Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, in which they discussed Kyiv’s plans to end the war with Russia and reconstruction efforts.
The conservative prime minister met the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the annual TEHA business forum on Lake Como, as Italy prepares to host next year’s conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Meloni told the forum Italy would never backtrack on its support for Ukraine. The decision was not just morally right but also in the national interest given it was aimed at safeguarding rules designed to protect a country’s national integrity, she said.
“It’s a choice that won’t change,” she said, adding that China and India also had a “role to play” in resolving the conflict. “The only thing that cannot happen is to think that the conflict can be solved by abandoning Ukraine.”
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday called on China to stop supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and said Beijing’s involvement has been a significant factor in the continuation of the war. China has previously described similar statements made by Nato as ‘malicious’ and biased.