Zelensky’s European tour continues, as he met today with the Italian Prime Minister and the President of the Republic.
Italy “has sided without ifs or buts, in recent years, with the attacked nation”. These are the words of the prime minister Giorgia Melonidelivered yesterday on the eve of today’s visit by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The tours the Ukrainian leader’s Italian tour began today at 3.30pm, with the arrival at Palazzo Chigi, where the prime minister was waiting for him for the usual photos; then the bilateral between the two, which was followed a meeting with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.
The meeting with Meloni
“We did everything we could to help a people who are defending themselves and who are also defending us. And that is what we will continue to do as we work to try to build a path of peace”, this is what the Prime Minister expressed herself yesterday, confirming Italy’s position towards the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Today, however, in the press conference following the end of the summit with Zelensky, Giorgia Meloni reiterated that she had “took stock of the negotiations”. Reiterating that “Italy will always be at Kiev’s side”.
The position “of Italy and Europe has always remained the same, al side of Kiev: it is a moral duty and a strategic necessity“, because, according to the Prime Minister, “the security of Europe is also at stake”.
The Prime Minister also said she was interested in “strengthening cooperation in defense matters. Italy is very interested in developing joint production especially in drone sectoron which Ukraine has become a leading nation in recent years”.
Finally, the Prime Minister confirmed Italy’s commitment to “promoting within the G7 and the European Union economic pressure on the Russian Federationwhich continues to show no concrete signs in the negotiation process.”
President Zelensky instead wanted to say “thanks to Italy” for “your constant support to Ukraine and to the Ukrainians”. “I want to thank you in particular for your respect towards our state, towards our independence, our territorial integrity”.
The Ukrainian leader then wanted to personally thank the Italian prime minister: “I thank you, Giorgia, for our relationships, because we have built these relationships together between us and between our peoplestogether with Italy, together with our countries, and we work to guarantee security in every sense of this word”.
The meeting with Mattarella
After the summit with Meloni, President Zelensky went to the Quirinale to confer with the President of the Republic, in what is the fourth meeting between the Ukrainian leader and Sergio Mattarella.
Ukraine in the background
Since the outbreak of the Middle Eastern war, the war in Ukraine has clearly taken a backseat.
Zelensky himself admits it, in an interview given on Tuesday evening to the German channel Zdf: «Americans are constantly in contact with Iran and have no time for Ukraine».
On the other hand, the position of the United States has been clear for some time regarding the end of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev: Ukraine must leave Donbass to Russia.
A Ukrainian official also reconfirmed this yesterday. Washington, he explained, is asking Ukraine to “withdraw” from the Donbass regionsbut Kiev continues to block.
As the diplomatic stalemate continues, Zelensky admits that it is likely that «if the (Middle Eastern, ed.) war lasts longer, there will be fewer weapons for Ukraine».
This ammunition shortage is already being felt for the interceptor missiles of the Patriot systemsas reported by the Ukrainian President: «Currently the shortage of Patriot systems is so serious that the situation could not be worse».
The Middle Eastern conflict spreads its reverberations throughout the world, Ukraine is no exception.
