Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Sunday ahead of a summit on Ukraine and European defence. She emphasised the need to prevent divisions within the West over the conflict.
“I think it is very, very important that we avoid the risk of the West dividing,” Meloni said as she met Starmer in Downing Street. “And I think that in this the UK and Italy can play an important role in building bridges.”
The 16-nation summit, held in the British capital, focused on a British-French proposal to develop a just and lasting peace plan. Discussions centred on how a European coalition of the willing could move the initiative forward. The meeting had been planned before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tense encounter with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.
Following that confrontation, both Meloni and Starmer phoned Trump to reaffirm the importance of transatlantic ties. On Sunday, they again stressed the need for strong cooperation between Europe and the United States.
During the London summit, Meloni also met Zelensky on the sidelines. According to a statement from Palazzo Chigi, the meeting allowed her to reiterate Italy’s full support for Ukraine as it continues to resist the Russian invasion. The Italian government remains committed, alongside its European, Western, and US allies, to ensuring a just and lasting peace. Meloni underlined that Ukraine’s future must be one of sovereignty, security, and freedom.
Segre expresses concern over Trump-Zelensky confrontation
Meanwhile, Holocaust survivor and Life Senator Liliana Segre expressed deep concern over the confrontation between Trump and Zelensky. “As the victim of hatred I was and still am, I don’t want America to collapse,” she said. Her remarks followed accusations by Trump and Vice President JD Vance that Zelensky was obstructing peace with Russia.
Speaking at the Holocaust memorial in Milan during a meeting with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Segre described feeling “terrified” by the White House shouting match. She said the confrontation represented a “reversal” in which “the invaded became the invader,” something she linked to Trump’s re-election.
Despite her concerns, she also expressed “deep gratitude” for the Americans who liberated her from a concentration camp and set up field hospitals where “everyone was treated with fraternal generosity.”
