key members of his multi-party coalition.

Opinion polls show there is little support in Italy for providing military assistance to Ukraine.

However, Draghi indicated that he was not ready to rule out further arms transfers. Italy will continue to support the government of Ukraine in its efforts to repel the Russian invasion. We will do this in close coordination with our European partners, he said.