ROME: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due in Rome Wednesday for talks as he presses European allies to boost his country’s air defences against Russian attacks.
Zelensky will meet far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni – a strong supporter of Kyiv – a day after visiting Germany, where he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, especially in drone warfare.
“The top diplomatic priority for Ukraine right now is cooperation for the sake of air defence,” Zelensky wrote on X ahead of the meeting with Meloni.
“We need air defence missiles every single day – every day the Russians continue their strikes on our cities,” he said, the day after regional authorities said Russian strikes across Ukraine killed seven people, including a child.
Zelensky also visited Norway on Tuesday. Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.
The Ukrainian president told German television that deliveries of arms from the United States – which has scaled back support under President Donald Trump – has become “a big problem”.
Zelensky is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, which was launched last year and allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.
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Italy has sent weapons – including the French-Italian SAMP/T air defence system – but has not signed up to PURL.
US-initiated talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, with Kyiv baulking at the idea it could cede territory to Russia.
Zelensky said Tuesday that US negotiators “have no time for Ukraine” because of the war in Iran.
Meloni has been one of Washington’s closest allies in Europe, and has pressed Kyiv’s case with Trump.
But her relationship with the US leader has soured over the Iran war, with Trump issuing a stinging rebuke of Meloni on Tuesday.
“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Italy has denied authorisation for some US aircraft involved in combat missions to land at Sigonella.
Meloni on Monday dismissed calls by the head of Italian energy company ENI, Claudio Descalzi, for the European Union to suspend a plan to ban all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.