Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloni officially announced her visit to Ukraine. Further in the article, we’ll know why it became a metaphorical slap to Berlusconi and what plans Kyiv has for this meeting.
Recently, Silvio Berlusconi, the head of the party that is part of the Government of Italy, said that if he were to be the Prime Minister of his country he would not meet with the President of Ukraine. This phrase was a comment about Maloni’s meeting with Zelenskyy in Brussels. In this way, he not only once again demonstrated his loyalty to Putin, whom he calls his friend for more than a dozen years but also, discredited the current Prime Minister.
Is it envy or sober calculation?
Berlusconi is no newcomer to the political arena. Therefore, he wouldn’t say such unnecessary phrases into the air without understanding their consequences. The real reason for his provocative statement is that a sufficient percentage of Italians believe that supporting Ukraine is a direct path to make the crisis deeper. That is why these citizens are ready to support any opposition leader of the current government.
Maloni herself, before the last election, supported the Russian leader actively and showed political sympathy for the Hungarian Viktor Orban. But later, after becoming the head of the Italian government, her position regarding Ukraine became clear: Russia is an aggressor. Of course, this does not mean that Maloni’s opinion has changed; it is just that there is some political pressure from other serious players on the international stage that cannot be ignored. The Prime Minister can no longer manage herself as freely as before and must take into account general trends.
Meanwhile, Berlusconi can gather all the electorate dissatisfied with this change and prepare a significant army of supporters for the next elections.
Hopes of Kyiv
Before his visit to Ukraine, Giorgia Maloni will meet with Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki in Warsaw, and only then, she will go to the capital of Ukraine. In this way, the Prime Minister will show Berlusconi her attitude towards his statements.
It is expected that in Kyiv she will announce the military aid package formed together with France. It is known that these two countries are going to provide the SAMP/T air defense system to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Italy has provided aid to Ukraine in the past, but the details have never been disclosed. According to some data, these were:
- multiple launch rocket systems;
- Panzerhaubitze artillery systems;
- IFV.
There is information that Italy and France agreed on the transfer of air defense systems in the spring. In addition, an order of 700 Aster-30 missiles, necessary for these air defense systems, is expected.
