WARSAW -- Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, was due to arrive in Kiev Tuesday, after meeting with Mateusz Mazowiecki, the Polish Prime Minister, in the Polish capital, diplomatic sources said.

 As Meloni was arriving in Kiev to meet Volodymir Zelensky, Polish newspapers hailed the right-wing politician for her visit to Poland reinforcing a new axis between ultra-conservative governments in Warsaw and Rome supporting Ukraine’s war against Russia. 

 Polish media reinforce the statements provided by the franco-german press, saying that the main reason for Meloni’s visit to Poland, was simply organized to deny the idea that Italy is isolating itself from Europe, as the franco-german press claimed. 

 The Polish opposition newspapers however criticised the Italian ‘post-fascist’ leader for the vagueness of her promises of military assistance to Kiev. Additionally, for Meloni, her eastern European travels are also designed to reassure NATO allies that she is not hesitating in supporting Ukraine despite recent pro-Putin rants by her coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi, a personal friend of the Russian President.

 Meloni’s travels were overshadowed by a major speech President Biden was making in Warsaw later Tuesday in response to one scheduled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he warned the west about Ukraine, as per usual. He also said Russia is going to suspend its involvement from the New START Treaty, the last major arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington, accusing the United States of being at fault in matters of their bilateral relationship. 

 jp-nk