Rome is preparing to welcome the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is visiting Italy for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, under maximum security measures. The leader, who has been wearing a sweatshirt and camouflage for a year now, will see President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And he will go to Pope Francis, in the midst of that “peace mission” launched by the Vatican but still completely confidential. Armored all routes with no fly zones and snipers, times and agenda changes have not yet been made official for obvious security reasons.
The Holy See itself continues to speak of a “possible” meeting, also because one too many words or a misunderstood signal would be enough to hinder any attempt to open a channel of dialogue between Kiev and Moscow. Citing Vatican sources, the Russian agency Tass pointed out that any meeting between Zelensky and the Pope “is not directly linked” to the mission announced by the Pontiff on the return flight from Hungary in recent days. “It is a special initiative and for now it remains non-public”, the Vatican source reiterated to the Moscow agency, underlining that Zelensky requested to be received by Francis “only a few days ago” and that the Pope usually meets regularly heads of state who request it on the occasion of their visits to the Italian capital. That everything was born in the last few days is also confirmed by the absence from the Holy See of the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, engaged as planned in the celebrations of May 13 in Fatima, Portugal. Instead, there will be Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, who was on a mission to Ukraine a year ago, even if it is not entirely excluded that Parolin may have time to return.
On the bilateral front, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani will welcome Zelensky at Ciampino and accompany him to the Quirinale, where he will be received by Sergio Mattarella on his return from Norway, where he reiterated the urgency of “countering Russia’s aggressive policy” together with that of seeking “a haven of peace”. It was precisely the head of state who often intervened in the last year to explain to Italian public opinion – increasingly divided – the need to support Ukraine in the war against the invader, also by sending arms. The issue of supplies will be on the table at the meeting between the Ukrainian leader and Meloni, the second in less than three months after the Prime Minister’s visit to Kiev on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian attack. While awaiting the delivery of the Samp-T air defense system – for which Italy has trained a group of Ukrainian soldiers – it is possible that Zelensky will reiterate the request from Rome to western partners for fighter planes. After a face-to-face meeting of about half an hour with Meloni, the meeting will then be extended to the two delegations.
The other deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, will not be there: “I am neither prime minister nor foreign minister”, specified the Northern League leader himself, however giving his willingness as infrastructure minister to work for reconstruction. “There are Italian companies that can’t wait to be able to give their contribution”, added Salvini: 600 those who showed interest in the recent Conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine last April 26 at the Eur.
Zelensky will conclude his day in Rome with a live TV interview on Bruno Vespa’s Porta a Porta broadcast, before flying to Germany. Even Berlin has in fact strengthened its security measures, without however officially confirming the imminent visit of the Ukrainian president who, according to press rumors, will be received on Sunday morning by the chancellor Olaf Scholz and the president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. To then go to Aachen to receive the Charlemagne Prize bestowed this year on the Ukrainian people and their president.
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