Zelensky Day in Brussels. The Ukrainian president’s visit has galvanized the heads of European institutions, who have been waiting for him for some time, and has sparked friction among European leaders gathered for the extraordinary summit. Zelensky was received with all honors, first at an extraordinary session of the European Parliament, enlivened by a standing ovation and an emotional moment from the Ukrainian leader, and then at the European Council, where he spoke at the beginning of the ‘Ukraine’ session.
Pressure from Kiev for fighter supplies kept the scene going. A request that was immediately endorsed by the president of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsola, who invited member states to supply long-range missiles and fighters. According to reports from the Ukrainian president, decisions were taken at yesterday’s meetings in London and Paris that go in that direction, but that at this moment cannot be made public. It is true that authorizations from different countries are needed to send the jets, not only because the components of such complex weapons concern several States, but at least because it is correct to warn the allies about the movement of weapons destined for a single country that the he bought.
As it turns out, in the meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would also have addressed the issue, and it must be said that Italy has never opposed the sending of arms by member states. What aroused the disappointment of the tenant of Palazzo Chigi was rather the meeting in Paris that preceded the visit to Brussels and which provoked an attack on President Macron. The invitation to Zelensky made by the French president, together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, was “inappropriate”, according to Meloni. “There are times when prioritizing domestic political opinion risks damaging the cause” of maintaining unity, noted the prime minister as she entered the EU summit. “I have no comments to make”, was the response of the tenant of the Elysée, not least because, he underlined, “Germany and France have played a particular role in this matter for eight years”.
On Wednesday, Palazzo Chigi leaked plans for a bilateral Meloni-Zelensky deal on the sidelines of the European Council. Then, an extension of time led the Ukrainian leader to organize meetings with the Heads of State and Government in groups of six. In addition to the group meeting, the prime minister had a two-way conversation between one group and the other, in which she reiterated Italy’s support and thanked Zelensky for what has been done so far. At the meeting between the delegations, the dates of Meloni’s possible trip to Kiev, scheduled before the anniversary of the war, on February 24, were also discussed. Little space for the third founding country of the EU, excluded from the Franco-German axis. “I regret that France and Germany alone think they can represent Europe. Without Italy we are not going anywhere”, attacked Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
