Abruptly kicked out yesterday by Trump, at the height of a furious argument in front of the cameras, Volodymyr Zelensky crossed the ocean again to anticipate by one day his face-to-face meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. That is, with the head of government of the country historically closest to the US among Western partners, but also closest to Kiev's military efforts in these three years of war with Vladimir Putin's Russia, originally scheduled shortly before the unprecedented 16-party summit on Sunday - at Lancaster House - on common European defense.
In London, where the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to arrive on Sunday, he was received with a completely different welcome by Her Majesty's Labour Prime Minister, with hugs, smiles, an insistent "very very welcome" and attestations of loyalty to an "unwavering" support for Ukraine until the end. As well as the announcement of an unscheduled meeting with King Charles III, a ceremonial exception in the name of respect.
But above all, after the Downing Street bilateral meeting, with the announcement of a new mega multi-year British loan to Ukraine of 2.26 billion pounds (2.7 billion euros): a resounding message of challenge to the US and of concrete encouragement to European allies.
"I am happy to have friends and partners like you," the guest reacted with an expression of relief. To whom, however, there was no lack of polite urging - anticipated to "dear Volodymyr" through the BBC screens by the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, even before Sir Keir - to consider a step back: to "repair" in one way or another "relations with Donald Trump and the American administration", in the name of the proclaimed will to recompose some unity "between the USA, Ukraine and Europe": indicated as a necessary premise for "a just and lasting peace".
In all this, where does Italy stand? The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, will meet the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, in Downing Street on the morning of March 2, before the restricted meeting of the Leaders on Ukraine organized by Starmer at Lancaster House . The meeting, at the invitation of Prime Minister Starmer - Italian sources inform - had been planned for some time and follows Starmer's visit to Rome on September 16. The conflict in Ukraine will be at the center of the talks. The two leaders - add the same sources - will also take stock of the numerous strands of the bilateral agenda, with particular reference to the fight against irregular migration and the fight against human trafficking, but also to cooperation in the defense sector (including the strategic Gcap program), energy and the promotion of investments.
(Online Union)
