President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni.
The Head of State thanked her for organizing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. The event is attended by over 500 Italian companies, and around 200 bilateral agreements worth more than €10 billion are expected to be signed.
“This is an important signal of trust in Ukraine – in our ability not only to withstand this war, which is paramount, but also to enhance our shared European stability,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President noted the need for a large-scale and systematic approach to the reconstruction of our country. Ukraine expects active participation from Italy in developing and implementing the recovery plan. Italy has already taken on the patronage of the restoration of Odesa’s cultural heritage and intends to expand its contribution to other areas.
Giorgia Meloni assured that Italy is ready to invest in Ukraine and its future.
"At the conference, we are signing a number of agreements, as well as financial guarantee instruments for businesses and companies willing to invest – and this is critically important. Also included are direct investments from our industrial enterprises," she said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted Italy’s defense support. The leaders also discussed Ukraine’s urgent needs to further strengthen its air defense.
Giorgia Meloni condemned Russia’s strikes on civilians and critical infrastructure, and expressed condolences over the deaths of Ukrainians.
According to the President, Ukraine’s top priority in domestic defense production is drones – particularly interceptors. He emphasized the importance of investing in Ukraine’s defense industry and developing joint defense production.
The President of the Council of Ministers of Italy noted that Ukraine is the only side demonstrating readiness for genuine peace talks, and therefore, support for Ukraine must continue, along with increasing pressure on Russia.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Giorgia Meloni also discussed the preparation of the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia, as well as overcoming artificial political obstacles on Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
The leaders also focused on launching the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine. Ukraine considers the swift ratification of the agreement establishing the tribunal by the Italian Parliament to be essential.
A separate focus of the meeting was the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Ukraine counts on continued support from both Italy and the Vatican in this matter.
