Italian premier criticizes French president for inviting Ukraine's Zelenskyy to Paris

By Baris Seckin

ANKARA (AA) – Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Paris before Thursday’s summit of top EU officials, local media reported.

Zelenskyy went to the French capital on Wednesday for talks with Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He arrived in Paris from London, where he met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III in what was his first trip to the UK since the war with Russia began last year.

Zelenskyy shared a plane ride with Macron to Brussels on Thursday for a summit of EU leaders, where he is also set to have bilateral talks with Meloni on the sidelines, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Meloni described Macron’s move to invite Zelenskyy to Paris before the summit as “inopportune.”

The Ukraine conflict “involves us all” and our forces “must be united,” the agency quoted her as saying.

“I think the best way to build an option of dialogue and peace is to maintain the forces on the field on a balanced level,” she said.

She warned that some domestic issues could threaten Europe’s unified stance.

Meloni reaffirmed that “Italy is fully committed” to supporting Kyiv, adding that it wants to play a major role, including in the reconstruction phase.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara