24hoursworld

Trip abroad: Ukrainian President Selenskyj in Rome – “Important visit”

Trip abroad: Ukrainian President Selenskyj in Rome – “Important visit”

President of Ukraine Zelenskyy has arrived in Rome for a visit. There he wants to meet the leaders of the state and solicit further support for the war against Russia.

During a visit to Italy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to seek further support in repelling the Russian attack. He arrived in the capital Rome on Saturday to meet President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. An audience with Pope Francis is likely to be about ways to peace. Zelenskyj wrote on Twitter of an “important visit to achieve victory for Ukraine”.

The politician landed at Rome Ciampino Airport in the morning. There he was received by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who confirmed and tweeted a photo of himself and Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian President then drove to a hotel in the city center in a large convoy of cars before his appointments were due.

It initially remained unclear whether Selenskyj would continue to travel from Italy to Germany. There was speculation about a trip to the Federal Republic of Germany, but there has not been any official confirmation so far. However, Berlin prepared for a visit from politicians with high security measures.

Zelenskyj had been flown to Rome by an Italian government plane from the south-eastern Polish airport in Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border. When landing in Ciampino, Italian fighter jets were also in the air, as could be seen on the pictures.

Yermak: “Important for our victory”

In addition to Tajani, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy Yaroslav Melnyk and the Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo were also at the airport, according to the Ansa news agency. Zelenskyy will also be accompanied during his visit by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, as he tweeted. The visit was “important for our victory,” he wrote.

Zelenskyy is in Italy for the first time since the Russian attack on his country in February 2022. Rome took extraordinary security measures for the guest. According to media reports, around 1,500 police officers and security guards were on duty to ensure that the state visit went smoothly. Airports, train stations and the subway were therefore particularly controlled. A no-fly zone has also been set up over the city for drones. Snipers are positioned wherever Zelenskyy was expected.

Singing the Ukrainian national anthem

Ukrainians living in Italy gathered in the well-known Piazza Barberini in the center of Rome. Despite the rain, they sang the Ukrainian national anthem together. “We want to tell the President that we are with him,” the head of the Christian Association of Ukrainians in Italy, Oles Horodetskyy, told Italian television. One is certain that “Ukraine will send away the invaders in order to create a just peace”.

The Ukrainian President is likely to seek further support for the war against Russia and the announced counter-offensive in Italy. Good news had previously reached Selenskyj from Germany: the federal government promised Ukraine further arms deliveries worth 2.7 billion euros. Among other things, 20 more Marder armored personnel carriers, 30 Leopard 1 tanks and 4 Iris-T-SLM anti-aircraft systems are to be provided, as the Ministry of Defense announced in Berlin.

Source: Stern

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts