Italy’s Meloni reaffirms support for Ukraine in call with Zelenskiy

ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday reaffirmed her government’s “full support” for Ukraine in a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, her office said in a statement.

Meloni, who took office in October, has been a firm supporter of Kyiv, despite friction on the issue within her rightist ruling coalition and divided public opinion.

“Meloni renewed the Italian government’s full support for Kyiv in the political, military, economic and humanitarian fields, to repair energy infrastructure and (to work) for the future reconstruction of Ukraine”, her office said.

In a tweet published earlier on Tuesday, Zelenskiy thanked Meloni for her “solidarity and comprehensive support,” and said Italy was considering providing Kyiv with air defence systems.

Last week in his address to a group of Western leaders, the Ukrainian leader asked for a wide range of weapons and air defence systems to help efforts to counter the Russian invasion.

In an interview with Reuters this month, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that Kyiv had requested air defence systems from Rome, including the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system.

Under Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s previous administration, Italy sent five aid packages to Kyiv including military supplies, and Meloni’s government is working on a possible a sixth delivery.

Meloni’s office said on Tuesday she “confirmed her intention” to visit Kyiv and invited Zelenskiy – who last week visited the United States in his first overseas trip since Russia invaded on Feb. 24 – to come to Rome.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Alvise Armellini and Frank Jack Daniel)