Italy's Meloni vows continued support for Ukraine in Ankara talks
13:15, 08/07/2026, WednesdayU: Update: 13:17, 08/07/2026, Wednesday
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni walks towards the meeting area ahead of the main session of the "North Atlantic Council Meeting," which will bring together heads of state and government on the second day of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 8, 2026.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday reaffirmed Rome's commitment to stand by Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, emphasizing continued assistance for energy infrastructure resilience and bilateral defense cooperation.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday reaffirmed Rome's commitment to Ukraine during talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ankara, emphasizing continued support for energy infrastructure resilience as NATO leaders convened for a two-day summit in the capital focused on defense spending.
Energy and defense cooperation
Meloni confirmed Italy would continue providing assistance to the Ukrainian people with a particular focus on strengthening energy infrastructure resilience, according to a statement from her office. Zelenskyy described the conversation as "important" and said he briefed the Italian leader on the situation in Ukraine, noting that they discussed prospects for joint work on anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.
"We spoke about the need for additional interceptors and we are counting very much on support," Zelenskyy said on social media platform X, adding that the discussions covered immediate defense requirements. The Ukrainian president has prioritized securing advanced air defense systems as Russian strikes continue to target critical infrastructure across the country.
NATO summit priorities
The two-day NATO summit in Ankara focuses on implementing defense spending commitments agreed at the 2025 summit, sustaining military support for Ukraine and expanding defense industrial production. Upon arriving in Ankara on Tuesday, Zelenskyy wrote on X that "important work" lay ahead and that Ukraine expected a "strong and productive" summit.
"Decisions are needed now that will provide greater protection for our people, more capabilities for our defense and even stronger security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe and the United States," he said, adding that nearly 20 bilateral meetings were planned. Since arriving in Ankara, Zelenskyy has held talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the prime ministers of Canada, Denmark, Estonia and Norway, and is due to meet US President Donald Trump.
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