Ukraine’s Zelensky, Italian PM pledge defence, drone cooperation
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attending a joint press conference in Rome, Italy, on April 15.
PHOTO: EPA
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
- Italy and Ukraine will boost defence cooperation, particularly in drone production, though details are still under discussion between teams.
- Zelensky is promoting Ukraine's "Drone Deal format," offering expertise in drones, missiles, electronic warfare, and data exchange for combined defensive capabilities.
- Meloni stresses the need for US and European unity in supporting Ukraine, amid criticism from Trump over Italy's stance on the Iran war.
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ROME - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 15 they would work together to boost defence cooperation, including on drone production, after talks in Rome.
No concrete details were announced however, with Mr Zelensky saying teams from the two countries would work on the details.
“Today, we have discussed at length how to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defence,” Ms Meloni told reporters.
“Italy in particular is very interested in developing joint production, especially in the area of drones, a sector in which we know very well that Ukraine has in recent years become a leading nation.”
Mr Zelensky had on April 14 visited Berlin, where he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a strategic partnership centred on defence, and drones.
The Middle East war has given Kyiv a chance to showcase its drone expertise developed over more than four years of war with Russia, with Mr Zelensky dispatching specialists and visiting countries targeted by attacks from Iran, a Russian ally.
“Ukraine has developed a special format of security agreement, which we call the Drone Deal format,” Mr Zelensky said on April 15.
“Our expertise, military experience, and our defensive capabilities in the fields of drones, missiles, electronic warfare, and data exchange – we are proposing to bring all of this together with the capabilities of our partners, so that we support each other,” he explained, through an Italian interpreter.
Earlier on April 15, he said that cooperating on air defence was Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority, the day after regional authorities said Russian strikes across Ukraine killed seven people, including a child.
“We need air defence missiles every single day – every day the Russians continue their strikes on our cities,” he wrote on X.
Mr Zelensky also visited Norway on April 14.
Mr Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.
The day after receiving a drubbing from US President Donald Trump over Italy’s unwillingness to join the Iran war, Ms Meloni repeated the need for the US and Europe to work together on Ukraine.
“A divided West and a fractured Europe would be the only true gift we could give Moscow,” she said.
Ms Meloni has been one of Washington’s closest allies in Europe, and has pressed Kyiv’s case with Mr Trump.
But Mr Trump told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on April 14: “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.”
Italy has denied authorisation for some US aircraft involved in combat missions to land at Sigonella in Sicily.
Mr Zelensky is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, launched in 2025, that allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.
Italy has sent weapons – including the French-Italian SAMP/T air defence system – but has not signed up to PURL. AFP
