Rome: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome and discussed critical issues, including Ukraine's defence needs and progress toward European Union membership.
The Ukraine President's Office in a statement said, "In Rome, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni. One of the key topics of their discussions was addressing Ukraine's defence needs, particularly enhancing its air defence."
"The President expressed gratitude to the Italian government for approving the tenth military aid package. Strengthening Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, as well as protecting cities and villages from Russian attacks, is critically important for achieving a just and lasting peace," the statement added.
"We are now looking to expedite certain elements of this package. We have joint Italian-French SAMP/T air defence systems, and the number of missiles is very important for us - we are counting on it. There's a batch of missiles we are already receiving, but there's another batch that still needs to be finalised so they can be delivered to us," said Zelenskyy.
The President also highlighted active efforts to prepare for the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC-2025), which is scheduled to take place in Rome on July 10-11.
"Our teams have started working on this year's recovery conference, with a particular focus on cultural heritage. Here, we are relying primarily on Italy. We are also collaborating with UNESCO and will engage separately with France. I would like Italy to make a significant contribution to the recovery of our historical heritage - they are highly skilled in this area," the Ukrainian President added.
Additionally, Zelenskyy and Meloni paid special attention to supporting Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
Zelenskyy also discussed support to protect Ukraine's people, cities, and villages from Russian strikes.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "During my meeting with @GiorgiaMeloni here in Italy, we discussed crucial support to protect our people, cities, and villages from Russian strikes, like the recent horrific attack on Zaporizhzhia."
"I am sincerely grateful to Italy for its steadfast support of Ukraine's air defense. Today, we focused on strengthening our air shield, collaborating with partners to bring peace closer, and working together on reconstruction efforts that will benefit both our nations - creating jobs, boosting our economies, and advancing social development," the post added. (ANI)