Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged unwavering assist for Ukraine after a gathering with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, the place they mentioned kyiv’s plans to finish the battle with Russia and reconstruction efforts.
The conservative prime minister met the Ukrainian chief on the sidelines of the annual TEHA enterprise discussion board on Lake Como, as Italy prepares to host subsequent 12 months’s convention on rebuilding Ukraine.
Meloni advised the discussion board that Italy would by no means again down on its assist for Ukraine. The choice was not solely morally appropriate, but in addition within the nationwide curiosity, because it was supposed to safeguard the principles designed to guard a rustic’s nationwide integrity, he mentioned.
“It’s a alternative that won’t change,” he mentioned, including that China and India even have a “function to play” in resolving the battle. “The one factor that can’t occur is to assume that the battle could be resolved by abandoning Ukraine.”
NATO Secretary Basic Jens Stoltenberg on Friday urged China to cease supporting Russia’s battle in Ukraine, saying Beijing’s assist has been a significant component within the continuation of the battle. China has beforehand referred to as comparable statements made by NATO “malicious” and biased.
Meloni referred to as the concept the end result of the battle had already been determined “Russian propaganda,” including that Western assist had made eventual peace talks potential.
“Within the occasion of an invasion, peace talks can’t be held, there isn’t a want for a negotiating desk. The necessity for them arises, in any case, when a impasse is reached… the impasse that we now have helped to create,” he mentioned.
Talking on the discussion board on Friday, Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine wanted the total assist of its allies to be in a robust place for any future negotiations with Russia.
In a put up on X on Saturday, he mentioned he had mentioned his peace plans with Meloni, in addition to his reconstruction technique with a give attention to Ukraine’s vitality system.
Earlier than assembly the Italian prime minister, the Ukrainian chief dined with dozens of Italian enterprise leaders forward of subsequent 12 months’s reconstruction convention.
On the dinner, Zelenskyy mentioned corporations will be capable to bid for contracts and {that a} digital platform for the reconstruction occasion shall be launched within the coming months.
