Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has underscored her country’s support for Kyiv.
This came after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the European House-Ambrosetti (TEHA) Forum in the northern Italian city of Cernobbio.
Meloni told reporters afterwards that the 40-minute meeting went well.
She reiterated Italy’s commitment to supporting Kyiv as it battles against the Russian forces of invasion.
“The choice of supporting Ukraine has been first and foremost a choice of national interest, and it’s a choice that won’t change,” Meloni told the conference.
“We cannot allow that the Russian invasion goes unpunished,” Meloni said, stressing that supporting Ukraine is not only morally right, but also in Italy’s national interest.
Meloni also said that the current stalemate in the Ukraine conflict, brought about partly by the decison by the Western world to support Kyiv, was a pre-condition for peace talks.
She also called for further solidarity with Ukraine amid mediation attempts by countries like China and India.
“I believe China and India have a role to play to resolve the conflict. The only thing that cannot happen is to think that the conflict can be solved by abandoning Ukraine.”
Giorgia Meloni
Meloni’s office said in a statement that the leaders discussed the latest developments on the ground and Ukraine’s most urgent needs ahead of winter and in the face of continuing Russian attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure.
It said the Premier “reiterated that support for Ukraine is a top priority on the Italian G7 Presidency’s agenda and reaffirmed the ongoing commitment to Ukraine’s legitimate defence and to a just and lasting peace”.
It said they also addressed the issue of reconstruction ahead of the next Ukraine Recovery Conference which will be held in Italy in 2025.
Zelenskyy said his talks with Meloni had focused on reconstruction, particularly of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which Russia has often targeted in its attacks.
“I thank Georgia Meloni and the Italian people for their support and joint work to restore a just peace,” Zelenskyy, posted on Telegram on Saturday.
Italy has strongly supported Ukraine as it fights against the Russian invasion. Rome has delivered weapons to Ukraine, but insisted that these must not be used to attack targets within Russia itself.
UK, US Spy Chiefs Assert Need For Support For Ukraine
Separately US CIA Director Bill Burns and UK MI6 chief Richard Moore warned on Saturday that ongoing Western support for Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion was essential amid growing threats to the world order.
“Staying the course (in Ukraine) is more vital than ever. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence,” they said in an op-ed in the British newspaper.
They said their agencies would continue their efforts to counter a “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe by Russian intelligence,” saying that Russia was making “cynical use of technology” to spread disinformation “to drive wedges between us.”
Russia has denied Western allegations that it is carrying out sabotage and disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing the US and other countries.
Meanwhile, authorities in the southwestern Russian border region of Voronezh have declared an emergency after a Ukrainian drone attack caused explosions in the Ostrogozhsk district.
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported on the messaging app Telegram that several settlements in the district had been evacuated after explosions, without giving details on the cause.
Gusev said that there were no casualties.
Voronezh shares a border with Ukraine’s Luhansk region.
Its fuel depots and ammunition storage sites have come under frequent attacks from Ukrainian drones since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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