«I had excellent talks with Giorgia Meloni, we met in Brussels and I am happy to welcome her to Kiev. We have received another support package and I am very grateful to Italy for the anti-aircraft defense systems and artillery that we will need to defend our energy infrastructure. The line of the Italian government has not changed and I thank Prime Minister Meloni for his position, we have great respect for Italy and the Italian people ». And for the post-war period «we await your investments. We invite your companies to work with us, participating in the reconstruction”.
President Zelensky speaks to Italian journalists in Kiev, in view of the trip of the Prime Minister, Meloni, to Ukraine. He asks for help for the reconstruction of the country one year after the war. Without preferential lanes for France and Germany, open doors “to Italian companies, we will need know-how and investments from all over the world“. There is no lack of reassurance to those who, in Rome as in foreign chancelleries, fear that the Italian government’s support for the Ukrainian cause could falter.
L’ASSIST A ROMA
“It is essential for us not to lose Italian support”, he admits, however, saying he is confident because “Giorgia is a strong woman who can keep her government together”. Then a sharp joke – Zelensky style – directed at Silvio Berlusconi a few days after his last pro-Russian outing. “I don’t know him personally, maybe I should send him something…” sighs the Ukrainian leader referring to the audio leaked from a meeting of the Cav this autumn. “Does he like vodka? I have good vodka. If a case of vodka is enough to get Berlusconi on our side, then we will finally solve this problem.” «The Russians – Zelensky returns seriously – cannot advance further, they are not as powerful as before. After a year, we are stronger». The reason is simple. “We know that if we lose, we lose everything: homes, children, parents. After what happened on February 24, after the invasion, there can no longer be any compromises. International law has been violated, and everything human that could exist. We are not afraid, no one is afraid of them, and it’s not going according to their plans. We are preparing for a short war which will end in our victory. And it is therefore crucial for us not to lose the support of Italy and of any other country, this also applies to the solidity of Europe, in which Italy has a leading political and economic role. And we are certain that we will become members of this Europe”.
STALED NEGOTIATIONS
The moment is critical. There were sparks at the Munich Conference, which closed yesterday, between the United States and China. Officially the number one in Beijing’s foreign policy, Wang Yi, speaks of peace and a document that China should present for a political solution to the crisis. And he also reiterates to his Ukrainian counterpart, Kuleba: «China and Ukraine are two strategic partners, our peoples have long-standing friendly exchanges. We have always supported peace and dialogue and insisted on promoting talks”. But according to the strategy adopted by Washington on the eve of the Russian invasion, when the CIA publicly revealed that Putin would attack, US Secretary of State Blinken met Wang Saturday evening (for the first time since the spy balloon crisis) and he “reiterated the warning about possible Chinese assistance to Russia and help in the war against Ukraine”. In a subsequent interview, Blinken specified that he fears (and has evidence) that China is “considering providing lethal support to Moscow, ammunition and weapons, and I made it clear that this would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship”. Washington does not want “a conflict with China, nor a new Cold War, rather to maintain diplomatic dialogue and open lines of communication”. The condition, however, is that Beijing does not assist Moscow “by circumventing the sanctions”. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani intervenes in Monaco and immediately clears the field. “We will be satisfied if China is the protagonist of peace, but let’s be clear: Italy is with Europe, the United States and NATO”. Zelensky also replies to Italian journalists on the American alarm, denying that so far Ukrainian intelligence has seen Chinese weapons arriving in Moscow. He explains that he has addressed Beijing publicly and privately to prevent him from giving support to the Russians. The risk is that of reaching “the Third World War”. On the ground, the hot spot is Bakhmut, also because if they were to conquer it, the Russians would then aim for Dnipro. Zelensky says it will be defended as long as it is “reasonable to do so”.
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