Italian Prime Minister upset because he was not invited to dinner with President Zelensky

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meets with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky on the sidelines of the EU summit on February 9. (Photo: AP)

On February 8, Ukrainian President Zelensky made a surprise visit to Western Europe, starting with Britain and then France, where he had dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before attending the EU summit. European Union (EU) on 9/2.

Last year, then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi worked closely with Macron and Scholz on Ukraine. But this year, Ms. Meloni was completely ignored.

Speaking to the press after arriving in Brussels for the February 9 EU summit, Ms Meloni said she thought this was “inappropriate”.

“I think our strength in this fight is unity,” she said.

Ms. Meloni then met Mr. Zelensky on the sidelines of the EU conference.

When asked about this statement, French President Macron said that the dinner on 8/2 was appropriate.

“As you know, France and Germany have played a special role in the Ukraine issue for eight years,” Macron told the press, referring to the two countries’ joint efforts to prevent conflict from breaking out between the two countries. Russia and Ukraine before.

However, the situation changed when Mr. Draghi, the former president of the European Central Bank, became prime minister of Italy. Draghi, Macron and Scholz traveled by train to Kiev last June and played a leading role in shaping the EU’s stance towards Russia, after Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine.

As his successor, Prime Minister Meloni pledged to continue to maintain a common position in support of Ukraine, despite the doubts of some members of the coalition. On February 9, she told the press that supporting Kiev is the best way to bring about peace.

In a step of showing their willingness to support Kiev, Italy and France last week concluded a technical exchange on the coordinated supply of SAMP/T-MAMBA air defense systems to Ukraine earlier this year.

However, Meloni’s nationalist political views set her apart from Macron and Scholz on many issues. The close ties with Paris and Berlin that Draghi built appear to be a thing of the past.

Last November, Paris accused Meloni’s new government of breaking trust and international law by refusing to accept refugees and migrants picked up by a rescue ship. This ship has finally docked in a French port.

According to Theo Aljazeera