Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Rome on Saturday to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Pope Francis.
“We renew our commitment by the side of Ukrainian people, in defense of freedom and democracy,” said Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. “Italy welcomes Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.”
Meloni, who visited Zelenskiy in Kyiv in February, has been a strong backer of Ukraine since she took office at the end of last year. Her coalition partners Silvio Berlusconi, who is undergoing treatment for chronic leukemia, and Matteo Salvini have in the past praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and cultivated ties with Russia.
Mattarella pledged “full support to Ukraine for military, financial, humanitarian and rebuilding aids in the short and long term,” in comments relayed by an official in his office. “At stake is not only Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity, but also the freedom of the people and the international order,” he said.
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians. Speaking on a return flight to Rome from Budapest last month, he said that a secret peace “mission” in Russia’s war in Ukraine was under way, without giving any details of the operation. The Holy See is willing to facilitate the return to Ukraine of children taken to Russia during the war, the Vatican News website reported at that time.
Zelenskiy’s next stop is Berlin, where he will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday, according to German media. He will also receive the 2023 International Charlemagne Prize in Aachen during the visit to Germany, according to the reports.
