Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a meeting in Rome today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Following the meeting, Meloni emphasized the strategic importance of supporting Ukraine and European security. "We consider support for Ukraine a matter of strategic importance. Italy aims to contribute to achieving collectively accepted solutions that can protect Kyiv's sovereignty," said Meloni. The Italian Prime Minister added that Italy, within the G7 group of countries, will continue to promote measures to exert economic pressure on Russia and will work to guarantee economic support for Ukraine, in line with European Council decisions. Meloni also stressed that Italy hopes the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union will begin and that her country wishes to develop joint drone production with Kyiv, a sector where Ukraine plays a key role. During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Iran. "We continue to believe in a ceasefire and hope the peace process will restart, although the situation is not easy," said Meloni, also recalling the solidarity of both countries towards the Gulf states. For his part, Zelensky emphasized cooperation with Italy in ensuring security and thanked the Italian Prime Minister for her personal efforts in defending European interests. "We discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf. After this war, it is important to enhance security. The cost of living and energy risks are rising, so we need an effective defense system. Our goal is to combine our capabilities with those of our partners, and there is interest from Italy in increasing cooperation between our defense sector companies," said Zelensky.