ROME – Giorgia Meloni visited Kiev, Ukraine, on Saturday where she met with Ukrainian president Zelensky on behalf of the G7 and the EU.

 Meloni and Zelensky held a joint press conference where they reiterated the need for a “Ukrainian victory” against Russia. Meloni's first words on Ukrainian soil affirmed that Ukraine is “a part of our home and we will defend it" as she attended a ceremony for soldiers who had defended Kiev's airport during the battle of Hostomel. 

 President of the G7 for 2024, Meloni pledged that Italy and the G7 would do their part to defend Ukraine and said Italy would support Ukrainians and their “right to defend themselves.” Although Meloni did not delve into the exacts, she promised Italian economic aid, which she said “inevitably implies military support.”

 On X, formerly Twitter, Zelensky announced that Ukraine and Italy signed a ten-year bilateral agreement on security cooperation which “establishes a solid basis for the long-term security partnership” of the two countries, as well as discussing further support for Ukraine from the G7. He expressed his gratitude towards Italy for “supporting Ukraine.”

 The two leaders also held a conference with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Von der Leyen announced Ukraine would receive 4.5 billion euros in March, part of the approved 50-billion-euro fund to aid the war efforts in Ukraine.

 Exactly two years on from the beginning of full-out war in Ukraine, Meloni praised the “heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people” which has “changed the course of history.” She also spoke of the “tenacity of the Ukrainians and the unity of the West”, saying that Putin had underestimated these two key factors when he launched his attack. 

 She stressed that Italy’s commitment “is fundamental” not only for Italy, or Europe, but the entire world because “few would benefit from a world without rules, a world governed only by military force, where every state could risk being invaded by its neighbour.”

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