< /p> Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw on February 20, 2023.
Warsaw – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw today assured that Ukraine can rely on Italy, despite differences of opinion in the governing coalition. Polish media and foreign agencies reported on it. Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion for almost a year.
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“Of course, Ukraine can rely on Italy, because Italy has supported Ukraine financially, militarily and humanitarianly from the beginning,” the Prime Minister said. “We have been and will stand by Ukraine, Poland can also count on our support,” she emphasized at the press conference. She thanked Poland for the “exceptional work it is doing for the benefit of Ukraine”.
Pro-Russian politicians Matteo Salvini and especially former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, considered a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, are part of the Italian government coalition, AFP reported. It was Berlusconi who criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a few days ago, which immediately earned him a rebuke from the head of the government, with a reminder that firm support for Ukraine is enshrined in the government program and confirmed by the votes of the government coalition in the parliament.
Meloniová continues in politics of his predecessor Mario Draghi, who went to Kyiv last June accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Italy is perfectly aware of what is happening in Ukraine and feels how important it is for the future of the European Union,” Morawiecki emphasized, appreciating the concurrence of views with Meloniova both in terms of Russian aggression and the future of Europe. “Some have succumbed to various illusions, but the Italian and Polish governments look at these problems in the same way. We are supplying weapons (to the Ukrainians) together and we have discussed further supplies, and this is to ensure that there is peace again as soon as possible,” he added.
According to the Polish Prime Minister, returning to normality – that is, managing the energy and economic crisis and taming inflation – requires Ukraine to defeat Russia with the support of the free world. “We have the same opinion on this and feel a similar responsibility,” he said.
In addition, according to Morawiecki, Poland and Italy also wish for a “normal Europe” in which trade and economy would be possible without obstacles. Specifically, they would like a Europe composed of strong states, not a federalized EU. “We share democratic and Christian values. We want a union of strong states, not a utopian vision of centralized power somewhere in Brussels. This is not our view of Europe. The EU will be a global player when it is the result of the forces and interests of all member states,” said Morawiecki about “unity Italy and Poland” in the approach to the EU's internal problems.
Meloni visited Poland for the first time since she became the head of the center-right government last October after winning the parliamentary elections. According to a government spokesman, Morawiecki will also meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Warsaw on Wednesday, who will be in the Polish capital on the occasion of the visit of US President Joe Biden, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on Thursday.
