Selenskyj meets Meloni in Italy and pushes for more weapons

CERNOBBIO, Italy — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, her office said, urging his allies to provide more weapons in his country's fight against Russia.

The two met in Cernobbio, northern Italy, on the sidelines of the European Parliament's Ambrosetti Forum, where Zelensky was scheduled to give a speech on Friday and Meloni on Saturday.

Italy actively supported Ukraine and supplied weapons for defense against Russian forces, but stressed that these weapons could only be used on Ukrainian soil.

Before leaving for Italy, Zelenskyy made his point on Friday at a meeting of allies at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Washington announced $250 million in new military aid to Ukraine.

He also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The gatherings took place as Moscow's forces advance into the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that conquering the region was his “primary goal” in the conflict that has been going on for two and a half years.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who angered his EU colleagues and Zelensky by meeting with Putin in Moscow in July, is also taking part in the three-day Italian forum.

Zelensky rejected Orban's calls for a ceasefire in Cernobbio, arguing that Putin had never complied with previous agreements.