European allies of Ukraine should appoint a single representative for talks with ‌Russia to end the war, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told ​lawmakers on Thursday, saying smaller groups of nations cannot represent the entire bloc.

On Sunday, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany - heading ⁠an informal security alliance called the E3 - met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ​and said they supported Kyiv's proposal for talks with Russia to secure a ⁠ceasefire.

Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, said Europe needed to "interact" with Moscow to stop the conflict, but no restricted group had the "legitimacy to speak" for all.

"I have long supported the need ‌to identify an authoritative figure, entrusted with the confidence and mandate ​of all (European Union) ‌member states to represent Europe," she told parliament ahead of an EU summit and a meeting of ‌leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies next week.

She added that efforts to build peace in Ukraine also required stronger coordination between Europe and ⁠the United States, saying this was "a not ‌always easy but necessary challenge."

Meloni's ⁠remarks echoed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who this week lamented his country's absence from talks ⁠with Zelenskyy ⁠in London and said another meeting on Ukraine, also involving Warsaw and Rome, would soon take place.

In her ‌speech, Meloni also addressed the war between the United States and Iran, with ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz pushing up energy prices and weighing on ‌the global economy.

She ​said Europe should be ‌ready to ease sanctions on Iran if it showed a willingness to negotiate.

"If, instead, Tehran continues down the wrong path, threatening freedom of ​navigation, carrying out attacks, supporting militias and violating international obligations, then the European Union must be ready to increase pressure, including through new targeted measures," ‌she said.