For 11 minutes, Volodymyr Zelensky took stock of the situation in Ukraine and renewed his call for assistance from the countries of the European Union and the G7. A request to which the head of the Italian government Mario Draghi responded, promising to strengthen aid from Italy, including military.
” Imagine Genoa totally destroyed after weeks of bombing “. It is with these words that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alerted Italian parliamentarians to the extent of the destruction of the city of Mariupol, a city in southeastern Ukraine surrounded and bombarded by Russian forces.
The Ukrainian president notably recalled that 117 children had already been killed since the start of the Russian offensive launched on February 24, according to a count by the Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office.
After stating ” our people have become our army and a bulwark for Europe he thanked Italy for having already taken in more than 60,000 refugees. But Volodymyr Zelensky is asking for more sanctions.
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged Westerners to strengthen measures taken against Moscow to end the war in his country and avoid the repercussions of the conflict elsewhere in the world.
Addressing the Italian parliamentarians, he lambasted without quoting them ” procrastination ” of Western capitals in “ the pressure exerted on Russia”.
Words applauded for a long time and followed by a speech by Council President Mario Draghi who praised the courage of the Ukrainians. “ The resistance in all places where President Putin’s ferocity is rife is heroic. Ukraine is not only defending itself, it is defending our peace, our freedom, our security. Faced with the massacres, we must respond with aid, including military aid. Italy wants Ukraine in the European Union “, reports our correspondent in Rome, Anne Le Nir
Warning against export declines
“ The consequences of this war are felt in various parts of the world and not only in Europe. And let’s not forget the famine that is approaching various countries “, also warned Volodymyr Zelensky.
” Ukraine has always been one of the largest and most important food exporters. But how to sow under the fire of the Russian artillery? We do not know when we will have the harvest and if we will be able to export “, continued the Ukrainian president.
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” We cannot export corn, oil (…) so many necessary products. And this also concerns your neighbors across the sea. Prices are rising, tens of millions of people facing your shores will need help “, he assured while Italy welcomes every year on its soil thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean at the risk of their lives.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine propelled oil, wheat, soybean, rapeseed and corn prices to record highs and hike fuel prices like fertilizer.
Italy, vacation spot for the oligarchs
Ukrainian President Zelensky also asked Italy ” not to be the place “which welcomes the Russian oligarchs” on holiday “.
“ You must not be the place that welcomes these people, we must block everything, immobilize real estate, their accounts and their yachts, from “Scheherazade” to the smallest, immobilize the assets of all those who in Russia have decision-making power said Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the Italian press quoting the team of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, the yacht ” Scheherazade » 140 meters long, moored in Tuscany, is believed to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin, with many members of the crew being members of the FSO, the Russian Personality Protection Service.
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The head of the Italian government Mario Draghi recalled in his speech after Volodymyr Zelensky’s intervention that Rome had immobilized ” more than 800 million euros » property of Russian personalities targeted by Western sanctions and that it endeavors to reduce, as quickly as possible, its dependence on Russian gas.
(With AFP)
