With a hug to Volodymir Zelensky and a handshake with his wife Olena Zelenska , Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the Ukrainian president and the first lady to Rome at the Conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine , which is attended by around fifty heads of state and government, or ministers.
During the welcoming ceremony at the La Nuvola conference center in Rome, Meloni greeted, among others, EU Commission President Von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and Czech President Petr Pavel.
During the summit, the Ukrainian leader, denouncing new Russian attacks that took place during the night on Kiev, reiterated his call for swifter sanctions against Russia.
"Russia is not preparing for peace, and we all realize that right now. We understand it, we see it. Putin has rejected any proposal for peace. And yet, there is yet another escalation in the level of violence," Zelensky added.
The Kiev leader also asked European allies for more defense aid, especially air defense, and called for a "Marshall Plan" for reconstruction.
"We are working to create a grand coalition for recovery, for reconstruction," the Ukrainian president explained. He added: "This must be the moment for reconstruction to begin. Everything that destroyed Russia can be rebuilt. This coalition needs countries, leaders, and businesses to come together to rebuild our society . What we need is a clear recovery and resilience plan. A bit like the Marshall Plan , when it transformed and rebuilt Europe some time ago."
THE PRIME MINISTER – "The Italian system can make a difference" in the reconstruction of Ukraine. "We will rebuild the miracle together." This was Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's statement at the conference's plenary session. "The message we are sending to investors is simple," she continued, "do not be afraid. Investing is not a gamble; it is an investment in the peace and security of our citizens."
"Investing in Ukraine is an investment in ourselves because it concerns each and every one of us ," said Giorgia Meloni. "That's why we must be proud of the result we're achieving together today: nations, international organizations, financial institutions, local authorities, businesses, and civil society. Together, we have made commitments worth over 10 billion euros at today's conference ." "We will make every effort to achieve peace," the Prime Minister added, "and look beyond this unbearable injustice and imagine the aftermath. There will be no reconstruction benefits from those who financed Russia. Russia is increasing attacks on civilians and attacking public facilities because its plan is to try to subdue the Ukrainians with cold and fear. But this plan has failed ."
VON DER LEYEN – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also confirmed the allocations for reconstruction, through the "Ukraine Fund." "The guarantees and grants we are signing today will unlock over €10 billion in investments for reconstruction," von der Leyen explained.
(Unioneonline/vl)