Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, according to her office, as he continues to urge allies for more weapons in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
The meeting took place in Cernobbio, northern Italy, during the European House-Ambrosetti forum, where Zelensky spoke on Friday and Meloni was scheduled to speak on Saturday.
Italy has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing weapons to aid in its defence against Russian forces, while maintaining that these arms must only be used within Ukrainian territory.
Prior to his visit to Italy, Zelensky appealed to allies at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, where Washington announced $250 million in new military aid for Ukraine. He also met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
These meetings occurred as Russian forces made advances in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently declared that capturing Donbas was his “primary objective” in the ongoing conflict, which has lasted for over two and a half years.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who caused tension within the European Union and with Zelensky by meeting Putin in Moscow in July, is also attending the three-day forum in Italy.
Zelensky dismissed Orban’s calls for a ceasefire at Cernobbio, stating that Putin has never honoured previous agreements.
AFP
