Putin and Erdogan Call for an Immediate Truce in the Middle East as the Italian PM Starts an Unexpected visit of the Gulf

As the Middle East conflict rages, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni started an unexpected trip to Saudi Arabia on Friday as part of a Gulf tour to strengthen “national energy security,” according to a government source.

Meloni began her unannounced trip in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the source said, adding that she was the first leader of a European Union or Nato country to visit the region since the war began on Feb.28.

The far-right premier would meet officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the source, though it was not immediately apparent if she would also travel to those two nations. According to the source, “the goal is to strengthen relations with these countries and repeat Italy’s support against Iranian attacks.”

During a phone conversation on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a quick truce in the Middle East conflict, according to the Kremlin.

According to Erdogan’s administration, Erdogan informed Putin that Turkey was keeping in touch with all sides to prevent the Iran war from getting out of hand. According to the report, Erdogan informed Putin that Turkey does not support Iran’s reprisal against neighboring nations or the strikes against Iran.

According to the Kremlin, Putin and Erdogan also talked about “the importance of coordinated measures to comprehensively ensure security in the Black Sea area,” accusing Ukraine of “attempts to target gas transportation infrastructure linking Russia and Turkey.

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