Ukraine: sources say, ‘Meloni has expressed sympathy for Orban, but P. Chigi denies this’

Brussels, 19 March (LaPresse) – According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is reported to have made a sympathetic statement regarding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s stance on Ukraine during the European Council meeting. According to Politico, citing five diplomats familiar with the confidential discussions – none of whom were Italian – Meloni reportedly told her counterparts that she understood the reasons why the Hungarian leader had backtracked on the €90 billion loan to Kyiv. Although Meloni emphasised during the meeting that she personally supports the immediate disbursement of the loan to Ukraine, she said she understood Orbán’s position, as he faces elections next month. According to one of the five diplomats, Meloni reportedly stated that Orbán’s position was “normal” because “things change” and that “if I were in the same situation, I would understand it”. The Italian government, Politico notes, has denied this claim. “The statement attributed to the Prime Minister is completely unfounded,” said an official at Palazzo Chigi.