Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Palazzo Chigi on Wednesday as Italy and Kyiv announced plans for joint drone production and closer air defence ties. Meloni used the summit to restate her unwavering commitment to Ukraine just hours after Donald Trump publicly attacked her judgment.
Giorgia Meloni and Volodymyr Zelensky stood side by side outside Palazzo Chigi on Wednesday and delivered a joint message to Moscow: the West is not divided, whatever Trump may say. The meeting, part of Zelensky’s ongoing European diplomatic tour, came the day after Meloni received a blunt public rebuke from the US president, who told Corriere della Sera he was “shocked” by her and had been wrong to think she had courage.
Meloni did not flinch. Italy and Europe had always stood with Kyiv, she said, and would continue to do so. “In these four years, the position of Europe and Italy has always been the same, standing alongside Kyiv, its people, and its institutions,” she said. “It is not just a moral duty but a strategic necessity, because Europe’s security is also at stake.”
With the transatlantic relationship under visible strain, she delivered a warning of her own. “A divided West, a divided Europe, would be the only true gift we could give to Moscow.”
Drones: a deal in the making
The most concrete outcome of Wednesday’s talks was an agreement to pursue joint drone production. This is a sector in which Ukraine has, in the grim laboratory of four years of war, become a world leader. Zelensky said the two leaders had agreed that their teams would work out the details of a formal drone deal between the two countries. “We will only strengthen each other. It is important that Italy is interested in such cooperation,” he said.
Zelensky has developed what he calls a “Drone Deal” format. It is a special security agreement under which Ukraine offers its expertise in drones, missiles, electronic warfare and data exchange in exchange for the capabilities of partner nations, so that each reinforces the other.
The Iran war has given Kyiv an unexpected opportunity to showcase that expertise, with Zelensky dispatching specialists to countries targeted by Iranian drone attacks.
‘Shaheds in the skies, right now’
Zelensky brought the battlefield into the press conference with characteristic directness. “Today I informed Giorgia about the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine,” he said. “Right now, Shaheds are in the skies over Ukraine again. There are massive attacks, and we absolutely need additional anti-aircraft systems. They are vital for us, and we can work together on the production of these anti-aircraft defence systems. Because we absolutely must prevent Russia from normalising these actions.”
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed Ukraine’s need for air defence and the possibility of working jointly on the production of anti-aircraft systems, in addition to diplomacy and communication with the US, European and other partners. These closer defence ties would benefit all parties.
Sanctions and financial support
Meloni also pressed the case for further economic pressure on Russia, pointing to the EU’s forthcoming twentieth sanctions package as an important step towards reducing the revenues funding the Russian war machine. She reiterated Italy’s support for Ukraine and called for increased economic pressure on Russia. Hungary currently blocks the sanctions package, but with a new leader in Budapest, this may change.
On the question of financial support, Meloni was emphatic. “We will continue to work to ensure the provision of the financial support decided by the EU Council, which is a fundamental instrument for guaranteeing Ukraine’s survival. A financial crisis in Kyiv would also cause incalculable damage to Europe.”
Mattarella: ‘deep friendship’
Zelensky also met President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace, where Mattarella underscored the “deep friendship” binding Italy and Ukraine, and assured his guest that “Italy will always stand by Ukraine.”
Zelensky thanked Rome “for its respect for our independence and territorial integrity,” adding that “respect is as important as security.”
Wednesday’s Rome visit followed talks in Berlin on Tuesday, where Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a strategic partnership centred on defence and drones, and a stop in Norway, where both sides agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.
Italy has supplied twelve defence aid packages to Ukraine between 2022 and 2025, including a SAMP/T air defence system delivered jointly with France, and has pledged to continue its military support this year. A conference on Ukraine’s recovery is scheduled to take place in Rome this July.
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