Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Heads to Italy to Meet with Pope and Prime Minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has landed in Rome for meetings with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis, marking his first visit to Italy since Russia’s invasion. After arriving at the military base of Rome’s Ciampino Airport on Saturday, Zelenskyy tweeted, “I’m meeting with President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni and the Pope. An important visit for approaching victory of Ukraine!”

As the Ukrainian leader arrived in Rome, Germany announced a 2.7 billion euro weapons package for Kyiv, which includes tanks, armored vehicles, and air-defense systems. While Italy has had a history of friendly relations with Moscow, it has provided weapons and funding to aid Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022 and has supported Western sanctions against Russia. However, the issue of sending weapons to Kyiv remains politically sensitive in Italy, and the government has not disclosed exactly what it has provided.

Meloni, who visited Kyiv in February, recently hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Rome last month for a conference on how Italian businesses could help rebuild the war-torn country. It is not clear how long Zelenskyy will remain in Rome, but there is speculation that he may be planning a trip to Germany this weekend.