“Italy does not intend to turn the other way and intends to do even more. We want to help refugees not only to have a home but also to find a job and integrate into society ». Thus the Prime Minister Mario Draghi replied to the Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenksy, who spoke this morning in Montecitorio. “On behalf of the government and my staff – said Draghi starting his speech – I want to thank President Zelensky for his extraordinary testimony”. And he reiterated that “Ukraine must be safe, free and democratic: Italy – said Draghi – wants Ukraine to join the European Union”.
The head of the government then assured that the Executive is “committed to diversifying the sources of energy supply” to overcome “our dependence on Russia in very rapid issues”. While on the front of the measures taken in the confonti of ultra-rich Russians, Draghi highlighted that “in Italy we have frozen assets for over 800 million euros to the Russian oligarchs” close to Putin.
The other front on which Italy is committed, as the Prime Minister himself pointed out, is that of hospitality: «To date, we have welcomed over 60,000 refugees, especially women and children. The Italians have thrown open the doors of their homes and schools to Ukrainian refugees, with that sense of welcome which is the pride of our country. And for this we have allocated new funds for Ukrainian hospitality, we want to help refugees not only to have a home but also a job and to integrate “into our country. In particular, “we have activated special corridors for orphaned minors and we are particularly committed to the transfer of fragile and sick people”. And he added: «The sanctions we have agreed upon together with our European and G7 partners have the objective of inducing the Russian government to cease hostilities and to sit down seriously, above all sincerely, at the negotiating table. Faced with Russia, which wanted us divided, we were united as the EU and the Atlantic alliance ».