The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Zelensky meets in Rome with Pope, Mattarella and Meloni

2023-05-13T15:48:08.605Z

Highlights: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Rome this morning as the first stop on a small European tour that will take him to Belgium on Sunday. Zelenskiy met around noon with the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. The meeting with the Pontiff seeks to reinvigorate the peace plan that the Vatican has been trying to activate between Russia and Ukraine for some time. The problem, according to Vatican Foreign Minister Paul Gallagher, is that the time doesn't seem to have come yet.


The meeting with the Pontiff seeks to reinvigorate the peace plan that the Vatican has been trying to activate between Russia and Ukraine for some time


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Rome this morning as the first stop on a small European tour that will take him to Belgium on Sunday. The Ukrainian leader met around noon with the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. "It's an important visit for our victory," he said as soon as he arrived in the Italian capital. A statement that contrasts with the idea he plans about his third meeting of the day, in the Vatican with Pope Francis. The Holy See, said by the Pontiff himself, has been working on a peace mission for months to reach an agreement to stop the violent escalation. The problem, according to Vatican Foreign Minister Paul Gallagher, is that the time doesn't seem to have come yet.

Zelenskiy, in his usual military attire (black jersey and green trousers), was received at Ciampino airport by the Vice President of the Government and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani. He was then taken to the hotel where he is staying (the Parc des Princes) and later transferred to the Quirinal Palace, where he was received by Mattarella and sang the Ukrainian national anthem with his hand on his chest. The Italian head of state has always been a convinced Atlanticist, a staunch defender of Ukraine's position in this conflict and of the need to support it through NATO military force. "It is an honor to receive you in Rome. I have asked to be able to meet you again after our colloquium of years ago in this different condition. We are fully at your side," he said. "Italy was and is on the right side," replied his counterpart.

At the end of the meeting with Mattarella, Zelenskiy met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a meeting that lasted about 70 minutes. This is the second time that both leaders have met – the first was in Kiev – and they have the opportunity to show their full harmony. Meloni, in fact, is today one of the biggest advocates of sending arms to Ukraine to promote victory against Russia. Or at least, as he often points out, to allow a negotiation to take place on a level playing field. "Peace will be just only if Russia ends its hostilities. We are not so hypocritical as to call peace anything that might resemble an invasion. Any peace agreement will have to be shared by Ukraine. And we will continue with military support so that they can come to a negotiating table with a solid position. To do otherwise would be dangerous for peace in Europe," the president of the Council of Ministers said.

Meloni showed radical support for Zelenskiy's position and his aspirations to join the European Union. "We have decided to play a decisive role in supporting Ukraine's integration into the EU." He was also in favor of its entry into NATO. The Ukrainian president thanked Italy for its help and, among other things, responded with the need, in addition, to create a plan so that school and universities can be returned safely. "Health, education and energy. The help we need now is to give shelter to people who have become homeless."

At the end of the joint appearance between Meloni and Zelenski, coinciding with the day of Our Lady of Fatima, the Ukrainian president went to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. The meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, took place in the middle of the Vatican peace mission for Ukraine, announced by the pontiff on the flight back from his recent trip to Hungary. A plan for which no details are known, although a Vatican source has told Russian media that the appointment "is not directly related" to the mission, and that Zelenski requested to meet with Francis "only a few days ago."

The Vatican, in a brief statement, explained that "the topics of the conversation with the Ukrainian president referred to the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war." The Pope has assured his constant prayer, evidenced by his constant public appeals and continuous invocation to the Lord for peace, since February of last year." Both leaders, said this brief document to the press, agreed that "humanitarian efforts and support for the population" must continue. The Pope, in fact, stressed the urgent need for "gestures of humanity" towards the most fragile people, innocent victims of the conflict.

The meeting was the first between the two since the war began, although they already know each other because Francis received Zelenski in audience on February 8, 2020 and already on that occasion they spoke "of the humanitarian situation and the search for peace" in the context of the conflict that, since 2014, continues to plague Ukraine. The equidistant position of Francis on this issue, however, has at times bothered the Russian executive. Zelenskiy has invited the Pope on several occasions to visit Ukraine, but Francis has always repeated that he will not do so until he can do the same in Russia to maintain balance and build bridges between the two powers.

The Italian capital was armored, with a thousand agents deployed, a no-fly area and several sniper teams located in the areas where Zelensky will pass. The impressive security apparatus, which includes tight controls at the capital's train stations and airports, has anti-terrorist units, sniffer dogs and bomb squads. "And underground controls will also be carried out, with inspections of the sewage networks," according to the police headquarters.

Follow all the international information on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter.

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Read more

I'm already a subscriber

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2023-05-13

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-02-12T16:16:02.953Z
Life/Entertain 2024-02-12T09:03:57.229Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.