He was due to travel on Sunday to Berlin, a German government source said, the day after Berlin announced a new weapons package worth 2.7 billion euros ($2.95 billion) for Ukraine. On the front line, meanwhile, near the eastern flashpoint town of Bakhmut, both sides claimed to be making progress. There was a heavy security presence in Rome for Zelensky's visit, which began with a formal welcome by President Sergio Mattarella, followed by a 70-minute face-to-face with Meloni. Despite a history of warm ties with Moscow, including within Meloni's hard-right coalition government, Italy has been a strong supporter of Kyiv, sending weapons and aid and backing sanctions against Russia. In a statement, Zelensky "expressed gratitude for Italy's consistent position in supporting Ukraine".
(ANSA-AFP).
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