Zelenskyy holds talks with Pope Francis in Rome as Italy pledges full support in Ukraine's fight against Russia
13 May 2023, 18:06 | Updated: 14 May 2023, 01:53
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held talks with Pope Francis in the Vatican, after Italy pledged its full support for the war-torn country in its defence against Russia's invasion.
Mr Zelenskyy said it was an "an important visit for approaching victory of Ukraine!" in a tweet as he landed in Rome on Saturday.
His audience with the pontiff followed meeting with Ms Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.
Mr Zelensky held a private meeting with Italian President Mattarella, before meeting with Ms Meloni for a working lunch.
At the news conference after Mr Zelenskyy's meeting with Ms Meloni, he invited "all the Italian political leaders and representatives of civil society" to visit Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian leader said they would be able "to see what a single person was capable of doing to us, what Putin was capable of, and you will understand why we are fighting this evil".
Ms Meloni condemned Russia’s “brutal and unjust aggression,” as she pledged Italy’s support for Ukraine for “as long as is necessary,” while urging Russia withdraw immediately.
At a joint press conference, she said: “You can’t achieve peace through a surrender. It would be a very grave precedent for all nations of the world”.She emphasised Italy’s support for Ukraine’s membership of the European Union and the “intensification” of a partnership with Nato.
A huge security operation surrounded the Ukraine leader's visit, with over 1,000 police deployed and a no-fly zone put in place over the Italian capital.
Italy historically has strong ties with Russia, and former conservative Forza Italia party Silvio Berlusconi is an old friend of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the country's deputy PM Matteo Salvini has frequently voiced pro-Russian sentiments and taken aim moves to offer military assistance to Ukraine.
President Zelensky was not expected have meetings with either Mr Salvini or Mr Berlusconi during the visit.
In a statement following Mr Zelenskyy's meeting with the Vatican leader, the Holy See said the two leaders "discussed the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war" in meeting which lasted around 40 minutes.
It said that they had "both agreed on the need to continue humanitarian efforts to support the population.
"The Pope stressed in particular the urgent need for 'human gestures' towards the most fragile people, innocent victims of the conflict," the statement added.
Pope Francis has frequently said the Vatican is ready to act as a mediator in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis said the Vatican was at work on a peace plan to bring the conflict to an end, a mission he said was "not yet public. When it is public, I will talk about it."
But the relationship between Ukraine and the Vatican has, at times, been uneasy.
In August last year, Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican criticised the pontiff sparked outrage after referring to Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian ultra-nationalist, who was killed by a car bomb, as an "innocent" victim of war.
The meeting on Saturday between President Zelensky and Pope Francis was their first since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, having previously met in 2020.
