ROME (dpa-AFX) – During a visit to Rome, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj asked for further support for the defense against the Russian war of aggression. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised the guest from Kiev help “as long as it is necessary and beyond,” as she said after a working lunch on Saturday. Selenskyj had previously met President Sergio Mattarella. This was followed by an audience with Pope Francis. After landing on Twitter, Zelenskyy wrote of an “important visit to achieve victory for Ukraine”.
Mattarella expressed his country’s solidarity to Zelenskyy. Italy is “fully on the side” of Ukraine, which has been fighting off a Russian invasion for a good 14 months. “It’s an honor to have you here in Rome,” Mattarella said.
Afterwards we went to the official residence of the Prime Minister. Meloni warmly greeted Zelenskyj, whom she called “my friend”, in the courtyard of the Palazzo Chigi. She assured Ukraine of further support – and meant by that also weapons and ammunition. These are necessary for peace. Kiev must have a strong position in negotiations, “because peace cannot follow capitulation. That would be a dangerous peace for Europe.” Meloni campaigned for Ukraine’s admission to the EU because the country was also fighting for the rest of Europe – “for all of us,” as she said.
Zelenskyy thanked Italy for the help, both bilaterally and as part of the international community. His country wants peace and has proposed a plan. “But Russia responded with missiles. Russia has no interest in peace.” Russia abducted 200,000 children from Ukrainian areas, he said. He invited politicians from Italy to visit Ukraine to see for themselves what the Kremlin chief Wladimir Putin wreaking havoc with his war of aggression.
After the meetings with the heads of state of Italy, Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis in the Vatican. The meeting was a “great honor,” he told the head of the Catholic Church. The two exchanged gifts and retired for a private chat. As the Holy See later announced, the focus of their meeting was the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine. The pontiff stressed “the urgent need for human gestures towards the innocent victims of the conflict” as well as his “constant appeal to the Lord for peace”.
During a subsequent talk show on Italian television, Zelenskyi again emphasized that meeting the pontiff was an honor for him. Asked about a peace plan, Zelenskyy said: “But he knows my position – the war is in Ukraine and the plan has to be Ukrainian.” However, one is very interested in including the Vatican in a peace formula. Zelenskyj also insisted on bringing Ukrainian children who were abducted to Russia back to Ukraine.
Selenskyj travels from Italy to Germany, as government circles in Berlin confirmed to the German Press Agency. It was initially unclear whether Selenskyj would arrive on Saturday evening or only on Sunday. The exact visit program has not yet been announced.
Good news had previously reached Selenskyj from Germany: the federal government promised Ukraine further arms deliveries worth 2.7 billion euros. Among other things, 20 more Marder armored personnel carriers, 30 Leopard 1 tanks and 4 Iris-T-SLM anti-aircraft systems are to be provided, as the Ministry of Defense announced in Berlin.
The Charlemagne Prize for European Merit, which was awarded to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in December, will be presented in Aachen on Sunday afternoon. A visit to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Berlin could be preceded.
There has been speculation about Zelenskyj’s visit to Germany since an indiscretion by the Berlin police a week ago. The advance of the police endangered the visit, because Zelenskyj’s trips abroad are usually kept secret until the last minute for security reasons.
Zelenskyj was brought to Rome by an Italian government plane from the south-eastern Polish airport in Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border on Saturday. When landing at Rome Ciampino Airport, Italian fighter jets were also in the air, as could be seen on the pictures. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani received Selenskyj at the airport. Selenskyj is in Italy for the first time since the Russian attack on his country.
Rome took extraordinary security measures for the guest. According to media reports, around 1,500 police officers and security forces were deployed. Airports, train stations and the subway were specially controlled. A no-fly zone was set up over the city, including for drones, and snipers were positioned.
Ukrainians living in Italy gathered in the well-known Piazza Barberini in the center of Rome. Despite the rain, they sang the Ukrainian national anthem together. “We want to tell the President that we are with him,” said the head of the Christian Association of Ukrainians in Italy, Oles Horodetskyy, on TV./msw/DP/mis