The request came about during a meeting on Friday with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, sources said.
Wang, the Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, met Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani on Thursday.
The minister told Rai radio on Friday that Wang had indicated to hm that Chinese President Xi Jinping would give a "speech of peace" on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine next week.
Mattarella's request comes on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying China is considering giving Russia weapons and ammunition for the war, .
Blinken told CBS News that Chinese companies were already providing "non-lethal support" to Russia - and new information has suggested Beijing could soon provide "lethal support".
