Italian President Sergio Mattarella will welcome his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome today, as the Italian presidency confirmed to dpa.
Zelensky he is also expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.
This is the first time the Ukrainian President has visited Rome since the Russian invasion of his country.
From in the fall of 2022, when she came to power, Meloni is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. She had visited Kiev in February to show her country's continued support for Ukraine.
Zelensky had met the pope at the Vatican in 2020, and since the war broke out the two men have spoken repeatedly by phone.
In addition, Pope Francis calls the faithful almost daily to pray for Ukraine and has called on Kiev and Moscow to agree to a truce.
However, he has not yet accepted his invitation. Kiev to visit the Ukrainian capital, saying that he will only go if invited to Russia.
At the moment it is not clear if Zelensky, after Rome, will go to Germany tomorrow, Sunday. For several days, preparations have been made in Berlin for an upcoming visit by him, although this has not been confirmed.
Tomorrow Zelensky will be honored on behalf of the Ukrainian people with the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Germany. It is not yet known if he will attend the ceremony.
Source: APE-MPE- dpa- Reuters
