- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
CMSC | -0.02% | 24.695 | $ | |
RBGPF | -1.16% | 60.1 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.16% | 6.9 | $ | |
RELX | -0.83% | 45.91 | $ | |
VOD | 0% | 9.66 | $ | |
SCS | -1.41% | 12.79 | $ | |
GSK | 0.6% | 39.055 | $ | |
NGG | -0.88% | 65.92 | $ | |
BTI | -0.18% | 35.225 | $ | |
RIO | -0.19% | 69.57 | $ | |
AZN | -0.12% | 77.375 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.13% | 24.78 | $ | |
BCC | -1.29% | 137.125 | $ | |
BCE | -0.14% | 33.662 | $ | |
JRI | -0.16% | 13.259 | $ | |
BP | 0.78% | 33.14 | $ |
Italy backs Kyiv's 'legitimate defence' as Zelensky presses allies
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed her support for Ukraine's "legitimate defence" Saturday in talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he visited allies to press for more weapons to fight Russia.
"We must not give up on Ukraine," Meloni said after their meeting on the sidelines of an economic forum in Cernobbio, northern Italy, which Zelensky had addressed on Friday.
But at the same gathering, EU foreign affairs chief Joseph Borrell questioned why Italy -- unlike most of Ukraine's European allies --- was still refusing to let Kyiv use the weapons it provided inside Russia.
Zelensky arrived at the European House-Ambrosetti forum after pressing for more weapons at a meeting of allies earlier Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Washington unveiled $250 million in new military aid.
The trip came just days after one of the deadliest strikes of the war, with 55 people killed in a Russian strike on Tuesday in Poltava, and as Russian forces advance in Donbas.
Meloni's government has been among the strongest supporters of Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February 2022, sending aid and weapons.
But some members of her coalition -- notably League leader Matteo Salvini, who has historically warm ties with Moscow -- are less enthusiastic and Rome says the arms it has provided are primarily defensive.
Meloni told Zelensky that supporting Ukraine was key to Italy's G7 presidency this year and reiterated Rome's commitment to "legitimate defence of Ukraine and a just and lasting peace", her office said.
- Nice words -
After the closed-door meeting, she told the forum the position of EU and NATO member Italy on Ukraine was "extremely serious, determined and clear".
She acknowledged some members of the public were "scared, legitimately worried about the war", but urged them not to "fall into the trap of Russian propaganda" in believing Ukraine's fate was sealed.
Helping Ukraine fight back against its vastly more powerful neighbour had created the "stalemate" conditions in which peace could be discussed, she said.
By contrast, Meloni said allowing Ukraine to fall "will not bring peace, it will bring chaos" and economic consequences "more serious that what it costs today to support Ukraine".
The EU's Borrell told a panel in Cernobbio that "I agree a lot" with Meloni.
"But by the way, why doesn't Italy allow Ukraine to use the arms they supply in order to target the Russian bases inside Russian territory?" he said.
"Nice words, but it would be much better if we allow Ukraine to defend itself efficiently."
- More weapons -
In Germany on Friday, where he also met Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky urged Kyiv's supporters to provide more weapons and follow through on previous commitments.
And after Ukraine's surprise, unprecedented push into Russia's Kursk region last month, he again called for restrictions to be lifted on the use of long-range Western weapons.
At Cernobbio, he assured Italy that the weapons would only be used to hit military targets.
In their talks Saturday, Meloni said she had also discussed with Zelensky a planned meeting in Italy next year on reconstructing Ukraine.
"I thank Giorgia and the Italian people for their support and joint efforts in restoring a just peace," the Ukrainian leader wrote on X after the talks, posting a video of the pair hugging.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- who upset his EU counterparts and Zelensky by meeting Putin in Moscow in July -- also addressed the Cernobbio forum on Friday, and called for a ceasefire.
Zelensky rejected this, saying Putin had never respected earlier accords.
The Russian leader must "take the first steps" because "he started the war", including stopping bombardments, Zelensky told a selected group of Italian media on Saturday.
Th.Berger--AMWN