The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said this Sunday (02) that it is “very important to avoid” the West “dividing”. The statement was made upon arrival at Downing Street, in London, where he met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, before the summit of Ukraine’s allies.
“I understand that it is very, very important to avoid the risk of division in the West,” Meloni said, referring to the recent spat between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, at the White House.
Meloni stressed that “Italy and the United Kingdom can play an important role” in building bridges between Western countries. The statement was broadcast by the media at the start of the meeting with Keir Starmer.
In turn, the British Prime Minister praised Meloni's presence, stating that the two countries have "a very similar approach on the important issues that the world is facing at the moment". Starmer highlighted the traditional ties between Italy and the United Kingdom, in addition to the "close positions on the economy, immigration and security".
The summit, called by Keir Starmer, will bring together more than a dozen European leaders to discuss actions to support Ukraine. Among the participants are Zelensky himself, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council, Portugal. António Costa.
Talk with Trump before the summit
On Saturday night, Meloni spoke by phone with Donald Trump to discuss the meeting with Zelensky.
The information was released today by the Italian Prime Minister's office.
Analysts consider Meloni one of Trump's main allies in Europe and see the Italian leader's attempt to position herself as an intermediary between the United States and European countries.
