Far-right Meloni vows pro-Western approach in Italy, aid to Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Feb 2023 00:11

Meloni had also announced that she and Zelenskyy will be holding a meeting in Kiev, before the first year anniversary of the war.

Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, addresses the media during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, February 3, 2023 (AP Photo)

After speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Volodymyr Zelensky was aspiring for a peaceful dialogue.

"Helping Ukraine is the only way to bring existing players to the [negotiating] table," she said.

Meloni had also announced that she and Zelensky would be holding a meeting in Kiev, before the first year anniversary of the war.

"He is working on a plan to open dialogue, and in order to achieve a just peace, we must step up efforts. But if we think that in order to achieve peace, it is necessary to prevent the people from being free, then this is not peace. Therefore, the only opportunity we have is to help Ukraine," Meloni added.

Meloni's Brothers of Italy party and its right-wing allies won the general elections in Italy in October, her victory marked the first of a neo-fascist since WW1 in Italy.

During her first parliamentary address, one month after a historic election victory for the far-right, Meloni assured Italy's support for the EU and NATO, as she added, "Italy is fully part of Europe and the Western world" and that it would "continue to be a reliable partner of NATO in supporting Ukraine."

Her predecessor, Mario Draghi, who was among the strongest EU advocates of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, sent weapons to Kiev. He convened with Zelensky, alongside France's President Emmanuel Macron and Scholz in June to showcase his support for Kiev.

Despite being in opposition and acknowledging Italy's heavy reliance on Russian gas, Meloni advocated for backing Kiev as well, but coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi last week was recorded to have been defending his old ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a result, Meloni relayed her stance that she would not "give into Putin's blackmail on energy."

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