Meloni sees Zelensky: 'West divided a gift to Moscow, agreement with Kiev on drones'

"In these four years, the position of Europe and Italia has always been the same at the side of Kiev, its people and its institutions. It is not only a moral duty but a strategic necessity" because "Europe's security is also at stake". Thus Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in joint statements at the end of her meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Italia intends to continue to play its part in arriving at shared solutions that protect Kiev's sovereignty and ensure the solidity of the Euro-Atlantic alliance because a divided West, a split Europe would be the only real gift we could give Moscow," Meloni explained.

"Italia will continue to promote economic pressure within the G7 and the European Union against the Russian Federation, which continues to show no concrete signs in the path of negotiations, insists on attacks against civilians, and persists in hitting infrastructure. The twentieth sanctions package that Europe is preparing to adopt represents from this point of view an important step to further reduce the revenues that feed the Russian war machine. Similarly, we will continue to work to ensure the disbursement of the financial support decided by the EU Council, which is a key instrument to guarantee Ukraine's survival. A financial crisis in Kiev would produce incalculable damage for Europe as well,' the PM continued.

"Instability is slowly becoming our new normal, a disorienting, frightening scenario. But it is especially at times like these that friendship between brotherly peoples, who have given each other a helping hand in the most difficult moments of their history, makes the difference. Italia and Ukraine have done so, bound by a deep friendship, and will continue to do so in the coming years by strengthening friendship and cooperation,' the Prime Minister promised.

'We discussed how to strengthen defence cooperation, Italia is very interested in developing joint production especially in the area of drones, on which Ukraine has become a leading nation in recent years,' Meloni finally announced.