She argued that extending NATO's Article 5 protection, which obliges member states to protect each other under the principle of collective defense, could be a more permanent solution than sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine.
"This is not full membership in NATO, but it implies the extension of the alliance's protection to Ukraine," Meloni said on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels.
The proposal comes as European leaders seek to support Ukraine amid the President Donald Trump administration's push for a quick end to the war. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the idea of Ukraine joining NATO.
While experts doubt the likelihood of White House support for Meloni's proposal, this is the first clear expression of her position on the matter.