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Italian media: Meloni to visit Kyiv on Feb. 21

by The Kyiv Independent news desk February 19, 2023 2:07 PM 1 min read

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is talking to the media at the end of a European Union leaders summit at the European Council headquarters on Feb. 10, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

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Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to visit Kyiv on Feb. 21 and meet President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian daily newspaper il Fatto Quotidiano reported on Feb. 19.

Meloni's anticipated visit comes as former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi criticizes Zelensky and Europe's support for Ukraine. He recently said that he would "never" have spoken to Zelensky if he was the prime minister. Berlusconi has said that he judges Zelensky's behaviors “very, very negatively" and blamed him for the war.

Convicted felon Berlusconi has been an active supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the two calling each other friends on multiple occasions.

While there is no official confirmation about the visit yet, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that Meloni would "soon" visit Kyiv.

Meloni and Zelensky recently met at the EU summit in Brussels on Feb. 9 during the Ukrainian leader's second known international trip, which he used to plead for increased military assistance – including the potential transfer of Western-designed fighter jets.

Author: The Kyiv Independent news desk

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